GRAMINACE^. 



Nat. syst. ed. 2. p. 369. 



LOLIUM. 



Spikes many-flowered, distichous, sessile, contrary to the 

 rachis. Flowers beardless at the base. Glumes 2, nearly equal, 

 herbaceous, lanceolate, channelled, awnless ; the lower or inner 

 ones very often deficient in the lateral spikelets. Paleae 2, her- 

 baceous ; the lower concave, awnless, or awned below the point ; 

 the upper bicarinate. Stamens 3. Ovary smooth ; styles 2, 

 very short, inserted below the point ; stigmas feathery ; with 

 long, simple, finely-toothed, transparent hairs ; scales 2, fleshy, 

 smooth, acute, entire or 2-lobed. Caryopsis smooth, adhering 

 to the upper paleae. Kunth. 



1292. L. temulentum Linn. sp. pi. 122. fi. Dan. t. 160. 



Eng. Bot. t. 1124. Kunth gram. 437 Europe, Japan,, New 



Holland, Chili, Montevideo. (Darnel.) 



Root of a few downy fibres. Stems 2 feet high, leafy, round ; smooth 

 and shining below ; rough upwards. Leaves of a brighter green than 

 L. perenne, rough on the upper side. Sheaths roughish. Ligula 

 short, abrupt, notched. Spike about a span in length, with a rough 

 stalk. Glumes linear, flattish, many-ribbed, roughish at the edges, 

 rising above the spikelets, generally attended, in the lower ones, with a 

 short elliptical inner valve, pressed close to the channel in the stalk. 

 Florets about 6. Outer paleae elliptical, concave, with a dorsal awn 

 longer than itself; inner rough at the folds. Grain elliptical, a little 

 flattened, with a furrow along its upper side, where it is firmly coated 

 by the inner valve. — The grains are of evil report, for causing intoxica- 

 tion in men, beasts, and birds, and bringing on fatal convulsions. Haller 

 speaks of them as communicating these properties to beer. Smith. It 

 acts as a narcotico-acrid poison. Darnel meal was formerly recom- 

 mended as a sedative poultice. 



TRITICUM. 



Spikelets 3 or many-flowered ; the fructiferous rachis generally 

 articulated ; flowers distichous. Glumes 2, nearly opposite, 

 almost equal, awnless or awned. Paleae 2, herbaceous : the lower 

 awnless, mucronate or aristate at the point, the upper bicari- 

 nate ; the keels more or less ciliated with aculei. Stamens 3. 

 Ovary pyriform, hairy at the point. Stigmas 2, terminal, sub- 

 sessile, feathery ; with long, simple, finely-toothed hairs. Scales 

 2, generally entire and ciliated. Caryopsis externally convex, 

 internally concave, and marked by a deep furrow, distinct, or 

 adhering to the paleae. Kunth. 



609 R R 



