DESCRIPTIONS OF TRIBES AND GENERA. 



Ill 



glumes thin-membranaceous, or hyaline, awuless, or often 

 with a bent awn inserted below the middle of the back ; 

 two lateral nerves sometimes also projecting into very 

 short awns ; palea usually short, often minute or none. 



Species about one hundred, distributed over the entire 

 globe, especially in the north tem- 

 perate zone, where they constitute 

 the more important meadow grasses, 

 though the foliage is too low and too 

 delicate to produce a great quantity 

 of forage. A. alba L., " Fiorin grass" 

 (Fig. 53), has a long ligule, pyram- 

 idal panicles which are contracted 

 after flowering, and usually awnless 

 sjjikelets. It is a valuable fodder- 

 grass, especially for moist lands, 

 moors, etc. ; the same is true of 

 the related A. vulgaris With. (" Red 

 Top"), which has a shorter ligule 

 and panicles more open after flower- 

 ing. A. nebulosa Boiss. & Reut., a 

 native of Spain, has extremely deli- 

 cate panicles and very small spike- 

 lets ; it is commonly cultivated for 

 dry bouquets. The genus Tricho- 

 dium Schrad. comprises those spe- Fia m.—Agrostis aiba l. 



\ l (After Nees, Gen. Germ., I. 



cies having the palea rudimentary 29.) 



or wanting. Bromidium has a spike-like panicle. 



133. (136) Chaetotropis Kunth. Distinguished from 

 the preceding by its very compact panicle, fringed keel 

 of the empty glumes, and distinct projection of the 

 rachilla beyond the palea. 



Species one (Gh. Chilensis Kunth), in Chili. 



134. (135) Gastridium Beauv. Panicles dense, spike- 

 like ; spikelets narrow, shining ; rachilla produced be- 

 yond the palea, flowering glumes one third as long as 

 the empty ones, awnless or awned. 



Species two, G. australe Beauv., G. scabrum Presl, in 

 the Mediterranean region. 



135. (137) Triplachne Link. Panicles short, spike- 



