PENT GRASS, Agrastis, a. genus of grasses, distinguished by a loose panicle of small, one-flowered, laterally compressed spikelets; the glumes unequal, awnless, and longer than the palm, which are also unequal, and of which the inner one is sometimes want ing, and the outer sometimes has and sometimes has not an awn; the seed free. (For explanatiou of these terms, see GitAssEs.) The, species are numerous, and are found in almost all countries and climates; several are natives of Britain. All of them are grasses of a slender and delicate appearance. Some are very useful as. pasture-grasses and for hay. upon account of their adaptation to certain kinds of soil, although none of them is regarded as very nutritious.—The common B. G. (A. vulgarly) forms a principal part of the posture ivalmost all the elevated districts of Britain, and is equally abundant nt many parts of the continent of Europe. It resists drought better than almost any other grass, but is ouly sown by on soils unsuitable for the more luxuriant grasses. It is also regarded 19 very suitable for lawns; but in light, dry, cultivated grounds, It is often a trouhles.ome weed, known as black squiteh, orquick-grass, and frequent harrowing is resortal to for the removal of its creeping perennial roots. It is u frequent on wet as on dry soils, and varies much in size and appearance.—The marsh B. G. (_1. alba). also very C.01}11301 in Britain, forming- a large part of the natural pasture in many n3olst situations, is very similar to the species just described, but generally Liner and stouter. Of this also there are many varieties, but, in all of them, the ligale !the little meinbnumus tongue.at the junction of the blade of the leaf with its sheathing bast) is elongated and Until, whilst in A. pulgarii it is very short, and appears as if cut
off. A variety, so little different as scarcely to deserve the name, but with somewhat broader leaves and more luxuriant habit of growth, was at one time much celebrated among agriculturists, under the name of florin grass, or agrostis stolonifera. It was unduly lauded, and the consequent disappointment led to its being unduly disparaged. It is a useful grass in moist grounds, newly reclaimed bogs, or land liable to inundation. The first three or four joints of the culms lie flat on the clamp soil, emitting roots in abundance, and it was formerly propagated by chopping these into pieces, and scattering them, but now generally by seed.—Herd grass (A. dixpar) is a native of the United States, with broader leaves than either of the preceding species, very creeping roots, and large panicles almost level at top. It was at one time strongly recommended for culti vation, but has gone out of repute iu Britain. It is, however, more highly esteemed in France, particularly upon account of the great crop which it yields on deep sand and on moist calcareous soils.—Brown B. G. (A. canna), a common perennial British grass, abundant in moist heaths and moorish grounds, is valuable for mixing with other, grasses to form permanent pasture on poor wet peaty soils.—Silky B. G. (A. spiel veuti) is a beautiful grass, with very slender branches to its ample panicle, which, as it waves in the wind, has a glossy and silky appearance. It is a rare native of sandy grounds in England, common in southern and central Europe; an annual grass, occasionally sown in spring to till up blanks in grass-fields.