* / k j/ z / 'v / ß /v y / r / / ./ / .t
FESTUCA. Linn. Gen. Pi. T r i a n d r i a D ig y n ia .
Cal. 2-valvis. Spicula oblonga, teretiufcula, glumis acuminatis.' '
Ran Syn. Gen. 2 7 . H e r b æ g r a m in î f o l iæ f l o r e im p e r f e c t o g u l m i f e r æ .
FESTUCA pratenßs panicula fecunda obliqua, fpiculis muticis fublinearibus, foliis planis.
FESTUCA elation Linn. FI. Sued n. 94.
FESTUCA pratenßs panicula ere&a, fpiculis linearibus muticis, foliis planis. Hudfon FI. An A. ed 1
P -87• ' -
GRAMEN paniculatum elatius, fpicis longis, muticis, fquamofis. Rail-Syn. p. 411. 16. Scheuch
-Agroß. p. 202. 2.
PHOENIX multiplici fpicata panicula. Branched Darnel-Graffe. Park. Theat.p.w45.,
GRAMEN Ioliaceum panicula multiplici et fpicata. Tourn. Inf. p. 516. Scheuch. Agroß. p. ,200. 1.
In the environs of London the Fefuca pratenfis is a very common grafs,' growing fpontaneoufly in fituations
■ widely varied; we have oblerved it m the fand-pits at Charlton, and the offer grounds near Batterfea • alfo in
■ various paflures and by the fides of paths; but it abounds moft in fertile meadows which are moderately moift ■
■ in many parts of Batterfea meadows it may be found mbft plentifully. ■ ■
I It flowers about the middle of June ; feed from a crop of it fown on ground which I occupy at Brommon
■ was ripe and cut by the end of the fame month. r/ r >
| From long cultivation we have obferved this graft continue perfeflly diftinft, and as we have found it to be a
Jyery hardy perennial, producing a great crop of defirable herbage, we have recommended it * as one of the
■ beft of our Bntilh grafles.
Except in fize, arifirig from luxuriance of foil, it is not fubjeft to much variation.
Several authors have confounded this fpecies with the elatior, to which it certainly bears great affinity •
J M orison and R a y , two of our early writers have .the credit of confidering them as diliinfl R ay in his
H a PI. has happily_ difplayed the charaBer of the pratenfis, and Morison has well defcribed and figured the
H / s /w ; it appears clearly, alfo from the following words, which we find at the clofe of the latter's defcnntion of
^Khe elatior,that he regarded the pratenfis as diftinfl fpecies,“ alterum in dimidio min„. eiufdem formafi
Hiiutw«», '•**“ *• usv, jy/uicuuj a» a vLiiuui-L lpcoics, aiterum m pratis dimidio
■ frequens pmipnc invenitur,imrpnitiir et f»r tanquam tannnam diftin&nmtnAcn e fpeciei fnanrai habendum.”— ” C S ____ ______ • Sal .
