THE IDENTIFICATION OF WALTER'S GRASSES. 47 



aegilopsoi- spicis secundis; corollarum glumae valvula 

 des 2. altera ovata, acuminata, altera column an, 



obtusa. 



The description applies very well to Chloris. There 

 is a specimen of Chloris petraea in Walter's herbarium, 

 consisting of the upper part of a culm, one leaf and 

 four spikes. This is labeled " Aegilops an Aira ? " 

 The last word is scarcely decipherable, but I take it to be 

 as above ♦ f 



40. Melica. Cal. 2-valvis, 2-florus. Rudimentum floris 



inter flosculos. 



No specimen in herbarium. 



altissima 1. petalis imberbibus, panicula ramosissima, 



floribus subacutis. 

 mutica 2. petalis imberbibus, panicula laxa pauciflora, 



floribus magnis muticis obtusis. 



There is but one species of Melica growing in the 

 Carolinas. Whether Walter describes two forms of 

 this, or whether one of them may be a plant of some 

 other genus, I am unable to determine. Pursh, Elliott 

 and Michaux refer M. mutica Walt, to M . glabra 

 Michx. Michaux also refers M. altissima Walt, to this 

 species, while Pursh refers it to his diffusa, which is 

 probably the same species. It is possible that Festuca 

 nutans is the plant which Walter has described under 



M. altissima (a European species). To Linnaeus' 



description of M. altissima Walter adds "floribus suba- 

 cutis." Elliott states that he has a variety from 

 Columbia " with the leaves pubescent, the flower evi- 

 dently smaller, the valves more acute, less membranous 

 at the summit, and handsomely spotted with purple. It 



