MILIUM*.

Linnean Class and Order. TRIA'NDRIA†, DIGY'NIA.

Natural Order. GRAMI'NEE, Juss. Gen. Pl. p. 28.-Sm. Gram. of Bot. p. 68.; Engl. Fl. v. i. p. 71.-Lindl. Syn. p. 293.; Introd. to Nat. Syst. of Bot. p. 292.-Rich. by Macgilliv. p. 393.-Loud. Hort. Brit. p. 542.-GRAMINA, Linn.-GRAMINA'LES; sect. PANICINE; type, MILIACEE; Burn. Outl. of Bot. v. i. pp. 359 & 366.

GEN. CHAR. Panicle loose, spreading. Calyx (see figs. 1 & 2.) of 2 nearly equal, concave, tumid, keeled, clasping, awnless glumes, containing a single floret. Corolla (see fig 2.) of 2, nearly equal, ribless, very smooth, awnless palea, the upper flat. Nectary cloven, membranous. Filaments (see fig. 2.) 3, hair-like, the length of the calyx. Germen (fig. 3.) egg-shaped. Styles (see fig. 3.) combined, or very short. Seed (figs. 4 & 5.) egg-shaped, coated with the horny corolla.

The loose, spreading panicle; the calyx of 2 glumes, as long, or a little longer than the paleæ, inclosing a single floret; and the corolla of 2 equal, smooth, awnless palea, which at length become hardened and closely invest the seed; will distinguish this from other genera in the same class and order.

The hardened corolla, forming a coat to the seed, affords a mark of distinction between this genus and Agrostis. SM.

Two species British.

M'ILIUM EFFU'SUM. Millet-grass.

SPEC. CHAR.

Panicle glabrous, its branches subverticillate. Ligule (see fig. 6.) blunt.

Engl. Bot. t. 1106.--Curt. Fl. Lond. t. 248.-Knapp's Gram. Brit. t. 19.Host. Gram. Austr. v. iii. p. 16. t. 22.-Graves' British Grasses, t. 31.-Linn. Sp. Pl. p. 90.-Huds. Fl. Angl. (2nd edit.) p. 29.-Willd. Sp. Pl. v. i. pt. 1. p. 360.-Leers (2nd edit.) p. 18. t. 8. f. 7.-Sm. Fl. Brit. v. i. p. 75. Engl. Fl. v. i. p. 87.-With. (7th ed.) v. ii. p. 153.-Gray's Nat. Arr. v. ii. p. 154.-Lind. Syn. p. 301.-Hook. Brit. Fl. p. 30.—Lightf. Fl. Scot. v. i. p. 92.-Sibth. Fl. Oxon. p. 35.-Abbot's Fl. Bedf. p. 13.-Purt. Midl. Fl. v. i. p. 72.-Davies' Welsh Bot. p. 8.-Relh. Fl. Cant. (3rd ed.) p. 28.-Hook. Fl. Scot. p. 24.-Grev. Fl. Edin. p. 15.-Sincl. Hort. Gram. Wob. pp. 20 and 403.-Fl. Devon. pp. 11 and 120.-Winch's Fl. of Northumb. and Durham, p. 5.-Walker's Fl. of Oxf. p. 18.-Perry's Pl. Varv. Selectæ, p. 7.-Bab. FÍ. Bath. p. 56.-Mack. Catal. of Pl. of Irel. p. 12. Fl. Hibern. p. 297.-Gramen miliaceum, Ray's Syn. p. 402.--Johnson's Gerarde, p. 6.

LOCALITIES.-In moist shady places, in woods, &c. frequent. Perennial.-Flowers in June and July.

Fig. 1. Calyx.-Fig. 2. Calyx, Corolla, and Stamens.-Fig. 3. Germen and Pistils. -Fig. 4. Seed invested with the Corolla.-Fig. 5. A Seed divested of the Corolla.Fig. 6. A portion of the Leaf, showing the Ligula. Figs. 1, 2, and 3, a little magnified.

* From mille, a thousand, on account of its fertility; or, according to Théis, from the Celtic mil, a stone, from the hardness of its fruit. Sir W. J. HOOKER.

ance.

Root creeping, fibrous. Culms (stems) upright, slender, 3 or 4 feet high, round, jointed, leafy, smooth. Leaves bright green, from 4 to 9 inches or a foot long, and about one-third of an inch broad, terminating gradually in a fine point; flat, with a single rib and rough edges. Sheath striated, smooth. Ligula (stipula) oblong, blunt, often jagged. Panicle large, often a foot long, and 8 inches wide, upright, loose, spreading, very much scattered from the various lengths of the secondary foot-stalks, which grow in half whorls, and give the plant an airy, light, and elegant appearFlowers solitary, egg-shaped, slightly drooping. Calyx (fig. 1.) permanently green, roughish, of 2 elliptical, expanded, concave, ribbed, nearly equal glumes. Corolla (see fig. 2.) nearly the shape and size of the calyx, to which it is opposite, not contrary; at first of a greenish-white, polished; after flowering yellowish and horny, the larger palea embracing the other, and both together forming a shining hard coat to the seed. Awn none. Nectary a deeply cloven membrane. Anthers deeply cloven at each end, of a yellow colour. Styles (see fig. 3.) short, combined. Stigmas feathery, white.-Mr. G. SINCLAIR says, that the branches of the panicle are often in whorls, diverging by glands fixed in the axils, which has caused it to be mistaken sometimes for Poa retroflexa, or P. distans.

