Our plant is somewhat intermediate in aspect between
Festuca (Vulpia) uniglumis and F. Myurus. It grows in company
with the former, and rather resembles it. The panicles
of both grasses are upright and compact, but that of F.
ambigua is not nearly so stout as that of F. uniglumis. The
resemblance is superficial: a careful examination shows that
its true affinity is with F. Myurus. F. ambigua agrees with
that grass in having but one stamen and constantly two
glumes. Its larger glume, too, has not the awn found in F.
uniglumis.
We add Mr. More’s description, extracted from his excellent
paper quoted above:—
“ Root annual, fibrous. Leaves narrow, involute, setaceous.
Culms 8-12 inches high, numerous, tufted, suberect, geniculate
below. Sheaths long, somewhat inflated, with a short
truncate ligule, which becomes torn by the protrusion of the
panicle. Panicle purplish, unilateral, narrowly lanceolate,
rather close, upright: its lowest branches at first included in
the sheath, but ultimately just free: lowest branch reaching
a little more than Jrd up the panicle: rachis of the panicle
and branches compressed, rough-edged. Spikelets containing
4-7 purplish florets. Glumes broadly bordered with membrane,
very unequal, as 3-6 to 1; the lower glume ovate-
lanceolate or triangular-ovate, often nearly obsolete; the
superior glume oblong-lanceolate, acute or bluntish, its membranous
border being as it were eroded at the top: larger
glume reaching |r d up the included contiguous floret. Florets
scabrous (being covered with small points which pass into
short hairs). The inferior pale terminates in an awn of
nearly twice its own length. Stamen one.”
The only localities as yet known for this grass are the
sandhills at St. Helen’s, and a few similar spots on the Mor-
bihan coast. It seems once to have inhabited “ The Dover”
at Ryde. Our plate may lead to its discovery on other parts
of the southern coast of England.—C. C. B.