FESTUCE.E. 497 



ciliate on the nerves above the middle, except J!f. anomala. Stamens 

 3. Styles distinct. Grain obloug-f usiform, smooth, compressed on 

 the buck, included by its glume, but not adhering. 



Erect perennials ; blades flat or involute ; culms often with 

 corms at the base. 



There are about thirty species, widely distributed throughout 

 the temperate and subtropical regions of the world. 



In most instances I have followed Scribner in his "Revision of 

 the North American Melica^." See Proc. Phiia. Acad. Nat. Sci. p. 

 40, in 1885. 



Bentham observes that the typical representative of the sub- 

 tribe has been universally recognized since the days of Linnaeus, 

 and less tampered with than any other genus of equal extent. In 

 the typical Melicas, however varied the panicle, long and narrow, 

 or very loose and spreading, the spikelets are generally nodding, 

 with rarely more than two flowers; floral glumes more or less 

 scarious and never awned, the terminal empty glumes one within 

 the otlier. In a section proposed by Thurber for some northwest 

 American species under the name of Brovieh'ca, the spikelets are 

 erect, with more rigid glumes, occasionally awned and 3-8-flowered, 

 the upper empty glumes narrower and not so closely packed, giving 

 the plants altogether so different an asj)ect that he hesitated 

 whether or not, as suggested by Thurber, to raise the section to the 



rank of a genus. 



Gltceei^. 



Spikelets 1-5-jloioered, floral glumes herhaceo-coriaceous, loitli a 

 narrow scarious margin above, strongly 7-9-nerved. 



A. Culms not bulbiferous (b) 



b. Empty glumes shorter than the spikelet (c) 



c. Panicle 20-30 cm. long o » . . . 1 



c. Panicle 4-6 cm. long o . . . 2 



b. Empty glumes as long as the floret 3 



B. Culms bulbiferous d 



d. ligule 3-4 mm. long , . . . 4 



d. ligule 2-3 mm. long 5 



d. ligule verv short 6 



