mily 1 or more than 2) normally empty, others usually flowering or 

 at least with a bracteole (palea) normalh^ opposed to the glume (but 

 without any visible internode betMeen) Avhich is nerveless or often 

 2- rarely more-nerved or -keeled, never awned, sometimes absent or 

 reduced. Empty or rudimentary glumes may also sometimes occur 

 above the flowering. Within the palea and usually embraced by it 

 the 2-sexual flower consists typically of (a) 0-3, usually 2, minute 

 fleshy turgid scales — ^'lodicules''* — which are probably a rudimentary 

 perianth {Hackel hoMever considers them to be bracteoles), they are 

 said to function by their turgescence in forcing open the glume and its 

 palea (and they shrivel up and disappear after the anthers are empty) ; 

 (b) stamens 1-6, usually 3, Avith versatile anthers usually emarginate 

 both ends ; (c) ovary 1 -celled with 2 more or less free styles and 

 plumose stigmas. Ovule anatropous. Embryo often lai-ge at the 

 base of the seed but towards one side ; plumule with several leaf- 

 rudiments, cotyledon converted into the " scutellum '" which remains 

 in the seed to absorb the copious albumen. 



In the arrangement of the Gramineje I have begun with the Bambusese which 

 show several primitive characters, the possession of the normal 2 whorls of 

 stamens, tlie transition from bracts to glumes, etc., and have ended up with the 

 highly modified and evolved Maydea^. 



In many respects I have been largely guided by Stapf in Fl. Trop. Africa. 



KEY I. TO GROUPS (and the genera of uni-generic tribes).t 



I. Tall stout woody grasses (Bamboos), stems hollow, 

 very rai'ely sub-solid between the nodes. Stamens 6 

 (in our spp.). Empty gls. 2-more scarcely differen- 

 tiated from the basal bracts of spkt. and usually 

 increasing in size to the flowering. Fl. gls. 1- 

 several. Palea usually large. Lodicules often 3. 



Gen. 1-4 1. Bambuseae. 



ir. Herbaceous, rarely suffruticose with hollow or solid 



culms. Empty glumes 2-1 (rarely 0), not passing 



into basal bracts. Stamens 3-1 (exc. Oryzea 3-6). 



Lodicules 2 or 0. Gen. 5-end : — 



A. Spkts. not articulate on their pedicels or on the 



rhachis joints. (Exc. in some Eragrosteee and 



Agrosfece, and then spkts. with 3 glumes only and 



rhachilla aiticulate or many glumes. See also 



Zoi/siece.) (To p. 940) :— 



1. Fl. glumes 1-raany, all 2-sexual or uppermost 



imperfect. Rhachilla usually' articulate above 



gls. i and ii and often at base of other glumes, 



sometimes produced beyond the last glume. 



Gl. iv rarely crustaceous in fruit {Ca-lai-hne). 



Gen. 5-29 POACE.E. 



a. Very large grasses (Reeds). Spkts. pedicelled 

 in large decompound panicles. Rhachilla 

 jointed. Fl. gls. 3-8, narrow, 3-nerved. 



Gen. 5-7 2. Arundineas. 



(For another large Reed-like grass see Tfii/- 

 sanolcena.) 

 h. Moderate-sized or small grasses. Panicles not 

 decompound or if so then fl. gls. either broad 

 or only 1-2. Gen. 8-29 :— 



* Where the number of the lodicules is not given it is assxamed to be two. Moi-e 

 than 2 are only found in the Bambusea*. 

 r Groups ending in -astrce are sulj-tribes. 



938 



