180 POACE^. 



Division II — POACE^. 



Spikelets one to many-flowered, the rachilla often produoed 

 above the single or terminal flower; when more than one-flowered, 

 the imperfect flower, if any, is uppermost (except Bierocldoe) ; 

 rachilla usually articulate above the lower glumes, which remain 

 after the fall of the grain and floral glumes (except Alopecurus, 

 Ginna, Pohjpogon, Bechnannia, Thurheria, Holcus). 



TEifcE VII.— PHALARIDE^. 



Spikelets each containing 1 perfect flower, or with 1-2 staminate 

 flowers below; empty glumes usually 4; floral glume and palea 

 alike, compressed, nerves one or none. Grain uufurrowed, embryo 



small. 



The following notes concerning this tribe are adapted from 



Benthara : 



The close affinity of this tribe and the Oryzece has been generally 

 admitted, and Bentham in his Flora Australiensis even proposed 

 their consolidation. In common, the scale under the single perfect 

 terminal flower is keeled and 1-nerved, so as to make it a matter 

 of discussion whether it be a glume terminal on the main axis 

 of the spikelet, or a palea at the base of a secondary floral axis. 

 The deciduous part of the spikelet of Phalaridece with its 4 glumes 

 is precisely as in Oryzece; but there are in addition, below the ar- 

 ticulation, the 2 persistent empty glumes characteristic of PoacecB. 

 The spikelet in this tribe consists of 6 glumes (or 5 and a palea), 

 the lowest pair empty below the articulations ; the second pair above 

 the articulation, corresponding to the lowest 2 glumes of Oryzem, 

 1 usually empty and small, sometimes reduced to a small bristle, 

 rarely enclosing each a palea or male flower. 



A. Third and fourth glumes empty, reduced to small bristles, 

 awnless. Plants not particularly fragrant 42 



B. Tliird and fourth glumes equalling or exceeding the fifth. 

 Plants particularly fragrant (b) 



