TRIANDRIA. DIGYNIA. 71 



" ~ From Banihonia of Decandolle, (Feshica deciimbeJis, 

 Lin.) it is scarcely diStingishable except by habi\, pro- 

 ducmij in both species a s]-i'eading' and raniiHed panicle, 

 wiih a culm of 3 or 4 feet elevation, in place of a simple 

 raceme, and a culm of 6 mciies or a toot, it is also desti- 

 tute of the large foUiculost- calix of Danthonia, which in- 

 cludes, and indeed exceeds in length all the floscu- 

 li of the spikelet. The calx ot Whidsoria is, however, 

 larger than the glumes of liie coroila, taken singly, and 

 also of a very different siiucture, but the spikelet is at 

 the same time about twice ilie leugihoi the calix. 



100. DANTHONIA. Decandolle, 



Calix 2-valved, many flowered, very large, 

 equal to or exceeding the includi'd 8|)ikt'let. 

 Exterior valve of the corolla concave, with the 

 points emarginate, imicronate, awned, or un- 

 armed and then trifid. 



Small grasses, producing for the most part, a simple 

 raceme of spikelets, (usually from 4 to 13); ciilix conflu- 

 enily nerved, foihculose, excet ding or equaling i he spike- 

 let; spiculi from 4 to 9 flowered; dorsal valve acute or 

 acur inate, (not obtuse or almost truncated as in IVind- 

 soria,) bifid, with a central, membranaceous, and flat- 

 tened awn, contorted at the base, or simply trifid, (ne- 

 ver qur;drifid or 5-toothed); inner valve ciliate. 



Species. 1. D.spicata,(jivenaspicata,Li.)Cn\maboutaL 

 foot high.sk nder, erect, decumbent at the first and second 

 node; leaves subulate, short, those of the root often hairy 

 on tiie upper surface; stipula obsolete, ciliate; raceme 

 simple, or subdivided near the base; spikelets 4 to 9; calix 

 longer than the spikelet, confluenlly 5-nerved, convex, 

 acute, with scariose purple margins; fl()sculi.6 or 7; outer 

 valve oval, convex, acuminate, setaceously bifida with an 

 intermediate, flat, exserted, smooth awn, discoloured and 

 contorted at its base, obsoletely many-nerved, nerves pili- 

 ferous, margin scariose; inner valve deeply appiessed, ci- 

 liate; styles sessile, simply plumose, slender, white; pe- 

 risporium 2-leaved, obtuse. 



T'.iis species is very nearly allied to Bromus. 



2. *sericea. Culm erect; raceme compounded, branches 

 2 and 3-flowertd; spikelets 9 to 13, 8 and 9-flowered, 

 somewhat shorter than t!ie calix; corolla valves very un- 

 equal, out. r lanceolate, densely villous on the margin, 

 seiosely bifid at the point, with a central contorted awil; 

 inner valve ciliatej muck shorter. 



