570 
G RAMIN EiE. (GRASS FAMILY.) 
21. Tricuspis. Spikelets 3-many-flowered. Lower palea strongly 
hairy-fringed on the 3 nerves (the lateral nerves marginal or 
nearly so), 1-3-avvned or pointed between the clefts or teeth. 
Lower palea 1-pointed or mucronate. 
22. Diarrhena. Glumes and rigid-pointed lower palea coriaceous, 
convex-boat-shaped. Stamens 2. Pericarp cartilaginous, 
large : seed loose. Panicle loosely few-flowered. 
23. Dactylis. Lower glume and lower palea awn-pointed, herba¬ 
ceous, compressed-keeled, bristly-fringed on the keel. Pan¬ 
icle contracted in one-sided clusters. 
24. Kceleria. Glumes and lower palea membranaceous, keeled, 
acute, or the latter more or less bristle-pointed. Panicle 
contracted, spike-like. 
*** Lower palea pointless (except one Glyceria). 
++Glumes very dissimilar, 2- (or 1-3-) flowered. 
25. Reboulea. Lower glume linear : upper one obovate, rather 
shorter than the flowers. 
-M- Glumes nearly similar, although often unequal, 3-many-flow¬ 
ered : lower palea rounded or convex on the back, not keeled. 
26. Melica. Lower palea many-nerved, flattish-convex, hardening 
on the loose grain. Flowers at most 5 j the 2 or 3 upper 
much smaller, sterile, involving each other. 
-7. Briza. Lower palea faintly many-nerved, heart-shaped, flatten¬ 
ed (as also the grain) parallel with the glumes, ventricose- 
rounded on the back; the upper very much smaller, flat. 
2i>. Glyceria. Lower palea strongly 7-nerved, ovate or oblong, 
rounded or involute, the upper frequently as long. Flowers 
early and separately deciduous by the breaking up of the ra- 
chis into joints. 
29. Sclerochloa. Lower palea faintly 5-nerved, obtuse: otherwise 
very much as in No. 28. 
30. Brizopyrum. Lower palea faintly striate with many (9 or more) 
nerves, rather coriaceous, laterally compressed, acute. Spike- 
lets flat, spiked. 
Glumes much alike, 2 —many-flowered : lower palea com¬ 
pressed-keeled : panicle usually loose or open. 
31. Poa. Lower palea 5-nerved; the upper deciduous at maturity 
with it. Spikelets 2 — 6-flowered. 
32. EragrosTis. Lower palea 3-nerved; the upper persistent on the 
rachis for some time after the rest of the flower has fallen. 
Spikelets 2-70-flowered. 
* * Grain adherent to the upper palea, downy or hairy at the apex: 
lower palea membranaceo-chartaceous or coriaceous. 
33. Festuca. Lower palea acute, pointed, or bristle- bearing from 
the entire apex : lateral nerves obscure. 
