40 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1885. 



A REVISION OF THE NORTH AMERICAN MELICJE. 

 BY F. LAMSON SCRTBNER. 



The determination of our North American species of the genus 

 Mel ica, and the notes relative to their distribution, etc., contained 

 in the present paper, are based upon the collections in the herba- 

 rium at Cambridge, the Torrey herbarium, and the herbarium of 

 the Department of Agriculture at Washington, all of which have 

 been kindly loaned me for this purpose, by those having them in 

 charge. I have also consulted the herbarium of the Academy of 

 Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, as well as several valuable 

 private collections. 



The following is a synopsis or analytical key of the species, as 

 they appear to me, by which it is hoped they may be readily 

 identified without the aid of more extended descriptions. 



I 1. GLYCERINE. 



Spikelets 1-5 flowered, flowering glumes herbaeeo-coriaceous, with a narrow 

 scarious margin above, strongly 7-nerced. 



Culms not bulbiferous, panicle man}' -flowered, spikelets H-2^ lin. 



long, with 1, or sometimes 2 perfect flowers. 



Empty glumes shorter than the spikelet, rudimentary floret 



large, and nearly sessile. M. imperfecta. 1. 



Empty glumes as long as the floret, the second one exceeding 



it, rudimentary floret small, long stipitate. 



M. Torreyana. 2. 

 Culms bulbiferous, panicle simple, few-flowered with short diver- 

 gent branches, spikelets 4-7 lin. long, with 3-5 perfect florets, 

 flowering glumes 2-3 lin. long, joints of the thickened rhachilla 

 about 1 lin. long. M.fugax. 3. 



I 2. EUMELICA. 



Spikelets 4-8 lin. long, with 2-S perfect florets, flowering glume apparently 

 many-nerved below {at least when dry), with a broadscarious margin above. 



Culms not bulbiferous. 



Empty glumes ver}' unequal and decidedly shorter than the 

 3-5 flowered spikelets. 

 Panicle diffusely branched, many-flowered, the flexuose ped- 

 icels smooth or slightly pubescent. .1/. diffusa. 4. 



