494 Key to the System of 



2084. Lowest bracts considerably longer than the fruit- 



supporting bract. 



Usually tall ; leaves generally flat, elongated and broadish ; 

 panicle very spreading, the spikelets singly terminating 

 capillary mostly elongated branchlets ; fruit-supporting 

 bract usually somewhat beset with minute hairlets outside, 

 occasionally two-pointed ; its awn arising from near or 

 below the middle, about semi-exserted, slightly bent ; 

 additional rhacheolar stalklet beset with short hairleta, 

 but bractless. A. Solandri. 



Lowest bracts about as long as the fruit-supporting 

 bract 2085 



2085. Flowerless stalklet within the spikelet absent ... 2086 

 Flowerless stalklet within the spikelet present ... 2087 



2086. Awn present. 



Slender, seldom tall ; leaves quite narrow, gradually pointed ; 

 branches of the panicle capillary ; spikelets mostly short- 

 stalked ; awn from near the middle of the fruit-supporting 

 bract and considerably exceeding its length, almost 

 straight, slightly rough. A. veuusta. 



Awn absent. 



Often rather tall ; leaves narrow, gradually pointed ; panicle 

 elongated, its branches subtile-capillary, the lower 

 whorled ; spikelets very small ; fruit-supporting bract 

 blunt, rather shorter than the lower bracts, neither pro- 

 vided with any stalklet of its own, nor surrounded by 

 hairlets ; fruit-covering bract almost or quite undeveloped. 



A. scabra. 



2087. Awn far infra-terminal. 



Alpine, tall ; leaves flat, gradually pointed ; panicle elon- 

 gated, its branches mostly scattered ; spikelets of rather 

 conspicuous size ; awn from near the middle of the 

 fruit-supporting bract, extremely short, somewhat bent, 

 deciduous. A. frigida. 



Awn nearly terminal. 



Rather tall, but generally slender, sometimes bent down- 

 ward ; leaves usually flat, gradually pointed ; panicle 

 elongated, slightly or moderately spreading ; outer bracts 

 about as long as the two inner ; awn very short, thus 

 slightly or hardly reaching beyond the summit of the 

 fruit-supporting bract, anthers very short ; rhacheolar 

 stalklet often beset with minute hairlets. A. rudis. 



