S EtAvnntß ffet E S vyöm
Brom u s D i a n d r u s . D i a n d r o u s B r o m e -G r a s s .
BROMUS Linn. Gen. Bl. T riandria D igynIa .
Cal. 2-valvis. Spiculaoblongp, teres, difticha ; arifla infra apicem.
k a il Syn> Gen* 2 j. H erb/e graminifoli^ flore imperfecto culmifer^.
BROMUS diandrus panicula ere&o-patente, fpiculis multifloris, flofculis diandris. >
BROMUS muralis panicula patulo^ere&a fiinplici* fpiculis linearibus, floribus acuminatis fcabris, ariflis
longis. Hudf. FI. Angl. edK 2. p. 50»
BROMUS madritenfis panicula rariore patulo-ere&a; fpiculis linearibus; intermediis geminis, pedicellis
fupeme incraffatis. Linn. Syß. Vegetab. ed. 14, Murr. p. 120, ?
GRAMEN bromoides, pumilum, locuRis ereftis, raajoribus, ariRatis. Scheuchz. Agr. ed. Hall. p. 260»
BROMOS Rerilis erefita panicula major. Barr. ic. 76. n. 1.
jW e many years fince obferved the grafs here reprefented, growing on the wall of a garden near Batterfea
Khurch, lituated at a fmall difl’ance from the high-road which leads from the bridge to Batterfea,. out of which
Bou turn in proceeding to the church;— a few yards down this turning, on the garden-wall to the right, it will
Badily be found: for on the fame fpot, we obferved it again this preTent fummer, in company with Mr. Ogle,
Burgeon, Great Ruffel-Street, Bloomfbury; on the top of the wall it was in a Runted Rate, at- the foot of it
Bore luxuriant.
I On the firft difcovery of this plant, I Was induced, from a curfory view, to regard it as a variety of Bromus
Wmlis, with peduncles fhorter than ufual; but having introduced it to my garden, and found that feveral years
■ culture made no alteration in its principal chara&er, I had little doubt of its being a diftin£t fpecies, ana the
■ ttle I had Was completely removed, when I came to diffeft the parts of frufhfication; for, to my great
Bloniflimentj I found that there were only two Ramina to each flower, and that generally.
BGrowing in the fame fituation as the Jlerilis, it is a fmaller plant; the fpiculse in thz Jlerilis Randing on long
Jpduncles (whereby, they are rendered weaker) conRantly droop; in the diandrus the peduncles being fhort,
Ipport the fpiculae in an upright pofition; this gives a different air to the plant, which otherwife from the
Breat fimilarity of its Ralks, foliage, fize and form of its fpiculse, would be very liable to be confounded with
file Jlerilis.
■ In dry feafbns, when the Bromus diandrus grows on walls, it is much fhorter than the plant we have figured;
tinfuch fituations, more particularly as the plant advances to maturity, the panicle clofes together, and the
K>iculae become of a brownifh purple hue | in this Rate it differs Rill more obvioUfly from the Jlerilis, and may
Be difhnguifhed even at a diflance: we are not, however, to regard this plant as confined to walls; like the
Weri/is, it is found on them by accident: we obferved it in the year 1793, on the banks of the Severn, at the
■ oot of St. Vincent’s'Rock, where my very good friend, Dr. Ford, then refident at Briflol, alfo obferved it to
Brow in great plenty.
I lf our plant be the Bromus madritenjis of L innaeus, which we are induced to believe, from its according fo
• e ll with the figure of B arrelier, to which he refers, it will be found to be a native of Spain, and Italy, and
Bfrhaps of other different parts of Europe: there can be little doubt of its being the muralis of Mr. Hudson,
•ough he has omitted to notice the peculiar circumRance of its having only two Ramina, a phenomenon fo
pnufual in plants of this tribe, that we have thought it ought to receive its trivial name from it, more efpecially
pskne plant is found to be confined to no particular country or fituation.
J i t flowers in May and June, and ripens its feeds in July; is an annual of ready growth, and much difpofed to
•come a weed. *
J.fUplefs the flowers are examined when very young, the frefh Ramina are not to be feen, but the flowers out
■ bloom generally retain them in a dried Rate.
I Of foreign gaffes there are feveral defcribed with two Ramina, in particular the Saccharum Thunbergii and
aiKj t^le '^Sr°/Hs diandra, Linn. Syfl. Nat. ed. 13. Gmelin. of our Englifh graffes, none fuch as yet have
B en °blerved, befides the prefent one, and the Anthoxanthum odoratum.
Bartes FruElißcationis.
Big- 1. Glumae Calycinae.
Big. 2. Glumze Corollaceee.
| The Barts of the Fr unification.
I Fig. 1. The Glumes of the Calyx.
| Fig. 2. The Glumes of the Corolla.
'%f| 4i1 5> 6. Gluma Corollacea interior, Sta- © Fig. 3, 4,,5, 6. The inner Glume o f the Corolla,
mina, PiRillum, Neftaria, lente auft. © Stamina, PiRillum, and Neftaries, magnified.
'S- 7k PiRillum magis au£h 1 Fig. 7. The PiRillum more enlarged.