HORDED. 629 



distinct, very short, with featliery stigmas. Grain oblong, glabrous 

 when mature, adhering to the palea. 



Annuals or perennials with flat blades. Spikes terminal, often 

 quite long. 



According to some authors there are twenty or more species, 

 but Bentham reduced them to 2 or 3. 



Indigenous to Europe, the cooler parts of Africa and Asia; culti- 

 vated in other countries also. 



The genus is at once distinguished from all others of the 

 tribe by the position of the flat spikelets with their edge to the 

 rachis. 



1. L. PERENXE L. Sp. PL 83 (1753). Perennial Eye-grass 

 OR Kay-grass. Darnel. L. agreste Hort. Koem. & Schult. Syst. 

 2:748 (1817). L. amiunm Bernh. Sem. Hort. Erf. (1801). L. 

 arenarium Rouv. Monog. 38. L. asj^erimi Roth, Kunth, Enum. 

 PI. 1:436 (1833). L. canadense Bernh. Rouv. Monog. 27. L. 

 aristatum Pers. Syu. 1:110 (1805). L. Psendo-italicuyn Schur, 

 Enum. PI. Transs. 813 (1866). L. remotum Schrank, Baier. Fl. 

 1:382 (1789). L. stridum Presl. Cyp. & Gram. Sicul. 49 (1820). 

 L. tenue L. Sp. PI. Ed. 2, 122 (1763). L. vulgare Hort, Gram. 

 Austr. 1 : 25 (1801); and other synonyms. 



A smooth erect or slightly decumbent perennial, 60-90 cm. 

 high. Culms slightly compressed. Ligule short; blades of sterile 

 shoots abundant, shining. Spike strict, 10-30 cm. long, slender, 

 Spikelets 8-20 in number, the lower often separated 2-3 cm., obtuse 

 or acute, 8-13 mm. long; empty glumes stiff, linear-lanceolate, 

 strongly nerved, shorter than the spikelet; floral glume 6-16 mm. 

 long, linear-oblong, obtuse, acute or rarely short-awned. 



Europe and Northern Asia. 



Extensively cultivated and very variable. (See p. 159 and Fig. 

 74 of Vol. I.) 



2. L. MULTiFLORUM Lam. Fl. Fr. 3:621. Italian Rye or 

 Ray-grass. L. aristaUwi Lag. Nym. Consp. 445. L. cechiciim 

 Opig. Oekon. Teckn. Fl. Boehm. 379 (1836). L. elongatnm Hort. 

 Rouv. Monog. 35. L. italicum A. Br. Flora, 17:259 (1834); and 

 other synonyms. 



