112 TRIANDRIA— DIGYNIA. Melica. 



Cal. of 2 unequal, expanded, concave, ribbed, membranous, 

 awnless valves, containing 1 or 2 perfecty/or^/s, with the 

 stalked rudiments of 1 or 2 more. Cor. of 2 unequal, 

 firmer, and finally cartilaginous, oblong, awnless valves; 

 the outer one largest, concave, ribbed, either fringed or 

 beardless ; inner flat, with 2 marginal ribs. Ncct. cup- 

 shaped, at the base of the germen. Filam. capillary, 

 hardly so long as the corolla. Anth. prominent, pendu- 

 lous. Germ, roundish. Styles elongated, distant. Stig- 

 mas short, tufted. Seed ovate, loose, covered with the 

 loose hardened corolla. 



Perennial harsh grasses, with slender oblong panicles, of 

 elegant, often drooping, Jlcrvocrs, greatly varied in the 

 different species. 



1. M. u?iiflora. Wood Melic-grass. 



Petals beardless. Panicle branched, drooping toward one 

 side. Flowers erect. Spikelet with only one perfect flo- 

 ret. 



M. uniflora. Retz. Obs.fasc. 1. 10. Willd. v. 1. 383. Ft. Br. 91. 



Engl. Bot. v. 15. t. 1058. Curt. Lond.fasc.5. t. 10. Mart. Rust. 



t. 64. Knapp t.4\. Graves Br. Gr. t. 49. Hook. Scot. 3 1 . Schrad. 



Germ. v. 1. 269. FL Dan. t. 1 144. 

 M. nutans. Huds.37. Rel. Rudb. 18./. 2. 

 M. LobeliL Villars Dauph. v. 2. 89. t. 3. 

 Gramen avenaceum nemorense, glumis rarioribus ex fuseo xeram- 



pelinis. Rail Syn. 403. 

 G. avenaceum locustis rarioribus. Bank. Theatr. 155. Moris, v. 3. 



215. sect. 8. t.7.f.49, bad. 



In groves and thickets, frequent. 



Perennial. May, June. 



Root creeping. Stem 18 inches high, smooth, slender, unbranched, 

 leafy. Leaves deep green, flat, thin, taper-pointed, with fine 

 rough ribs and edges. Sheaths nearly or quite smooth, half as 

 long as the leaves. Sfipula short, variable, usually elongated 

 into a point opposite to the leaf, which, as Schrader remarks, is 

 a rare circumstance. Panicle branched ; the branches few, ca- 

 pillary, rough, leaning to one side. FL upright, tremulous, ele- 

 gant, variegated with green, white, and deep reddish brown, 

 quite smooth in every part, except the inner valve of the corolla, 

 which is finely downy. The only perfect floret is sessile ; neuter 

 one on a stout bent stalk, its glumes small, abrupt and shape- 

 less. Seed covered with the pale, polished, ribbed, hardened 

 outer valve of the corolla, but quite unconnected with it. 



