Gerard's Herbal Vol. 1
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| Fig. 17. Great Fox-tail Grass (1) |
Fig. 18. Small Fox-tail Grass (2) |
The Description.
1. The Great Fox-tail Grass hath many thready roots like the common Meadow Grass, and the stalk riseth immediately from the root, in fashion like unto Barley, with two or three leaves or blades like Oats; but is nothing rough in handling, but soft and downy, and somewhat hoary, bearing one ear or tuft on the top, and never more; fashioned like a Fox-tail, whereof it took his name. At the approch of winter it dieth, and recovereth itself the next year by falling of his seed.
2. The lesser Fox-tail Grass hath a tough and hard root compact of many small strings, yielding a strawy stalk like the former, though somewhat lesser, with the like top or crest, but of a whitish colour.
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| Fig. 17. Great Bastard Fox-tail grass (3) |
Fig. 18. Small Bastard Fox-tail grass (4) |
3. Great Bastard Fox-tail Grass hath a strawy stalk or stem, which riseth to the height of a cubit and an half, having a small root consisting of many fibres. His leaf is small and grassy, and on his top one tuft or spike, or ear of a hard chaffy substance, some three inches long, composed of longish seeds, each having a little beard or awn.
4. Small Bastard Fox-tail Grass doth resemble the former, saving that this kind doth not send forth such large stalks and ears as the other, but smaller, and not so close packed together, neither having so long beards or awns.
The Place and Time.
These wild Bastard Fox-tail Grasses do grow in the moist furrows of fertile fields, towards the later end of summer.
The Names.
The first by Lobel and Tabernamontanus is called Gramen phalaroides. The other Lobel calleth 2. Gramen Alopecuroides. 3. Minus. 4. Minus alterum.
