CXLVII. GRAMINEiE. 907 



OnDER CXLVII. GRAMINE^. 



Erect decumbent or creeping herbs (rarely suffruticose), or in Tribe 

 Bamhusece shrubs or trees ; stems usually brauched at the base, terete 

 or compressed, with hollow or solid internodes. Leaves distichous, 

 simple, usually long and narrow, generally parallel-nerved, with a 

 vsheathiug base (sheath) distinct from the blade and rarely an interposed 

 petiole ; sheath s))lit to the base (very rarely entire), with usually a 

 transverse erect appendage {ligule) consisting of a membrane or a 

 fringe of hairs at the union with the blade. Inflorescence terminal 

 (rarely terminal and lateral), composed of variously arranged spikelets, 

 paniculate, racemose, capitate, simply or compoundly spicate (rarely 

 of a single spikelet). Spikelets consisting of an axis (rJiachilla) and 

 typically of 3 or more alternate distichous more or less heteromorphous 

 bracts (glumes), of which the two lowest (involucral glumes) form 

 an involucre to the spikelet and are empty, while the following 

 (floral glumes) bear in their axils subsessile flowers subtended by 

 a hyaline 2-keeled or 2-nerved dorsal scale (palea) ; floral glumes 

 differing usually in structure and size from tlie involucral glumes, 

 and forming with the palea and the flower proper false flowers 

 (florets), which are alike or different in structure and sex. Flowers 

 hermaphrodite or 1-sexual (often with the rudiments of the other 

 sex), consisting of 2 (rarely 3) minute hyaline fleshy scales (locUcules) 

 Avliich represent a perianth (sometimes absent), and of stamens or 

 a pistil or both. Stamens usually 3 (rarely 6, 4, 2, or 1, very rarely 

 more), hypogynous ; filaments slender, usually free ; anthers versatile, 

 fugacious, with 2 parallel cells, usually dehiscing by a longitudinal 

 slit. Ovary entire, 1-celled ; ovule erect, anatropous ; styles 2 

 (rarely 3 or 1), free or connate at the base, usually elongate and 

 exserted from the apex or sides of the spikelet, clothed with simple 

 or branched stigmatic hairs. Fruit a seed-like grain, free within 

 the flowering glume and palea or adnate to either or both ; pericarp 

 very thin (rarely thick and separable from the seed). Seed erect ; 

 albumen copious, floury ; embryo minute, at the base of and outside 

 the albumen ; cotyledon shield-shaped with an erect conical plumule 

 and a descending conical radicle. — Distkib. Genera about 325 ; species 

 more than 3000, in all parts of the world. 



I have, at Dr. Stapf's suggestion, adopted for the two classes of ghimes the terms 

 involucral and floral. In the elavis I have closely adhered to the Tribes adopted 

 by Dr. Stapf in his ' Flora Capersis ' (1898). 



In citing Trinien's ' Flora of Ceylon,' the Graminete of which have been entirely 

 written by Sir J. D. Hooker, I have, for the sake of brevity, adopted the citation 

 " Trim. Fl. Ceyl!' except in cases of descriptions of new species. 



SERIES I. Mature spikelets articulate on their pedicels (sometimes 

 inarticulate in Isachne) or deciduous with them ; spikelets similar or 

 differing in sex and structure, the perfect spikelets with 2 hetero- 

 morphous florets, the upper hermaphrodite, the lower male or neuter. 

 Khachilla not produced beyond the upper floret. 



Tribe 1. PANICE^. Spikelets in usually continuous spikes, racemes, 

 or panicles ; lower iuvol.-glume smaller, often minute or suppressed ; 