"This Grass, in its natural state, seems to be confined to woods as its place of growth; it will thrive and grow, however, when transplanted to open exposed situations. It is remarkable for the lightness of its produce in proportion to its bulk. Birds are remarkably fond of the seeds; so much so, as to raise a doubt whether, for the sake of the seed only, it could be cultivated to advantage on the farm. But in covers, where game is preserved, there cannot be a better grass encouraged, as it will save the cornfields.

"About the beginning of August is the best season for sowing the seed. The surface of the ground, near the roots of the bushes, should be lightly stirred, and the seed scattered over it, and raked in; a few of the decaying leaves that cover the ground should be afterwards thrown over it.

"It flowers in the second week and latter end of June, and the seed is ripe in the middle of July and beginning of August." Hort. Gram Wob.

Mr. KNAPP observes, that the word effusus' is not inaptly given to this Millet-grass, as the abundance of its seed sufficiently bears witness, and that from its quantity it merits some attention. Domestic poultry might perhaps thrive upon it; or it might be given with advantage to swine, and tend to diminish the consumption of bread corn; a desideratum that defective seasons have rendered distressingly necessary. Its foliage is eaten by cattle, but the quantity of herbage it produces is too small to render it an object of attention to the Farmer; and from its creeping root it would, if introduced into meadows, occupy the place of much more productive species,

IRD

Drýas Octopetala Eight petaled Dryas

Pub by WBaxter Botanic Garden Oxford 1837

CMathews. Sc.

DRY'AS*.

Linnean Class and Order. IcosA'NDRIA †, POLYGY'NIA. Natural Order. ROSA'CE, Juss. Gen. Pl. p. 334.-Sm. Gram. of Bot. p. 171.-Lindl. Syn. p. 88.; Introd. to Nat. Syst. of Bot. p. 81.-Rich. by Macgilliv. p. 528.-Loud. Hort. Brit. p. 512.-Don's Gen. Syst. of Gard. and Bot. v. ii. p. 523.—Mack. Fl. Hibern. pt. 1. p. 85.-ROSALES; sect. ROSINE; subsect. ROSIANE; type, RoSACEE; subtype, FRAGARIDA; Burn. Outl. of Bot. v. ii. pp. 614, 683, 699, & 700.-SENTICOSE, Linn.

GEN. CHAR. Calyx (fig. 1, a.) inferior, of 1 sepal, in 8 or 9 deep, spreading, equal or unequal segments, permanent. Corolla of from 5 to 8, occasionally 9, roundish, undivided, spreading petals, longer than the calyx, and attached by their claws to its rim. Filaments (fig. 1, b.) numerous, hair-like, from the rim of the calyx, much shorter than the corolla. Anthers small, roundish, of 2 lobes. Germens superior, numerous, small, oblong. Styles (fig. 1, c.) lateral, long and hair-like, straight, continuous (see fig. 3). Stigmas simple, smooth. Pericarps (seeds, Linn.; nuts, Lindl.) numerous, small, tipped with the permanent feathery styles (see figs. 2 & 3). Seeds ascending. Receptacle (fig. 4.) depressed, dry, downy, minutely cellular. Flowers white or yellow.

The 8- or 9-cleft calyx; the corolla of 8 or 9 petals; and the pericarps with long feathery awns; will distinguish this from other genera in the sanie class and order. The straight awn will distinguish it from Geum.

One species British.

DRY'AS OCTOPE/TALA. Eight-petalled Dryas. White Dryas. Mountain Avens.

SPEC. CHAR. Petals, eight. Leaves simple, egg-shaped, or somewhat heart-shaped, crenately serrated.

Engl. Bot. t. 451.-Linn. Sp. Pl. p. 717.-Huds. Fl. Angl. (2nd ed.) p. 226.Linn. Fl. Lapp. (2nd ed.) p. 181.-Willd. Sp. Pl. v. ii. pt. 11. p. 118.-Sm. Fl. Brit. v. ii. p. 555. Engl. Fl. v. ii. p. 432.-With. (7th ed.) v. iii. p. 638.-Lindl. Syn. p. 99.-Hook. Brit. Fl. p. 254.-Lightf. Fl. Scot. v. i. p. 274.-Hook. Fl. Scot. p. 165.-Winch's Fl. of Northumb. and Durham, p. 35.-Don's Gen. Syst. of Gard. and Bot. v. ii. p. 525.-Mack. Catal. of Pl. of Irel. p. 50.; Fl. Hibern. p. 94.Dryas chamadrifolia, Gray's Nat. Arr. v. ii. p. 578.-Caryophyllata alpina, chamaedryos folia, Ray's Syn. p. 253.-Teucrium alpinum, cisti flore, Johnson's Gerarde, p. 659.

LOCALITIES.-On stony alpine heaths, and high mountains, chiefly in a micaceous or limestone soil. Very rare.-Durham; Near the Black Ark on Cronkley Fell, Teesdale: N. J. WINCH, Esq.-Yorkshire; On Arncliff Clowder, a mountain within half a mile of Arncliff in Littendale; a few miles from Kelnsey: Mr. W. CURTIS, 1782. Near Settle: Dr. FELL. Cronkley Fell at 2000 feet, and descending even to the edge of Darnbrook, near Arncliff: R. BowMAN, in N. B. G.-SCOTLAND. On the Highland mountains, in many places. On the micaceous mountains in Breadalbane; and, on the limestone rocks in Skye.

Fig. 1. Flower, with the petals taken off; a. the calyx; b. the stamens; c. the pistils. Fig. 2. The Receptacle, and Seeds with their feathery appendages, subtended by the permanent calyx.-Fig. 3. A Seed.-Fig. 4. The Receptacle.

* So named by LINNEUS from the dryades or nymphs of the oaks, in consequence of the leaves bearing some resemblance to those of the oak. DoN.