Grasses

by H. Marshall Ward

Glyceria fluitans (wet ditches and slow waters). G. aquatica (wet ditches and shallow waters). Alopecurus geniculatus (moist meadow and marsh lands). Digraphis arundinacea (river-banks, marshes). Arundo Phragmites (wet ditches, marshes and shallow waters). Molinia cærulea (wet heaths and moors, woods and waste places). Triodia decumbens, Agrostis alba, Catabrosa and Calamagrostis.

Nardus stricta (moors, heaths and hilly pastures). Aira flexuosa (heaths and hill pastures). Molinia cærulea (wet heathy moors, woods and waste places). Kœleria cristata (dry pasture). Triodia decumbens (dry heathy and hilly pastures). Festuca ovina (hilly pastures—especially dry and open—rarer in moist situations). Agrostis vulgaris and A. canina.

Poa maritima (maritime). P. distans (sandy pastures and wastes near sea). Elymus arenarius (coasts). Psamma arenaria (coasts). Poa bulbosa (waste places in S.E. of England). Agropyrum junceum (coasts). Hordeum maritimum (S. and E. coast). Phleum arenarium (coasts).

Waste places, walls, road-sides and dry sandy situations. Molinia cærulea (wet, heathy moors, woods and waste places). Festuca Myurus (waste places, walls, road-sides). F. ovina (hilly pastures and especially dry, rarely moist situations). Aira caryophyllea (sandy and hilly pastures). Aira præcox (sandy and hilly pastures). Poa distans (sandy wastes near the sea). P. compressa (dry, barren, waste ground). P. annua (cultivated and waste lands and fields). Agropyrum repens (fields and waste places). Hordeum murinum (waste places and road-sides). Holcus lanatus (meadow, pasture, and waste lands). H. mollis (same—rarer). Alopecurus agrestis (waste lands and roads in S. of England). Lolium perenne (meadows, pastures and waste places). L. temulentum (fields and waste places, not common). Bromus sterilis (on way-sides, &c.). B. arvensis (cultivated and waste meadows and pastures). Poa rigida (dry, rocky places).

It is also often useful to know whether a grass is rare or local, especially for the purpose we have in view, and I have therefore drawn up the following list of rare, local or introduced foreign grasses either not noticed at all, or only referred to incidentally in this work.

In many cases these introduced foreign grasses have sprung up from seeds brought over in cargoes of hay, wool, and other products and packing materials, which in part accounts for their occurrence only near certain sea-ports, manufacturing towns and so forth. Such plants are frequently termed ballast plants. Foreign plants are also introduced in seed, as mixtures or impurities, and frequently escape from corn-fields &c.

Leersia oryzoides (ditches of Hants., Sussex and Surrey). Panicum sanguinale (S. England). P. verticillatum (fields in S. and E.). P. glaucum (rarely introduced). Hierochloe borealis (Thurso only). Phleum alpinum (Highlands only). P. Bœhmeri (Eastern counties, rare). P. asperumxEas"terncou"nties" Phalaris canariensis (rare weed). Alopecurus alpinus (Highlands). Mibora verna (Anglesea and Channel Islands). Lagurus ovatus (Suffolk coasts). Polypogon monspeliensis (rare, in S. England near sea). P. littoralis (salt marshes S. England). Agrostis setacea (dry heaths of S. Wales). A. Spica-venti (sandy fields of E. counties). Gastridium lendigerum (fields and waste places in S. Wales and Norfolk). Calamagrostis Epigeios (moist glades &c. in Scotland). C. lanceolata (moist shades, scattered in England). C. stricta (bogs, &c., very rare). Cynodon Dactylon (waste and cultivated lands near sea in Scotland). Spartina stricta (salt marshes S. and E. coast). Lepturus incurvatus (scattered on shores). Bromus maximus (Jersey). B. madritensis (roads and waste, Scotland and Tipperary). B. inermis (introduced from Hungary). Lolium italicum (introduced from Lombardy). Festuca uniglumis (Irish and S.E. coast). Poa procumbens (waste ground near sea). P. loliacea (sandy sea-shores). P. laxa (Ben Nevis, &c.). P. alpina (Highlands and N.). Catabrosa aquatica (shallow pools and ditches, scattered).

Leersia oryzoides (ditches of Hants., Sussex and Surrey). Panicum sanguinale (S. England). P. verticillatum (fields in S. and E.). P. glaucum (rarely introduced). Hierochloe borealis (Thurso only). Phleum alpinum (Highlands only). P. Bœhmeri (Eastern counties, rare). P. asperumxEas"terncou"nties" Phalaris canariensis (rare weed). Alopecurus alpinus (Highlands). Mibora verna (Anglesea and Channel Islands). Lagurus ovatus (Suffolk coasts). Polypogon monspeliensis (rare, in S. England near sea). P. littoralis (salt marshes S. England). Agrostis setacea (dry heaths of S. Wales). A. Spica-venti (sandy fields of E. counties). Gastridium lendigerum (fields and waste places in S. Wales and Norfolk). Calamagrostis Epigeios (moist glades &c. in Scotland). C. lanceolata (moist shades, scattered in England). C. stricta (bogs, &c., very rare). Cynodon Dactylon (waste and cultivated lands near sea in Scotland). Spartina stricta (salt marshes S. and E. coast). Lepturus incurvatus (scattered on shores). Bromus maximus (Jersey). B. madritensis (roads and waste, Scotland and Tipperary). B. inermis (introduced from Hungary). Lolium italicum (introduced from Lombardy). Festuca uniglumis (Irish and S.E. coast). Poa procumbens (waste ground near sea). P. loliacea (sandy sea-shores). P. laxa (Ben Nevis, &c.). P. alpina (Highlands and N.). Catabrosa aquatica (shallow pools and ditches, scattered).

Finally, a few words may be said on a subject still in its infancy—that of Indicator-plants. In many cases certain plants are found so confined to certain classes of soil, that foresters and agriculturists have claimed to be able to infer from their presence the presence or absence of certain chemical or other constituents of soils: on the contrary we find other plants so universally distributed without reference to the quality of the soil, that they are not indicative. The latter are often termed ruderal or vagabonds (see p. [29]). Without attempting too rigid a classification of Grasses in this connection—which would be premature in this early state of our knowledge—the following remarks are at least generally true.

A few grasses are Indicators of chalk and limestone—e.g. Briza media, Kœleria cristata, and the exotic species Stipa pennata and Melica ciliata.