AGROSTIS CANINA.{ Agros. vinealïs, IVither.
Bog Bent.
Spec. Chah. Calyx colpured, outer valve serrated the whole way; corolla notched,* with
an arista twice its. length,
T his elegant plant is observed perhaps the. earliest of the genus, being generally in perfection about
the end of June ; the foliage is of a pale green .colour, very delicate and fine, and the edges are a
little rough; sheathing roughish; the base of the straw throws out joints, which seem to be the
rudiments of roots, as from them the suckers spring after the flowering of the plant; but this is not,
peculiar to Agros: canina, as many other species afford stoles, especially when in moist situations:
the inner .valve of the corolla is very small, and in many cases is with difficulty found. This
pretty plant delights in damp situations, particularly in boggy meadows, and generally grows in
clusters, by which means it becomes very conspicuous: it attains sometimes the height o f two feet,
but is always-Sender and attenuated. Though its delight is spongy meadows, we not uncommonly
find it on dry heaths, but it then loses the elegant colour o f its panicle, and acquires a dark red green.
We again observe it in deep boggy ditches, in which situation it assumes a size and altitude unknown
in its general habitations, and upon the same plant the valves of the calyx will be either both serrated
(one entirely, the other partially), or have one valve without any spines : in this state it
probably constitutes the A. palustris of Dr. Withering; the circumstance of having both valves occa-
sionally with spines possibly induced him to consider it allied to A. alba, which plant properly can
have no arista.
A, the Calyx.
B, the valves of the Corolla.
| In forming specific characters our aims should rest upon the prominent features of the individual, that he who
runs may read, and by availing ourselves of leading and permanent characteristics, we in many instances supersede the
necessity of farther description ; but brevity, though a beauty in some, may be a defect in others, and in several of the
species of the genus Agrostis, would be manifestly imperfect, as few of them possess those decided characters that fix them
in the eye of the passing botanist, but we are necessitated to resort to distinctions microscopic and minute.