CHLORIDE.E. 429 



stiff, empty ones usually shorter, unequal, obtuse, acute, or tapering 

 to a short point; floral glume obtuse or abruptly pointed; palea 

 folded. Styles short, distinct. Grain loosely enclosed by the glume 

 and palea, but not adherent. Seed rugose within a loose membra- 

 nous pericarp, which either persists or breaks up and falls away. 



Species about 7, widely distributed in the tropics. The flat 

 spikelets have sometimes been mistaken for tliose of Eragrostis;. 

 but their arrangement in two rows is always that of Chloridese. 

 A. Spikelets very closely crowded, spreading at right angles. I 



li. Spikelets imln-icate (a) 



a. Spikes 1-3 cm. long. 2 



a. Spikes 5-7 cm. long 3 



1. E. ^gyptica(L.) Desp. PI. Atlant. 1 : 85 (1798). Ci/nosunis 

 JEgyjMms L. Sp. PI. 72 (1753). E. cniciata Lam. 111. 1:203 

 (1791). ^. ;m-;'/Mf?^^^ Manich. Meth. Suppl. 68 (1802). Chloris 

 Diucronaia Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. 1:59 (1803). Dadijlodeniuni 

 ^Eyypiiacum Willd. Euum. 1029 (1809). E. radulam E. Br. 

 Prod. 186 (1810). E. mucronata Stokes, Bot. Mat. Med. 1:150 

 (1812). E. ciliata Rafin. Desv. Jonrn. Bot. 4: 273 (1814). E. 

 prostrata Spreng. Syst. 1:350 (1824). 



Culms tufted or creeping and rooting like Capriola Dacfijlon, 

 30-50 cm. high. Blades short, flat, ciliate, with long points. 

 S})ikes usually 3-5 in number, digitate, 2-5 cm. long, the angular 

 rachis prominent on the upper side. Spikelets very closely packed, 

 spreading at right angles to the rachis, 2-flowered, with rudiments 

 of 2 other flowers, first glume acute, 1-nerved, 1.5 mm. loug, second 

 a little longer, 1.5 mm. wide, emarginate, the keel extending into 

 a dorsal awn 2 mm. long; floral glume broad, complicate, abruptly 

 pointed, 3-nerved, about 3 mm. long; palea shorter than its glume. 



New Jersey, Parker for U. S. Dept. Agricul. 525; Delaware, 

 amiy for Clark 1916; Florida, CurtissU^l. 



A common weed of warm countries, introduced into North 

 America. 



2. E. Barcixoxensis Costa. Ind. Sem. Ilort. Borcin. (1859). 

 Culms tufted, 15-30 cm. high. Leaf-blades short, about 2 mm. 



wide, obtuse or abruptly pointed, slightly ciliate about the short 



