/S j t 813. 1
H O L C U S avenaceüâ*
Oat-like Soft-grafs»
TRIANDRIA Digynla.
G en. C har» Cal. o f 2 valves, 2-flowered ; one of
the flowers with an imperfect germen. Cor. o f
a valves ; the outer one awned.
Spe c. C har» Calyx-glumes unequal, fmootb. Hermaphrodite
floret a little elevated, fcarcely awned i
male with a bent awn. Root knotty.
Syn . Holcus avenaceus» Sm. Fl. Brit. 90. Sibth. 40.
Avena elatior. Linn. Sp. P i. 1 1 7 . Hudf. 53,
With. 163. Hull: 26. Relh. 48. Abbot. 25»
Curt. Lond.fafc. 3. t. 6. Mart. Fl. Ruß. t. 7.
Gramen nodofum, avenacèâ paniculâ. Rail Syn. 406.
F r e q u e n t in bufhy places, hedges, and by road-fides,
flowering in June and July.
The root is perennial, formed generally of two knots or
fwoln joints, one above another, throwing out downy fibres.
Stem upright, 3 feet high,’ ftraight, unbranched, leafy, fmooth,
confifting of about 3 joints. Leaves of a darkifh green,
fpreading, flat, rough and rather harfh. Stipula fhort, abrupt,
minutely toothed. Panicle upright, the branches half-whorled,
and confequently leaning one way, as in many graffes; the
branches rough, and moftly fubdivided. Calyx fhorter than
the corolla, and formed of 0, unequal fharp valves, rough'on
the keel. Male floret feffile, generally furnifhed with the
rudiments of a germen, and always confpicuoufly awned;
the hermaphrodite floret (lands on a fmall foot-ftalk, and its
awn is very minute, almoll terminal, often fcarcely vifible.
Antherse purplifh, pendulous.
This grafs has certainly a great affinity to fome fpecies of
Avena; but the fmall number of its florets, and one of their
germens being abortive, juflify its removal to Holcus, with
which it agrees fufficiently in other refpefts. We are aware
what a heterogeneous afiemblage there is in this genus (as
well as in Andropogon) , but that does not concern the
Britifh botaniii.
BH9