214 PRACTICAL BOTANY. 



593. Lower pale 3-nerved, mucronate at the apex, 

 usually hairy-bearded at the base. (58V) Mxihlenbergia. 



Gr. 10. 

 W. I. 7. 



Lower pale 1-nerved, or obscurely 3-nerved, not 

 bearded at the base, usually longer than the glumes 593 



593. Seed adherent to the linear-cylindric pericarp 

 (caryopsis). Panicle contracted, or spiked. Leaves involute, 

 usually bearded at the throat. Vilfa, Beauv. 



Gr. I. 5. {S2)orolohus^ Wood.) 



Seed loose in the ovoid or globular pericarp (utricle). 

 Panicle open, pyramidal, or racemose-elongated, rarely con- 

 tracted and spike-like. Sporolobus, R. Br. 



Gr. L 6. 

 W. I. 5. 



594. (580.) Flower with a smooth scale on each side, at 

 the base, half as long as the pales. Glumes wing-keeled. 

 Panicle spiked, close, ovoid (spike-like). 



Gr. 55. (589) Phalaris Canariensis, L. 



W. 22. 



Flower without 2 opposite basilar scales 595 



595. Lower pale awned, or 3-toothed. At the base of 

 the flower 1-3 sterile flowers, in the form of thin, linear 

 scales, or awns, and, when 3 in number, sometimes raised on 

 a pedicel, so as to resemble a 3-tined fork 596 



Lower pale awnless. Rudiments none. Spikelets 

 in 2 or 4 ro\vs, on one side of a flat, or triangular rhachis. 

 Spikes racemed, or sometimes in pairs toward the summit 

 of the naked peduncle 597 



596. Lower pale 3-cleft and pointed, or 3-awned. Glumes 

 keeled, the upper one larger. Spikes either 20-40, very short, 

 in one long, 1 -sided raceme, or 1-5, longer and racemed on 

 both sides toward the summit of the axis. Anthers red. 



Gr. III. 18. Bouteloua. 



W. V. 61. 



Lower pale and the single rudiment, that is, a mere 



