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MELICA cærulea,
P u rp le M e lic - grafs.
TRIANDR1A Dlgynia,
G en. C har. Cal. of 2 valves, with about 2 flowers*
and the rudiment of another between them. Cor,
of 2 valves,
Spe c . C har. P etals acute, beardlefs. P anicle denfe.
F low ers eredt, cylindrical.
Syn . M elica caerulea. Linn. Mant. 2, 3 2 5 . Sm. FI.
Brit. 93. With. 139, Hull. 21. Relh. 3 2 . Sibth.
3 9 . Abbot. 16 . Curt. Lond. fafc. 5 . t. % i\
Aira caerulea. Linn. Sp. PI. 9 5 . Hudf. 3 3 .
G ram en pratenfe ferotinum , paniculd longd purpu-r
rafcente, Rail Syn. 404.
F R E Q .U E N T in the moft barren fandy boggy places,
efpecially about pools upon mountainous heaths, flowering in
Auguft, and varying in height from 6 to 18 inches, according
to the nourifhment it meetswith.
Root perennial, of many ftrong fibres. Whole herb harfh,
rigid, rather glaucous. Stems with a fort of bulb at their
bafe, and one joint a little above it. Leaves upright, fharp-
pointed, ftriated, entire, often hairy on the upper furface.
Stipulae of a few hairs at the top of the fheath. Panicle oblong,
ereft, of a violet hue, branched, but not fpreading. Flowers •
eredt, fmooth; their glumes deeply furrowed, beardlefs.
Stamina very flender. Anther® and ftigmas deep purple.
One floret is feflile, the other raifed on a flalk, which is generally
extended above it, and bears one or two imperfect florets
befides 5 but this being not always the cafe, Linnaeus and
others have formerly referred this grafs to Aira. In fhady
places the panicle is pale or whitifh.