V a r io u s have been the opinions formed by authors regarding the number of
the species of Grasses,* natives of Great Britain,1 and our catalogue has been
extended to ‘ upwards of three hundred species." + Dr. Withering reduces
this number to one hundred and twenty-three species; Mr. Curtis enumerates
one hundred and fifteen; but since these catalogues were given us many
varieties have been excluded, and some species added. The Flora Britannica
describes one hundred and thirteen species, and as this enumeration is unquestionably
the most perfect, it has been chiefly attended to by us.
* With certainty we can botanically distinguish Schcenus, Scirpus, Carex, and our other grassy-leaved plants,
from the more regular grasses, but it is rather difficult to define exactly for general comprehension the word
Grass; yet perhaps we may say that those plants are usually considered as grasses which' have commonly round,
hollow, jointed, unbranched stems, with leaves very entire, and longer than they are broad; seed contained in
chaffy husks, and when germinating, not parting into lobes or cotyledones.
•)■ Martyn’s letters.
ANTHOX ANTHUSr