159 



TRIBE XV. FESTUCE^. 



Glumes more or less eqalling the florets, membranous. 

 Uppermost 2-3 valves small, empty, enclosing 

 each other and forming a club-or spindle-shaped 

 body. Melioa. 



S|)ikelets in panicled clusters, or more or less spiciform 

 panicles or true spikes, very rarely in loose 

 panicles (Briza). Valves membranous to papery 

 or su])-chartaceous, 5-9 nerved, very rarely 

 3-nerved (Triphlebia), side nerves conniving or 

 joining below the tip ; awns if any, fine, short, 

 terminal or sub-terminal. 



Spikelets generally loosely panicled. Florets exserted 

 from the glumes. Valves generally rather broad , 

 ovate or oblong, often obtuse, membranous to 

 herbaceous, often with broad and variegated 

 hyaline margins or tips, awnless ; side nerves 2, 

 sometimes 3 or 1 on each side, often faint. 



Spikelets generally loosely panic' ed or racemose or 

 spuriously spicate. Florets exserted from the 

 glumes. Valves herljaceous to sub-chartaceous 

 usually acute or acuminate, often more or less 

 mucronate or awned from the entire or 2-toothed 

 tips, rarely from below the tips. 



1 Lowest floret like the rest, hermaphrodite. 



4 Spikelets falling entire and singly from the pedicels 

 of a compact spiciform panicle Glumes 

 1-nerved, narrow. Fingerhuthi. 



4 Spikelets in dense cylincJric softly hairy panicles. 

 Glumes and valves equally hairy all over, 

 acuminate. Valves 3-nerved. Stiburus. 



2 Glumes and valves keeled. Florets often with a 



tuft of long curled wool at the base. Poa. 



3 Spikelets panicled. 



3 Spikelets sub-sessile on a simple raceme (false 

 spike). 

 5 Perennial. Glumes sub-equal (in the ^^outh African 

 species), larely conspicuously unequal. Valves 

 lanceolate, rounded on the back or keeled to- 

 wards the tip, 5-rarely 7-uerved ; mucro or awn 

 if present terminal, straight. Styles terminal 

 on the glabrous or hairy ovary top. Fkstlca. 



5 Annual. Panicle contracted, spiciform or racemi- 

 form usually secund. Glumes usually very 

 unequal ; the lower small or sometimes obsolete. 

 Valves subulate-lanceolate, passing into a 

 straight, often long, awn, rounded on the back, 

 5-nerved. Ovary glabrous ; styles terminal. Vulpia. 



