440 GRAHINE&. [TuiomA. 



entire, ciliate. Scales broad, fleshy. Stamens 3. Ovary stipitate, gla- 

 brous ; styles short, terminal, stigmas feathery. Fruit free, plano-convex. 

 DISTRIB. Europe, temp. Asia, N. Africa, Australia ; species 6. ETYM. 

 rpt?s and 080 uy, from the three teeth. 



1. T. decum bens, Beauv. ; spikelets 6-10 turgid. Danthonia, DC. 

 Dry pastures and moors ; ascending to 1,800 ft. in Yorkshire ; fl. July. Peren- 

 nial, bright green. Root fibrous. Stems 6-12 in., densely tufted, rigid, 

 glabrous, leafy. Leaves obtuse, coriaceous, slender, at length involute, hairy 

 below ; sheaths grooved, lower hairy ; mouth with a row of hairs. Pa/mick 

 1-2 in., erect; rachis and branches flexuous. Sftikclets J-^ in., obovoid, 

 shining, pale green and purplish, axis very short ; empty glumes large, 

 ovate, acute, keel scabrid, margins hyaline ; fl. glumes 3-4, ovoid, not 

 'keeled, coriaceous, imbricate, bearded at the base, ciliate on the lower mar- 

 gins. Palea broad. DISTRIB. Europe, N. Africa. 



24. PHRAGMI'TES, Trin. REED. 



Stout water-reeds. Spikelets subterete, panicled, 4-6-flowercd : lower 

 fl. male, the rest 2-sexual ; branches in -J-whorls. Ew)>1ii 'jlnim* _>, much 

 shorter than the flowering, unequal, membranous, keeled. Fl. glumes 

 distant, pedicelled ; lowest naked, 1-3-androus ; the rest 3-androus, en- 

 veloped in long silky basal hairs, very long acuminate, 3-nerved, entire. 

 Palea short, 2-nerved. -Scales large, obtuse. Stamens 3. Orary glabrous, 

 styles short, stigmas feathery. Fruit terete, loosely wrapped in the 

 fl. glume. DISTRIB. Arctic and temp, zones ; species 5. ETYM. Obscure. 



1. P. communis, Trin.; panicle very large soft dull purple nodding, 

 silky hairs equalling the fl. glumes. Arundo Phragmites, L. 

 Edges of lakes, &c. ; fl. July-Aug. Rootetock extensively creeping, jointed. 



Stem 6-10 ft., stout, terete, erect, smooth. Leavts ^-1 in. broad, flat, rigid, 



acuminate, glaucous beneath, edges hispid ; sheath smooth, mouth bearded. 



I 'mi! fie 10-18 in., ovoid, dense ; branches smooth, with long scattered hairs. 



Spikelets - in., 8-5-fld., shining ; empty glumes lanceolate, J the length of 



the flowering, which are very narrow subulate. DISTRIB. Europe (Arctic), 



N. temp, and trop. Asia, Africa, America, Australia. 



25. MEL ICA, /.. 



Spikelets terete, racemed or panicled, 1-2-fld., with a terminal long- 

 pedicelled cuneate flowerless glume embracing 2-3 others. Empty glumes 

 2, longer or shorter than the flowering, membranous, convex, subequal, 

 awnless. Fl. glumes cartilaginous, convex, 5-7-nerved, awnless. Palea 

 2-nerved. Scales fleshy, connate.. Ovary glabrous ; stigmas sessile l'e;i- 

 thery. Fruit oblong, subterete, loosely wrapped in the fl. glume. DISTRIB. 

 Temp, and subtrop. regions ; species 20. ETYM. An old name. 



1. M. nu'tans, L. ; spikelets drooping racemed secund ovoid 2-fld. 

 Woods, from Argyle and Ross to Shropshire and Derby, ascending to nearly 

 1,400 ft. in the Highlands ; absent from Ireland ; fl. May-June. Stoloni- 

 ferous. Stem* 10-18 in., filiform, inclined, 3-quetrous, scabrid above, with 

 scaly sheaths below. Leaves flat, slender, sparsely hairy, edge and keel sca- 

 brid ; ligule 0. Racemes Ji -2 in., drooping ; rachis flexuous. Spikelets 6-10, 

 J-J in., very shortly peduncled, broad j empty glumes purple, oblong, edges 



