GRAMINACE^E. 



Nat. syst. ed. 2. p. 369. 



LOLIUM. 



Spikes many-flowered, distichous, sessile, contrary to the 

 rachis. Flowers beardless at the base. Glumes 2, nearly equal, 

 herbaceous, lanceolate, channelled, awnless ; the lower or inner 

 ones very often deficient in the lateral spikelets. Paleae 2, her- 

 baceous ; the lower concave, awnless, or awned below the point ; 

 the upper bicarinate. Stamens 3. Ovary smooth ; styles 2, 

 very short, inserted below the point ; stigmas feathery ; with 

 long, simple, finely-toothed, transparent hairs ; scales 2, fleshy, 

 smooth, acute, entire or 2-lobed. Caryopsis smooth, adhering 

 to the upper paleae. Kunth. 



1292. L. temulentum Linn. sp. pi. 122. fl. Dan. t. 160. 



Eng. Bot. t. 11 24-. Kunth gram. 437 Europe, Japan, New 



Holland, Chili, Montevideo. (Darnel.) 



Root of a few downy fibres. Stems 2 feet high, leafy, round j smooth 

 and shining below ; rough upwards. Leaves of a brighter green than 

 L. perenne, rough on the upper side. Sheaths roughish. Ligula 

 short, abrupt, notched. Spike about a span in length, with a rough 

 stalk. Glumes linear, flatfish, many-ribbed, roughish at the edges, 

 rising above the spikelets, generally attended, in tfie lower ones, with a 

 short elliptical inner valve, pressed close to the channel in the stalk. 

 Florets about 6. Outer paleae elliptical, concave, with a dorsal awn 

 longer than itself; inner rough at the folds. Grain elliptical, a little 

 flattened, with a furrow along its upper side, where it is firmly coated 

 by the inner valve. The grains are of evil report, for causing intoxica- 

 tion in men, beasts, and birds, and bringing on fatal convulsions. Haller 

 speaks of them as communicating these properties to beer. Smith. It 

 acts as a narcotico-acrid poison. Darnel meal was formerly recom- 

 mended as a sedative poultice. 



TRITICUM. 



Spikelets 3 or many-flowered ; the fructiferous rachis generally 

 articulated ; flowers distichous. Glumes 2, nearly opposite, 

 almost equal, awnless or awned. Paleae 2, herbaceous : the lower 

 awnless, mucronate or aristate at the point, the upper bicari- 

 nate ; the keels more or less ciliated with aculei. Stamens 3. 

 Ovary pyriform, hairy at the point. Stigmas 2, terminal, sub- 

 sessile, feathery ; with long, simple, finely-toothed hairs. Scales 

 2, generally entire and ciliated. Caryopsis externally convex, 

 internally concave, and marked by a deep furrow, distinct, or 

 adhering to the paleae. Kunth. 



609 R R 



