Dj 5 [ 459 ]
P H A L A R I S phleoides.
Cat's-tail Canary-grafs.
T R I A N D R I A Digynia.
G en. C har. Cal. o f 2 carinated equal valves, longer
than the corolla, Angle flowered.
S pec. C har. Panicle nearly cylindrical, in the form
o f a fpike. Glumes linear-lanceolate, fmoothith,
their inner margin abrupt. Stem Ample.
Sy n . Phalaris phleoides, Linn. Sp. PI. 80. With, 114,
FI. Dan. t. 531.
Gramen typhinum, fpica conoide ftriata, culmo vio^-
laceo. Barrel, lc . t. 2,1.
A N A T I V E o f h ig h fa n d y c o u n t r ie s , fo u n d b y M r . C r o w e
a n d M r . W o o d w a r d o n S w a f fh am h e a th in 1 7 8 0 ; b u t it app
e a r s fr om th e B an k fian H e rb a r ium th a t th e la te M r . L y o n s
h a d p r e v io u fly g a th e r e d it in C am b r id g e lh ir e , th o u g h th e tw o
g e n t lem e n a b o v e m en t io n ed h a v e th e m e r it o f d e te rm in in g i t ,
M r . H u d fo n h a v in g fu p p o fe d h is Phleum paniculatum (a v e r y
d iffe r e n t g ra fs ) to b e th e Phalaris phleoides o f L in n a eu s , w h ich,
la f t h e p ro b a b ly n e v e r fa w . T h e R e v . M r . H em f te d g a th e red
th is fp e c im e n o n C h ip p e n h am P a rk w a l l , C am b r id g e fh ir e ,
f lo w e r in g in J u ly .
R o o t fib ro u s , p e r e n n ia l , c row n e d w i th tu f t s o f fp r e a d in g
g la u c o u s le a v e s w h ic h e n d u r e th e w in t e r . S t r a w fim p le , g e n
e r a l ly fo l ita r y , m o i l le a fy b e lo w , ro u n d , fm o o th , p u rp le and
fh in in g a b o v e , a fo o t and h a l f h ig h . L e a v e s fh e a th in g , lin e a r -
la n c e o la te , r o u g h a t th e e d g e , th e ir fh e a th s fc a r c e ly in fla ted ,
r o u g h i fh . P a n ic le te rm in a l, fo l ita r y , e r e c t , d e n fe , n e a r ly c y lin
d r ic a l an d e x a f t ly lik e a fp ik e , b u t w h e n b e n t on o n e fide i t
fe p a ra te s in to lo b e s o r b ra n ch e s o f fe v e r a l f low e r s e a ch . C a ly x
n e a r ly lin e a r , fom ew h a t c o n f t r ic t e d n e a r th e to p , p u r p l i fh ;
th e v a lv e s lin e a r - la n c e o la te , c om p re fied , p o in te d , 3 -n e rv e d , a
l i t t le d iv a r ic a ted a t th e p o in t , an d fu rn ifh e d w i th a w h i te m em b
ra n o u s m a rg in w h ic h a t it s fum m it is in fom e d e g r e e a b ru p t,
a p p ro a c h in g to th e ft ru c tu r e o f a Phleum ; b u t th is fp e c ie s c a n n
o t b e c o n fid e red as fu c h , o n a c c o u n t o f its ftr id t a ffin ity to
Phalaris arenaria, fe e o u r t. 2 2 2 , f r om w h ic h i t d iffe rs h o w e
v e r , a s a fp e c ie s , in h a v in g a p e r e n n ia l r o o t , a b ra n ch ed o r
p a n ic le d fp ik e , g lum e s le fs f r e q u e n t ly an d c om p le te ly c ilia te d ,
an d la n c e o la te (n o t a b ru p t o r c r e n a t e ) p e ta ls .— .— W e r e g r e t
th a t w e h a v e n o t y e t b e en a b le to o b ta in a w i ld fp e c im en o f
Phleum paniculatum, th a t i t m ig h t h a v e b e en p u b lifh e d a t th e
fam e tim e w i th th is .