PHLEUM ARENARIUM. SEA SIDE CAT’S-TAIL
GRASS.
PH L EUM arenarium; panicula spicata, oblongo-ovata, basi attenuata; glumis calycinis lanceolatis,
acutis, margine carinaque ciliatis; culmis ercctis, basi ramosis. .
PH L EUM arenarium. Linn. Sp. PI. p. 88. Schrad. FI. Germ. ml. 1. p. 189- Fl. Dan. t. 915.
Roth Germ. ml. 1. p. 29. ml. 2. p. 77- Sturm Deutsch. Fl. Hort. Cliff".p. 23. I t.
Scand. 190. Roy. Lugdb.p. 54. Fl. Suec. ml. 2. n. 58.
PHALARIS arenaria, panicula mutica cylindrica spiciformi, glumis calycinis carinatis integerrimis ciliatis,
culmo ramoso. Willdenow Sp. P I. ml. 1. p. 328. Alton Hort. K m . ed. 2. ml. 1.
p . 138.
PHALARIS arenaria, spica ovato-lanceolata obtusa, glumis exacte lanceolatis ciliatis, culmo basi ramoso.
Smith Fl. Brit. ml. 1. p. 62.
PHALARIS arenaria. Huds. An g l.p . 23. With. Bot. ed. 4. ml. 2. p. 114. ed. 5. ml. 2. p. 154.
Hull. B r . F l.p . 19. Koel. Gram. p. 42. Engl. Bot. t. 222. Hoffm. Germ. ml. 1.
p. 29- D e Cand. Fl. Fr. ed. 2. ml. 3. p. 8. Fl. Gall. p. 121. Persoon Syn. PI.
. ml. 1. p. 79• Deslong. Fl. Gall. p. 37. Knapp Gram. B r it. t. 4.
/3 PHALARIS phleoides. Alton H ort. Kew. ed. 1. ml. l .p . 86.
CRYPSIS arenaria. Desfont. Fl. A tl. ml. l . p . 63.
CHILOCHLOA arenaria. P . de Beawo. Agrostogr. p. 37•
GRAMEN spicatum maritimum minimum, spica cylindracea. Tourn. Inst. 520. Scheuchz. Gram. 68.
GRAMEN typhinum maritimum minus. Raii Hist. 1269- Pluk. A lm .p . 177. t. 33. f . 8.
GRAMEN phalaroides maritimum minimum. Monti Prodr. p. 48. t. 47.
Dut. Zandig doddegras. Fr. Fléole des sables. Germ. Sand-Lièschgras. Kleines Raupengras.
Kleines Sandliesch. Sandfennich. Sandkölbehen. Welsh. Pefrwellt y tyzood.
Class a n d Order. TR IA N D R IA D IG Y N IA .
[N atural Order. GRAMINEiE, Juss. B r . D e Cand.]
Gen. Char. Cal. bivalvis, uniflorus, valvulis subtequalibus, mucronato-subaristatis. Corolla bivalvis mutica,
calyce inclusa. Semen liberum. Corolla tectum. Schrad.
Radix annua, fibrosa, subtomentosa.
CuLMI quatuor- ad sex-unciales, numerosi, simplices
vel prope basin solummodo divisi, adscendentes,
geniculis sæpe infracti, teretes, striati, glaberrimi,
usque ad apicem foliosi.
Folia vix un ci am longa, lineari-lanceolata, acuta, margine
solummodo scabra ; vaginis longis, inflatis,
striatis, glabris. •
Stipula membranacea, exserta, lineari-lanceolata, ob-
:M tiisiuscul'a.
Panicula spicata, compacta, oblongo-ovata, basi attenuata.
Rachis angulata, pubescens.
Rami breves, divisi, partira pubescentes.
G lumæ calycinæ corolla duplo majores,, æquales, lan-
ceolatæ, apice subito acuminatæ, virides, trinerves,
carinatoe, scabræ, margine membranaceo
albo, marginibus carinaque superne ciliatis.
Glumæ corollinæ membranaceæ, albæ, hic illic pilosæ,
apice crenatæ ; exterior late ovata, truncata ; interior
ovata, obtusa.
Root annual, fibrous, and somewhat tomentose.
Culms from four to six inches long, numerous, simple
or only divided at the base, ascendent, often
bent at the joints, round, striate, very smooth,
and leafy even to the summit.
Leaves scarcely an inch long, linear-lanceolate, acute,
the margin only rough, having the sheaths long,
inflated, striated, and quite smooth.
Stipule membranaceous, exserted, linear-lanceolate,
somewhat obtuse.
Panicle spicate, compact, oblongo-ovate, attenuate at
the base.
Rachis angular, pubescent.
Branches short, divided, a little pubescent.
.Calycine Glumes twice as long as the Corolla, lanceolate,
equal, at the apex suddenly acuminate,
green, three-nerved, carinate, rough, with the
margin membranaceous and white, and the keel
as well as the margins ciliated upward.
Glumes of the Corolla membranaceous, white, here
and there pilose, and crenate at the extremity;
the exterior one is widely ovate, truncate; the
interior one ovate and obtuse.
Germen obovatum ; Stigmata plumosa. Germen obovate; Stigmas plumose.
Fig 1. Calycine Glumes. Fig. 2. Glumes of the Corolla. Fig. 4. Stamens. Fig. 5. Stigmas. Fig. 6.
Germen: all magnified.
This pretty grass is common in sandy places, but particularly on the sea-shores. I t is abundant at Yarmouth,
flowering in May; shortly after which it withers, and is scarcely to be found in the month of June. We have even
seen it in flower as early as the 26th of April.
We have no hesitation in restoring this- plant to its old place among the Phlea, notwithstanding that it has been
removed to Phalaris by so many respectable Botanists, nor of adopting the character above given by Dr. Schrader.
Desfontaines is surely not justified in calling it a Crypsis ; nor are we disposed to follow Palisot de Beauvois, who
has taken it into his new genus Chilochloa; since it does not accord with the characters he has laid down.
As a species it is nearly allied to the rare Phleum Michelii, from which it differs in its much smaller size, in the
more cylindrical figure of the panicle, and especially in the longer and less obtuse valves of the corolla. Phleum
Bcehmeri of Schrader (the Phalaris phleoides of Linnajus) is distinguished by its much longer and quite cylindrical
panicle, less strongly ciliate, calycine glumes, and entire corolla: besides which, the latter is a perennial grass.
The diminutive size of this grass, which often is not more than half that of our figure, joined to its very short duration,
renders it quite unfitfor agricultural purposes. Its .seeds (which are large for so small a plant) are eagerly
sought for by small birds. We have found the pupa of a species of Musca in the panicle.