178 



.-,7. (;ka-M1XE^. 



Aira minuta. 



2. A. minuta, L. (1753). 

 Loefling (1758). Erect, dwarf, 

 glabroii.s grass, with very slen- 

 der stems and short, narrow- 

 linear leaves; ligule oblong; 

 panicle small, loose, with long, 

 filiform, almost horizontal bran- 

 ches and pedicels; .spikelets 

 ovoid. colored, shining, dis- 

 tant ; outer glumes green and 

 purplish, a little shorter than 

 the flowers, the upper flowei- 

 shortly stalked and both with a 

 tuft of hair at base ; flowering 

 glume truncate-denticulate, with- 

 out an awn. 



Pasture, Adelaide plains and 

 hills. — Aug. - Sept. — Mediter- 

 ranean region. 



27. Bromus, L. 



Spikelets compressed laterally, 

 several-flowered, with a fragile 

 axis; outer glumes 2, unequal, shorter than the flowers ; 

 flowering glume rounded on back, bifid, awned a little 

 below tiie summit; .stamens 1-3; palea ciliate on the 2 

 nerves; styles distinct, inserted on one side of the downy 

 summit of the ovary; grain villous at top, linear-oblong, 

 adhering to the palea. 



A. Spikolft.s widened at summit (wcdjj-o- 



shapcd) after flowering; lower empty 



g'lumc 1-uorved, upper 3-nervcd ; 



flowering glume with 2 long, fine 



points ; awns of lateral flowers almost 



equalling or exceeding those of the 



upper flowers : panicle drooping more 



or less after flowering. 

 Panicle long (18-25 cm.), rather loose. 



Spikelets very long; stem downy 



Spikelets shorter; stem glabrous 



Panicle shorter (10-15 cm.), rather dense. 



Flowering glum(> curved outwards 

 when ripe; stem slender, glabrous ... 



Flowering glume straight; stem stout, 



downy 



A. Spikelets contracted at summit (oblong) 



even after flowering; outer glumes 



several-nerved, the awns of the lateral 



flowers never reaching the same heigin 



as those of the upper ones ; panicle 



erect or almost so. 

 Panicle long, loose; awns very short ... 

 Panicle short, dense ; awns about length 

 of flowering glume 



1i. 

 B. 



Ti. 



B. 



m GJ'i III us 

 stcrilis 2 



1 



iiNnJr/ti n.iis 5 

 nihfiis 4 



B. 

 B. 



Vllilllilill iX 



III oil is 6 



