442 QRAMINE^E. [Mouxi.v. 



strong nerves. Palea 2-nerved. Scales membranous, 1 -toothed. Stan 

 Ovary glabrous ; styles short, stigmas feathery. Fruit sub-4-gi UK >us, t'ur- 

 i-tiwrtl, 2-beaked with the persistent style-bases, enclosed in the cartila- 

 ginous fl. glume. DISTRIB. N. temp, regions ; species 4. ETYM. G. J. 

 Molina, a writer on Chilian Botany, &c. 



1 . M . caeru'lea, M(ench ; leaves flat, stem wiry. Enodiuvn, Gaud. 

 Wet moors, &c. ; ascending to nearly 3,000 ft. in the Highlands; fl. July- 

 Aug. Stems 1-3 ft., terete, striate, with but one node, and that towards 

 the base, naked above. Leaves smooth, rigid, hairy at the base, tips very 

 slender; sheaths smooth ; ligule 0. Panicle 1-12 in., usually stout, very 

 contracted ; rachis flexuous, compressed ; branches erect. SpihUts few, 

 Jin., narrow, reddish or violet- purple or green ; empty glumes subacute ; 

 fl. glumes deciduous, ovate-lanceolate, subacute ; anthers violet-brown. 

 DISTRIB. Europe (Arctic), Siberia, W. Asia, N. Africa. 



VAR. 1, ccera'lea proper ; spikelets blue-purple 2-3-fld., fl. glumes 3-nerved. 

 VAR. 2, depaupei-a'ta, Lindl. (sp.) ; spikelets green 1-fld., fl. glumes 3-5- 

 nerved. 



29. PO'A, L. MEADOW-GRASS. 



Spikelets compressed, in branched usually effuse panicles, 2-many- 

 flowered ; branches 2-nate or in ^-whorls. Empty glumes 2, shorter than 

 the lowest flowering, unequal, acute or obtuse, keeled ; lower 1-nerved ; 

 upper larger, 3-nerved. FL glumes often webbed below, keeled, acute, 

 5-nerved, tips hyaline. Palea 2-fid, nerves ciliate. Scales tumid below. 

 Stamens 3. Ovary glabrous ; styles 2, short, terminal, stigmas feathery. 

 Fruit obtusely 3-gonous, grooved, glabrous, free. DISTKIB. Chiefly cold 

 and temp, regions; species 90. ETYM. v6a, fodder. 



* Annual. Branches of the panicle solitary or 2-nate. Fl. yluinet 

 nearly glabrous. 



1. P. an'ivua, L. ; stems compressed leaves obtuse, ligule long acute, 

 branches of panicle 2-nate at length deflexed, fl. glumes 3-7 5-nerved. 

 Waste places, &c. ; ascending to 3,200 ft. in the Highlands ; fl. April-Sept. 



Flaccid, bright green, sometimes glaucous, quite glabrous and smooth. 

 Stems 6-12 in., weak. Leaven linear, subacute, often waved. Panicle 1-3 in., 

 subpyramidal, subsecund, green or purplish, ^pikelets j> in., subses>ili: ; 

 empty glumes broadly hyaline, upper broadest in the middle ; fl. glumes 

 glabrous or hairy below the middle. DISTRIB. N. temp. Europe (Arctic), 

 Asia, and N. Africa ; doubtfully native of N. America. 



** Perennial ; rootstock creeping, stoloniferwu. 



2. P. praten sis, L. ; stem smooth terete, upper leaf shorter than its 

 sheath, ligule long, branches of diffuse panicle 3-5-nate scabrid, fl. glumes 

 3-5 acute webbed, edges and keel silky, nerves 5 distinct. 



Meadows, banks, and pastures ; ascending to 2,400 ft. in Yorkshire, and 

 nearly 2,800 ft. in Ireland; fl. June-July. Glabrous, pale green. Stems 



1-2 ft., rather stout. Leaves linear, flat, acute, tip often concave; sheaths 



br 



or purplis 

 minate, keel scabrid ; fl. glumes broadly hyaline. DISTRIB. N. temp, and 



., , 



subcompressed. Panicle 2-6 in., pyramidal ; branches long or short, 

 rarely 2-3-nate. Spikelets -J in., green or purplish ; empty glumes acu- 



arctic regions. P. siibccei^lea, Sm., is a small glaucous state, and P. anaits- 

 tifolia, L. (sp.), another with slender leaves. 



