44 TRIANDRTA. DIGYNIA. 



character it is the form and proportion of the cali'x, being 

 tumid and almost ventricose, nearly equal, and consi- 

 derably, sometimes, much lars^erthan the corolla je^lumes; 

 that there can be any g-enuine species of JMilium produc- 

 ing- spikes is extremely doub ful, yet 4 and now 5 species 

 with ihis anomalous habit are enumerated. One species, 

 the J\r. nigyncanSy is used as an article of diet in Peru. 



Species 1. M. Amphicarpon. The only genuine species 

 of this genus appear confined to Euro])e, those of the 

 West Indies producing spikes can have no distinct rela- 

 tion to the genus Milium so nearly allied to Agi^ostis. 



68. AGROSTIS. L. (Bont-grass.) 



Calix 2-valved. 1 -flowered, valves acute. 

 Corolla 2-Talved. Stigmata longitudinally his- 

 pid or plumose. 



Flowers paniculate, spreading, with or without an awn, 

 small. Corolla glumes smaller, equal to or exceeding the 

 calix, in many species there are 2 minute hairy tufts near 

 the base of the inner valve. The ./?. RromniUeSi A. ariin- 

 dinacea, A. Calamagrostii^, and A. JVfe.vicmiai with seve- 

 ral single flowered species ot Arundo ought with proprie- 

 ty to be restored to the genus Calamagrostis of Roth 

 and Withering, a name, at least significant, to all who are 

 acqtiainted with the species whicri it embraces, and much 

 less exceptionable than many others which have been 

 employed in Natural Science. 



Species. § 1. awned. — 1. A. Spica venti (introduced). 

 2. tenuijiora. 3. paucifiora. 4. stricta- 5. canina (introduc- 

 ed.) 6.sericea. fStipa sericea, Alich.^ 7. trichopodes, E. 8. 

 arachnoides, E. (nearly related to the genus Trichodium). 

 — § 2 without awns. — 9. decumbens. 10. rndgaris. 11. aspC' 

 ra- 12. alba, 13. dispar. 14. jnucea. 15. indica. 16. clan" 

 destlna. 17. lateriflora. 18. * brevifolia--\ 19. glauca. If 



t Culm solid and compressed, somewhat cespitosely branch- 

 ing at the base, erect; leaves narrow subulate and erect, much 

 shorter than the culm: panicle cornposed of alternate appressed 

 and interrupted racemes,- calix equal, shortly acuminate, much 

 shorter than the corolla, valves of the corolla glume nearly 

 equal, somewhat terete, coloured, the dorsal glume shortly mu- 

 cronate. 



Nearly allied to the A. indica, but the stem is not terete, 

 fcut solid and ancipital. 



Obs. Branches deeply cleft, leaves 2 to 3 inches long, ctdm 

 compounded, about a foot high, calix chaffy, about half the 



