54 GRAMINEAL 
becoming more distant at the upper part, with a leaf at each joint, having a 
split sheath, and at the summit of the sheath often a membrane called a ligule. 
The rachis is that part of a stem which runs through the spike or panicle, 
and bears the flowers. The roots of Grasses are fibrous, the fibres often 
proceeding from underground stems ; and in some cases Grasses are vivi- 
parous, forming buds between the leaf and stem. 
In the following pages the genera are arranged in the order adopted by 
Miss Pratt, any alteration of which would greatly interfere with ready refer- 
ence to the figures on the plates; but with a view to showing the natural 
affinities of these genera, as understood by botanists to-day, we give a 
synopsis of them based on Bentham’s ‘ Notes on Graminez’ in the Journal of 
the Linnean Society, Vol. XIX. This synopsis takes the place of Miss Pratt’s 
diagnoses of the genera in former editions. The number following the generic 
description in this synopsis refers to the position of the genus in Miss Pratt’s 
arrangement, where will be found a bracketed number referring back to the 
revised synopsis. 
SERIES A.—PANICACEAL. 
Spikelets attached to the pedicel by a joint beneath the first glume. Rachilla not 
jointed, and not extended beyond the uppermost glume. Glumes not more than 
4, of which only the terminal one is furnished with both stamens and pistil ; the 
one next below it may be staminal or empty, and those below that empty. 
Tribe I. PANICEH.—Fruiting glume hardening round the fruit, with 3 
or more nerves. 
1. Panick-grass (Pdnicum).—Pedicels naked or hairy ; glumes 4 (empty 
glumes 2 or 3); flowering glume nerved, hardening round the palea and 
fruit; scales 2, fleshy ; stamens 3; stigmas brush-like. Name, the old 
Latin name from panis, bread. 24, 44. 
2. Bristle-grass (Sefdéria).—Pedicels furnished with stiff bristles ; spike- 
lets in a dense spike-like panicle ; glumes 4. Name from the Latin seta, a 
bristle. 25. 
3. Cord-grass (Spartina).—Glumes 3 ; empty glumes awned or pointed. 
Name from the Greek spartine, a cord, the leaves having been used in making 
cordage. 42. 
Tribe II. Ornyzea.—Glumes 2 or 4 (rarely 3). 
4. Cut-grass (Leérsia).—Spikelets panicled, compressed, 1-flowered ; 
empty glumes absent ; flowering glume 3-nerved ; stamens usually 3 ; hardened 
glume enclosing the palea and compressed fruit. Named after John D. Leers, 
a German botanist. 3. 
5, Fox-tail (Alopecirus).—Inflorescence spike-like ; spikelets compressed, 
1-flowered ; glumes 3 or 4; flowering glume glassy, twisted, 3-nerved ; scales 
and palea absent ; stamens 3; fruit compressed, enclosed in the glume. Name 
from the Greek alopex, a fox, and oura, a tail. 4, 
Tribe IIL. TristeGinea.—Glumes 3 (in the British species), thin, often 
hyaline; the flowering glume frequently with a slender bent awn. 
