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M I L I U M lendigerum.
Panick Millet-grafs.
TR1ANDRIA Digynia.
G en. C har. Cal. of 2 valves, fingle-flowered, tumid.
Seed invefted with the permanent hardened corolla.
Spec. Char. Panicle clofe and fpiked. Corolla
awned.
Syn . Milium lendigerum. Linn. Sp. PI. 9 1 . Sin.
FI. Brit. 76. With. 122. Hull. 17.
Agroftis auftralis. Linn. Mant. I . 30.
A . rubra. Hudf. ed. 1. 26.
A . ventricofa. Gouan. Hort. 39. t. 1. f . 2.
Alopecurus ventricofus. Hudf. ed. 2. 28.
Panicum ferotinum arvenle, fpica pyramidata. Rail
Syn. 394- _______
I t is difficult to draw a line between the characters o f
Milium and Agroftis, nor is the Linn scan definition of the
latter correct; hence there will be found in the FI. Brit. 3
contrariety between that definition (too incautioufly adopted)
and the particular defcriptions copied from nature. I f the
corolla o f Agroftis be defcribed membranous, inftead of “ larger
than the calyx,’' it will probably remove the difficulty. _ The
grafs now before us Linnaeus has unconfcioufly mentioned
under both 'genera. W e confider it as a Milium, becaufe the
corolla hardens as the feed ripens, and clofely enfolds i t : in
the true fpecies o f Agroftis that part continues membranous and
laxly fpreading, though wemuft confefs A . Spicaventi {t. 951)
does not correCtly anfwer to this defcription, nor A . miliacea,
which laft is furely a Milium. v
M . lendigerum is an annual grafs, growing (though rarely)
in fuch fields as are occafionally overflowed, and flowering in
Auguft. Its Item is branched, ereCt, leafy. Whole herb
pale green, not red. Panicle upright, denfe, fpike-fhaped.
Calyx fmooth, polifhed and fwelling at the bafe; tapering and
rough upwards. Corolla fhort, ovate, downy, moftly awned j
the inner valve narrowed; and beardlefs. W e know this to be
the Agroftis rubra o f Huafon’ s firft edition ; that of Linnseus
is by no means well afcertained,