36 POACEAE. 



4. B. secalinus L. Stems 3-9 dm. tall: leaf -sheaths commonly glabrous; blades 

 5-23 cm. long, 2-6 mm. wide: panicle 5-10 cm. long: spikelets turgid when in 

 fruit, 6-10-flowered, the flowering scales 6-8 mm. long, rough toward the apex, 

 awnless, or bearing a straight awn 8 mm. long or less between the obtuse short 

 teeth. — Common, in fields and waste places. Nat. of Eu. — Sum. — Cheat. 

 Chess. 



5. B. racemosus L. Stems 3-7 dm. tall, commonly puberulent just below the 

 panicle: leaf-sheaths, at least the lower ones, rather densely pubescent; blades 

 7-14 cm. long, pubescent, or sometimes glabrous above: spikelets 1.5-2 cm. long, 

 acute, 5-9-flowered, the flowering scales elliptic, 6-8 mm. long, smooth or rough, 

 the awn 5-8 mm. long, arising just below the apex. — -Common, in thickets, 

 fields and waste places, and on roadsides. Nat. of Eu. — Sum. 



6. B. ■brizaeformis Fisch. & Mey. Stems 1-6 dm. tall: leaf -sheaths softly 

 villous; blades 0.3-1.8 dm. long, 2-6 mm. wide: panicle 3.5-20 cm. long, the 

 branches drooping: spikelets few, 1.3-2.5 cm. long, the flowering scales very 

 broad, 6-8 mm. long, awnless. — S. Eare, in fields and thickets near Smithville. 

 Nat. of Eu. — Sum. 



46. LOLIUM L. Annual or perennial grasses, with flat leaf-blades and 

 terminal simple usually elongate spikes. Spikelets with the edge (backs of 

 the scales) to the rachis, scattered, erect, alternate, sessile and solitary in the 

 rachis-excavations, compressed, several-many-flowered, the flowers perfect or 

 the upper ones imperfect, the rachilla articulated between the flowers. Scales 

 rigid, rounded on the back, obtuse to acuminate, awned or awnless, the nerves 

 connivent above or confluent into the awn, the lower scale of the lateral spike- 

 lets and the 2 lower scales of the terminal spikelet empty, narrow, longer than 

 the remaining scales, thin ; flowering scales short, imbricate ; palet shorter than 

 the scale, 2-keeled. Stamens 3. Styles distinct, very short. Stigmas plumose. 



— Darnel. Eye-grass. 



Empty scale shorter than the spikelet. 



Flowering scales awnless. 1. L. perenne. 



Flowering scales awned. 2. L. m'tiltiflorum. 



Empty scale equalling or extending beyond the flowering scales. 3. L. temulentum. 



1. L. perenne L. Stems 1.5-8 dm. tall: leaf -blades 5-13 cm. long, 2-4 mm. 

 wide: spike 7-20 cm. long: spikelets 5-10-flowered, 8-12 mm. long, the empty 

 scale strongly nerved, the flowering scales 4-6 mm. long, acuminate, awnless. 



— Eather common, in fields and on roadsides. Nat. of Eu. — Sum. — Com- 

 mon-darnel. 



2. L. multiflorum Lam. Stems 6-10 dm. tall: leaf -sheaths glabrous; blades 

 1-2 dm. long, 3-7 mm. wide: spikes 2-3 dm. long: spikelets 20-30, 1.5-2 cm. 

 long, the flowering scales bearing an awn equalling or a little shorter than the 

 body. — Eather rare, in fields and waste places. Nat. of Eu. — Sum. — Italian 

 rye-grass. 



3. L. temulentum L. Stems 6-12 dm. tall: leaf -blades 1-2.5 dm. long, 2-6 

 mm. wide: spike 1-3 dm. long: spikelets 4-8-flowered, 1-2 cm. long, the empty 

 scale strongly nerved, the flowering scales awned or awnless. — Eare, in fields 

 and on roadsides. Nat. of Eu. — Sum. — Bearded-darnel. 



47. AGROPYRON J. Gaertn. Annual or perennial grasses, with flat or 

 convolute leaf-blades and terminal usually rigid 2-4-sided spikes. Spikelets 

 compressed, with the side (edge of the scales) toward the continuous or rarely 

 articulated rachis, sessile, alternate, single in the rachis-excavations, ap- 

 pressed or oblique to the rachis, several-many-flowered, the flowers perfect or 



