FESTUCE^. 583 



or awned at the end, and by tlie glabrous grain adliering to the 

 palea. But there are exceptions to eacli of these characters ; some 

 species run very much into Poa and Atropis, others into Bromus. 

 If we had only European species, Vulpia might well have been, 

 retained as a genus; but in some of the South American species tlie 

 panicle is loose, the awn sometimes very short and tlie inflorescence 

 rather that of Eufestuca. Bentham proposed as sections the 

 following: 



1. Vulpia (Gmel. as a genus). 



2. Eufestuca. Panicle loose, spreading or narrow, empty glumes 

 nearly equal, floral glumes acute or mucronate; stamens 3, anthers 

 and stigmas projecting from tlie glumes at the time of flowering; 

 perennials. 



3. Schedo)/orns (Beauv. as a genus). Panicle loose, narrow or 

 spreading, glumes awnless and the grain quite free from tlie palea. 



4. Catapodi'um (Link, as a genus). Inflorescence nearly simple, 

 like that of Hordeaj, but the rachis not notched, and the spikelets 

 not quite sessile, the lower ones often two or three together on a very 

 short branch. 



5. Scleropoa (Griseb. as a genus). 



I have nearly followed E. Hackel in tlie selection and use of 

 the sections of Fesiuca, believing them preferable to those given by 

 Bentham or others. 



A. Vulpia. Leaf-blades soft, thin, involute. Panicle secund^ 

 nsually narrow and dense, empty glumes usually very 

 unequal, the first 1-nerved, second 3-nerved, floral glumes 

 aimed, 5-nerved. Stamens usually 1-2. Anthers and 

 stigmas remaining within the glume and ptalea at time of 



flowering. Ours are annuals (a) 



a. Spikelets 1-5-flowered, floral glume 4-7 mm. long. . 1 

 a. Spikelets 5-8-flowered, floral glume 4-G mm. long. . 2 

 a. Spikelets 7-13-flowereil, floral glume 3-4 }nm. long. . 3 



B. Scleropoa. Leaf-hlades thin, flat. Panicle seru)id, 

 rays short, rigid, hearing few almost sessile spikelets, 

 floral glumes suhcarinate toward the apex, awnless, hilum 

 punctate. Annuals 4 



