ANTHOXANTHUM ODORATUM
28. Anthoxanthum odoratum L. SWEET VERNAL GRASS.
A bright green perennial with short rootstocks and tufted stems in meadows, open woods and pastures; widely distributed in the part of our range, thriving best in moist sandy loam.
Leaves rolled in the bud-shoot. Sheath not compressed, slightly glabrous or sometimes pubescent; margins hyaline, overlapping when young. Auricles absent or reduced. Collar broad, pale green, divided, often dilated and frilled with long dense hairs on the margins. Ligule membranous, about 2 mm. long, obtuse to truncate, ciliate. Blade 3 to 8 mm. wide 4 to 20 cm. long; flat, bright green, hairy especially near base; upper surface ridged; margins scabrous, sparsely hairy at base.
This grass has a distinctive sweet odour which becomes more pronounced as the plant dries.