c h e u c h z e r gives a minutelefcrTption of"th1
Wjprajenfis, making two " V varieties ^ •of it , without WILUUU1L.aiV any vc,very y apparent apparent reaion reafon :: it it is is remarkable remarkable that that L L innæus inn J us does does not
not
■ refer to this author either for his elatior or his varietv nf it V«n » 4 xr^ ™ -
^ e fe r to this author either for his elatior or his variety of it. Vaillant, as is evident from his references to
M ays two plants, considers the elatior and pratenfis as the fame, though L innæus in his FI. Suec. and Stec
^mPlant. confounds two plants m his references, and quotes indeed a figure in Barrelier, which is neither elatior
i um pratenfis but the Fejluca pmtmta Huif. ed. 2. yet we fufpeât from what he fays of its place of growth &c
■ For his fpecific defcription is a very inadequate one, that our pratenfis is his elatior; his var. |3 of the elatior in
■ he Sp. P . ed. 3. is clearly our elatior, but in the Syfi, Vegetal, ei. 14. his laft work, the elatior from a new
■ reference to be he uchzer is evidently made our elatior,, and the variety is wholly loft fight of. Mr Hudson
§!n the edl.tlon of | i gave to this grafs the name of pratenfis, whicH, as the plant is chieflv found*
l n ajeajows, is an extremely proper one, and as fuch we moft readily adopt it : in the 2d edition of the fame
■ worMÿ fome unaccountable miflake, for fuch it mull be, he has been induced contrary to the opinion of all
■ T “ it. together with the A/mcm as varieties of the Fejluca fluitans, affecting that they change to
■ twhen cuhivated j . We muft obferve that this is not only contrary to our experience in regard to culmre
^ n t that we have frequently, and this feafon particularly, obferved the pratenfis growing in feveral wet foots in
■ atterfea meadows, clofe to dues fluitans, and that both thegraffes affumed their ul'ual appearance; not to mention
■ he different habits of thefe plants, the different form of their fpfeulae, See. the fluitans has a neftary differing
[ù ë a lÿ en r ta fo fd p n fo lÆ jé a ^ ^ “ ,lone WOuU rem0Ve “ 7 doubts- “ uld fuch bf
t ratfi"f‘s differs from the elatior m its ufual place o f growth; we have indeed found them growing clofe
■ ogether; but betwixt Batterfea and Vauxhall, where thefe plants grow abundantly, the elatior ufually°grows
H i S m ' » 1 1 1 u and as/ e have before obferved in ihe °fief grounds,'where it has the advantage of
■ noifture and feme rfiade ; th efratenfis grows more difperfed in the open meadows, not forming fuch Wgemfts
■ i M j f l ‘be elaUor taking plants of equal ftrength and age, and vt-hich is to be underflood through the
Jfchaie of the fubfequent^ companion, is ufoally, nearly twice as high, and has foliage twice as broad as that of
■ ( ' the pamcle m the elatior is not only much longer, but contains a far greater number of flowers
t L h ptoportion of 64 to 128 taken from medium fpecimens; the panicle in the pratenfis is ufuallv once
1 1 ™ " ' B H other twice ; in the elatior it droops greatly at firft; in the pratenfis but S f o ; in ■ die latter ft
1 more on'alf G W|he" !" r°'v'4'' an~ '¥ flowers grow one m the elatior they grow more^loofely fpreading
liâ t linear ■ ■ ■ fpiculæ afford one of the moft obvious diftinaions ; in the pratenfis- thefe are fomewhaf
t Ti r ' ? ob[ulF i m the ‘ Intior more round, ovate, and pointed. ■ H I
e e two plants differ alfo about a fortnight or three weeks in their time of flowering.
>• I* Spicula.
2. Glunice Calycitue.
3’ 4- Chance Corollaceæ.
5- maria.
0. Stamina' .
7- Piß ilium.
8. Semen glumis inclufur,
9- Semen denudatum.
6 Fig. 1. One o f the Spicu/ce.
| 2. Glumes o f the 'Calyx.
6 3- 4- ------------ Corolla.
jt ' 5. The Nediaries.
X 6. The Stamina.
| 7. The P i f ilium.
| 8. The Seed enclofed within the Glumes.
§ 9. The Seed taken out.
“ have ■ ^ ^ \ s h a \ o n t0 learn from M r ..
B + °*)^ervatl0ns on t*le Britifli grafles beft adapted for laying down c
..r °_*iad the honour of being a pupil to L innaeus, and who meditates a
■ L l then f t " “ L"di.rP"wb1! ' ,he cl« ior of th<f Ft; Sfiec. a name Lnmjsus h
■ ; I H i | B »PPeep 'Hal He was at that time a Dranger to out Fe(h
I ‘ s) ^ata In homs mutatur in $ (lolicea) et y. (pratenfis) primo i
nproving of meadows and paftures. .
elius, a Swedifh Botanift of the firft eminenc
t edition, of the FI. Suec. of that il|uftrious author,
)een induced to give it from its being the talleft f<
elatior.
> in <5 fecundo in v. Hudf. Fl. Angl. ed. 2. p. 47