PLATE 455. 



POA ANNUA, Linn. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII. , p. 715). 

 Nat. Order Graminere. 



ANNUAL OR SUBPERENNTAL, tufted, glabrous. CULMS erect from a geniculate 

 and often rooting base, from a few incbes to 1 foot long, sligbtly compressed belo\v, 

 smooth ; internodes exserted or enclosed ; sheaths rather loose, slightly compressed, 

 smooth ; ligules oblong to ovate, up to 1^ line broad ; blades linear, acute, to Ij 

 inch (rarely longer), by 1 to l line, flat, flaccid ; margins scaberulous. 



PANICLE rather stiff, ovate, lax, up to 3j inches long, often subsecund ; the 

 lower branches 2- (rarely 3 to 5) nate or solitary, spreading, ultimately often 

 deflexed, up to 1^ inch long, branched from the middle, smooth. 



SPIKELETS more or less crowded, oblong-ovate or ovate, green or sometimes 

 purplish, 2 to '1\ lines long, 3 to 7-flowered, lower glume lanceolate, acute, 1 to 1^ 

 line long, 1 -nerved to sub-3-nerved, upper slightly longer', ovate when expanded, 

 8-nerved. Valves oblong, obtuse or subacute, lj line long; margins and tips 

 broadly hyaline ; nerves slightly prominent, silkily ciliate below, along the keel 

 and the outer side-nerves, rarely glabrescent, without connecting wool (in the type) ; 

 pales slightly shorter than the valves, keels ciliate ; anther's g line long ; grain 

 oblong, ^-1 line long. 



Habitat : NATAL. Cooper 3362. 



Throughout Europe and temperate Asia, introduced into most other temperate 

 regions, rare in the tropics. 



Drawn from a specimen in the Government Herbarium, No. 10,133, which 

 was sent to us without locality, and identified bv Miss Franks. 



!/ ' * 



This grass is common in England, but is not considered to be of much, rf any, 

 agricultural value. 



Fig 1, A spikelet ; 2, lower glume ; 3, upper glume ; 4, valve ; .5, pale ; 6, pistil, stamens, 

 and lodicules. All c/i/tirt/eil. 



