Avena E l a t i o r . T a l l O a t -G r ass.
AVENA Linn. Gen. PI. T riandria D ig yn ia .
Cal. 2-valvis, multiflorus: arifta dorfali contorta.
Raii Syn. Gen. 27., He^rbas graminifoliae fl-ore fmperfecto culmiferas.
AVENA elatior paniculata, calycibus bifloris, flofculo hermaphrodito fubmutico, mafculo ariftato.
Linn. Syfi. Veg. p. 104. Sp. PI. p. 117. Fl. Suec. n. 102.
AVENA diantha folliculis bafi villofis, majoris arifta geniculata. Haller Hiß. n. 1492.
GRAMEN nodofum avenacea paniculä. Bauh. Pin. 2. Scheuchz. Agrofi. p. 239.
GRAMEN caninum nodofum. Gèr. emac. 23.
GRAMEN caninum bulbofum vulgare. Park. 1075.
GRAMEN avenaceum elatius, juba longa fplendente Raii Meth. 179. Syn. p. 406. 4.
Hudfon Fl. Angl.'ed. 2. p. 53.
Lightfoqt Fl. Scot. p. 105.
Oeder Fl. Dan. t. 165.
Schreier Gram. t. 1.
RADIX perennis, fibrofa, fibris plurimis, flexuofis,
fufcis,. intertextis.
BULMI bi aut tripedales, etiam ultra, ere£H, tribus
quatuorve geniculis purpurafcentibus dif-
tin6li, teretes, laves, baft in bulbillos faepe
excrefcente.
[FOLIA caulina, fpithamea, etiam pedalia, duas trefve
lineas lata, una cum vagina ftriata, laevia.
RANICULA longa, etiam pedalis, erefta, fplendens,
laxe coarftata, ramulis plurimis, inaequalibus,
fubfecundis.
BPICULÆ bifloræ, altero flofculo hermaphrodito,
altero mafculo, fig. 1.
KALYX : Gluma bivalvis, valvulis inaequalibus, mem-
branacéis, acutis, albidis, majore nervis tribus
viridjbus, 'minore unico infignitis,^-. 2.
KOROLLA maris : valvulae duae, longitudine aequales,
altera majore, concava, nervis fex viridibus
notata, apicibus faepius purpurafcentibus,
acuta, ariftata, Arifia infra medium exfertâ,
fpiculâ longiore, geniculata, inferne fpiraliter
contorta, fuperne' fetacea ; altera planiufcula,
apice bicufpidata ; valvulae hermaphroditi
quoad formam vix difcrepant, at nervus médius
prope apieem valvulae exterjoris, in
ariftam brevem excurrit, et bafis ejufdem valvulae
pilis plurimis obtegitur, fig. 3, 4.
[NECTARIUM Glumula duae lanceolatae, bafi fubglo-
I bofæ, fig. 6.
pTAMlNA: Filament a tria, capiUaria; A ntheræ
[ ♦ oblongæ, flavae, bifurcatae.
jPISTILLUM: Ge rmen fubovatum, villofum; St y li
duo, magni, ramofiflimi, reflexi, fig. 7.
pEMEN oblong um, laeve, intra glumas calycinas
bafi pilofas liberum, fig. 8, 9, 10.
ROOT perennial, fibrous, the fibres numerous, crpoked,
of a brown colour, and matted together.
STALK S from two to three feet high, or even more,
upright, having four or five joints of a pur-
plilh colour, round, fmooth, the bafe often
growing out and forming fmall bulbs.
LEAVES of the ftalk fix or feven inches, or even a
foot in length, from two to three lines in
breadth, together with the (heath ftriated and
fmooth.
PANICLE long, even the length of a foot, upright,
Ihining, loofely doling together, branches
numerous, unequal, growing in fome-degree
to one fide.
SPICLUAL containing two flowers, the one male and
‘. the other hermaphrodite, fig. 1. •
C A L YX : a Glume of two valve's, the valves unequal,
membranous, pointed, wKitilh, the largeft
marked with threq and the fmalleft with one
green nerve, fig. 2.
COROLLA, of the male flower; compofed of two
valves, equal in length, the largeft hollow,
and marked with fix ribs; generally purple
at top, pointed and bearded; Beard or awn
growing out from below the middle of the
valves, longer than the fpicula, and jointed,
on the lower part fpirally twitted, on the jjj upper briftle-Ihaped, the leaft flattilh and
terminating in two points ; the valves of the
hermaphrodite flofcule differ but little from
the male one as to fhape, but the midrib in
the outer valve runs out into a Ihort awn,
and the bottom of the fame valve is covered
with numerous hairs, fig. 3, *4.
N E C T A R Y : two fmall Glumes, lanceolate, fome-
what globular at bottom, fig. 6.
STAMINA: three Filaments very fine. A n th er s
oblong, yellow, and forked.
PISTILLUM: G ermen fomewhat ovate, villous;
Styles two, large, very much branched and
hanging down, fig. 7.
SEED oblong, fmooth, contained loofely within the
glumes of the calyx, which are hairy at bottom,
fig. 8, 9, iq .
i . Experience muft determine how far this Grafs deferves the attention of the farmer, thus much I may inform
pim, that it is one of the earlieft Grafles in the fpring, that it produces a great crop, and when cut down after
fleedmg, it has flowered afrelh in the autumn; thefe are certainly fome o f the neceflary requifites in a good
ft»rals, yet it does not often occur in meadows, but is rather fond of growing on banks, in hedges, and on the
■ borders of fields, where jt is very confpicuoufly in bloflom in June and September, neverthelefs I have occa-
gionally feen it growing in paftures ; the only objection to it, perhaps, is its coarfenefs, which however {hould
pot prevent the farmer from giving it a fair trial.
L in particular fituations the upper part of the root or rather bafe of the ftalk becomes knobby, and it then
Ijorms the Gramencaninum nodofum of Gerard, this in fome arable land I have been informed is very trouble-
Bome, and eradicated as Couch ; inftances often occur in which a valuable plant in one fituation is a perfefl
peed in another.
■ It is the moft common of all our Oat-Grafles, and is therefore not liable to be miftaken for any other o f the
pme genus.
I As it varies with refpeft to its root, fo does it alfo with regard to its ariftae, of which in general there is only
K rC n° Iplcula» but fometimes each flofcule contained in the fpicula has an arifta, in which cafe one is
■ I Vi ° nger than the othei'-
Kch n A $ra^es no charafter is more inconftant than that of the awn, arifta, or beard, in fome grafles whofe
I l p 11 ls to be mutica it is prefent as in the Lolium perenne, Agrofiis capillaris, and alba; and in others
WL e c“ara&er it is to be arifiatce it is wanting, as in the Agrofiis canina, the ftriking alteration in the
KPpearance of the grafs from this circumftance has often been the cafe of multiplying fpecies unneceflarily.