3. The foxtails.—In meadow foxtail ([Fig. 104]) notice the prostrate stolons and large succulent leaves. Does the grass grow in tufts? Why not? What is the earliest date on which you have seen it in flower? Double the ear on itself to see the short stalks of the spikelets. How many flowers are there in each spikelet? Notice the silky awns of the flowers.
Compare the slender foxtail ([Fig. 105]), which is a troublesome weed.
4. Timothy.—Compare the leaves and flowers of timothy or “meadow catstail” ([Fig. 106]) with the meadow foxtail. The ear is green and rough, and the flowers are awnless. What is the date of flowering?
5. Yorkshire fog.—Notice the woolly covering of this weed ([Fig. 107]). This covering and its bitter flavour make it distasteful to cattle. Observe the “kneed” awn of the flower. Dig up and shake off the earth from a sod to see the stolons.
6. Wild oat ([Fig. 108]). Examine the large spikelets and make out the long twisted awn of the flower. Compare this weed with the cultivated oat ([Fig. 99]) and with the yellow oat grass.
7. The perennial rye grass.—Notice that the ear is flattened, and that the spikelets are without stalks and have only one glume. The leaf is glossy and has a prominent midrib and a flattened sheath.
Fig. 102.—Sheep’s Fescue. (× ⅙.) Fig. 103.—Smooth-stalked Meadow Grass. (× ⅙.)
8. Sweet-scented vernal grass.—Notice the tufted habit of growth and the characters of the leaves. Chew the stalk and notice the sweet odour of new-mown hay. What is the date of flowering? Make out that the flower has two stamens only.