AIRA. Linn. Gen. PL T riandria Digynia.
Cal. 2-valvis, 2-fIorus. Flofcuh abfque interjeClo rudimento.
RanSyn. Gen, 27. Herb.e cr am in ieo u ,e flore imperfecto culmifera;. .
AIRA panicula divaricata, floribm ariftatis diftantibus. Linn. Syfl. Vegetal.
AVENA diantha, foliis fetaceis, panicula divaricata. Haller Hiß. n. 1482.
AIRA foliis fetaceis, panicula tnchotoma, floribus ariftatis divergentibus. Hudfen Fl. Angl. ei. 2. p. 36.
CARYOPHYLLUS arvenfis glaber minimus. Bauh. Pin. 210.
GRAMEN panicuktum purpuro-argenteum, locuftis parvis annulim. Hiß. Ox. III. 200. t. 5. f . 11.
GRAMEN parpuro-argenteis annuum. Rail Syn. p. 407. Small annual fair-
RADIX annua, fibrofa, fibris paucis, in terrain vix
defeendentibus, unde plantula vend impetu
facile eruitur.
CÜLMUS ere&us, fpithamæus, et ultra, teres, ftriatus
foliatus, bitrinodis.
FOLIA fetacea, brevia, rigidula, convoluta, erefta,
glauca, obtufiufcula Vagina longæ, ftriatæ,’
fcabriufculæ, marginibus membranaceis albi-
dis ; Membrana magna, acuminata, demum
bifida..
PANICULA divaricata ; Pedunculi folitarii, in culta
planta plerumque gemini, longi, ramofi, tri-
fidi, glabri ; Pedicelli breves, parum flexuöfi ;
Flores diftantes.
CALYX : G luma biflora, bivalvis, valvulis ovato-lan-
ceolatis, acutis, aequalibus, albidis, nitidis,
ball fubpurpurafeentibus, fig. 1.
^COROLLA bivalyis, valvulæ fefliles, fubaequales,
calyce vix breviores, virefeentes, acute,5
exteriore ariftata, fig. 2. Arißa jprope bafin
egrediens, refta, alba, calyce dimidio lon-
glor> fig- 3-
STAMINA: F ilamenta 3, capillaria, longitudine
fere, floris ; A ntheræ oblongæ, utrinque
furcatæ, fig. 4. ^
PISTILLUM: G ermen ovatum; St y u 2, patentes
plumofi, Jig. g.
SEMEN fubovatum, teftum, ßg. 6. denudatum.
| ROOT annual, fibrous, fibres few, penetrating but a
V little way into the earth, whence the plant
I by the violence of the wind, is eafily forced
out of the ground.
STA LK upright, about a fpan high, round, ftriated,
leafy, with two or three joints.
LEAVES fetaeeous, Ihort, fomewhat rigid, the edges
rolled in, upright, glaucous, a. little blunt:
Sheaths long, ftriated, roughilh, the edges
membranous and white; the Membrane
large, long-pointed, finally bifid.
PANICLE divaricated; Peduncles growing fingfy in
the cultivated plant ufually two together
| Jong, branched, trifid, and fmooth; Pedicles
\ thor£> fomewhat crooked ; Flowers diftant.
0 C A L Y X : a Glume of two flowers, two-valved, the
© valves ovato-lanceolate, acute, equal, whitilh
0 glofly, purplifh at the bafe, fig. i.
© COROLLA two-valved, valves feflile, nearly equal
© a Ihorter than the calyx, greenifl/
© pointed, the outer one awned, fig. 2. Awn
© proceeding from near its bafe, ftraight, white
longer by one half than the calyx, fig. 3. |
| S TAM IN A : 3 capillar)/ Filaments, nearly the
© length of the flower; A n th er s oblong
© forked at each end, fig. 4.
© PISTILLUM: G ermen ovate; Styles 2, fpreading
f and feathery, fig. $.
© SEED fomewhat ovate, covered with the corolla
fig■ 6. denuded.
The Ait
viz. on
profufion, nor to be found with the fame certainty.
it 8 E 9 B > « will not eafily be difeoverende.- and as 1 is an annual, unlefs it be fought for about its flowering feafon,
'C^nfln%Xo^otnhfide^fi^ “ f“ ä “ ™id ^ in richer foils it grows much
'W S Ê R “ iàmc
pi tec ox on the contrary is a fmaller plant, andhas^a mublf clofer panicle, 3 “ * " * " • and “ ° re ^ e p y , the
what