174 BRIZA. — FESTUCA. 



36. BRIZA— Linn. Quakixg Grass. 



GE]^ERIC CHARACTER. 



Spikelets many-flowered, ovate or heart-shaped, 

 flattish tumid, the flowers closely imbricated ; glumes 

 roundish, unequal (purple) ; lower palet roundish 

 and entire, flattened parallel with the glumes, ventri- 

 cose on the back, heart shaped at the base, papery 

 membranaceous and becoming dry, scarious mar- 

 gined, obscurely many-nerved, the upper palet much 

 smaller, ovate, flat ; stamens 3 ; stigmas branched 

 plumose ; grain flattened, parallel with the palets, 

 adhering to the upper one ; leaves flat ; panicle 

 loose, diffuse, with the large and showy spikelets 

 often drooping on delicate pedicels. 



Whence the name, an ancient Greek appellation 

 for some kind of grain, from hrizo^ to slumbef , or 

 hritho^ to bend downwards. 



1. B. Media (quaking grass). See page 61. 

 There are orher species of this grass grown as orna- 

 mental grasses. 



37. FESTUCA— Linn. Fescue Grass. 



GENERIC CHARACTER. 



Spikelets 3-many-flowered, panicled or racemose, 

 the flowers not webby at the base ; glumes unequal 

 mostly keeled ; palets chartaceous or almost coria- 

 ceous, roundish (not keeled) on the back, more or 

 less 3 to 5 nerved, acute, pointed, or often bristle- 



