444 GRAMINE.E. [Po.v. 



VAK. 1, lay! a proper; leaves flat, fl. glumes not webbed. VAR. 2, ttfnor, 

 Gaud, (sp.) ; leaves keeled curved, fl. glumes webbed, nerves more 

 distinct. 



7. P. alpi'na, L. ; stem glabrous terete, leaves broad firm tip rounded, 

 upper ligules long acute, branches of erect spreading panicle 2-natc, fl. 

 glumes 3-9, keel and edges pubescent, nerves 3-5 obscure. 



Rocks, &c. on lofty mts., from York and Westmoreland northwards ; ascending 

 . to 4,000 ft. ; W. of Ireland, very rare ; fl. June-Aug. Smooth, glabrous. 

 JRootstock stout, creeping. Stems 10-18 in., stout. Leaves rather short, 

 strict, rigid, keeled, mucronate, edges thickened scabrid, upper shorter 

 than its sheath ; lower sheaths broad, white, membranous, persistent, leaf- 

 less, upper compressed smooth. Panicle oblong or pyramidal, 1-3 in. broad. 

 X/ 1 i /,: lets J in., green and purplish, often viviparous ; empty glumes unequal, 

 ovate, acute ; fl. glumes with hyaline tips, webbed, also broad. DISTRIB. N. 

 Alpine and Arctic Europe, Siberia, W. Asia, Himalaya, N. America. 



8. P. bulbo'sa, L. ; stems tuberous below and terete sheaths smooth, 

 leaves narrow, ligules all long acute, branches of panicle 2-nate scabrid, 

 fl. glumes 3-6, margins and acute keel pubescent, ut-rves obsolete. 

 Sandy sea-shores', E. and S. of England, from Norfolk and Kent to Devon ; fl. 



April-May. Glabrous, rather rigid. Stems 6-10 in. ; tubers ovoid, -^ in., 

 covered with lax sheaths. Leaces 1-1^ in., very narrow, keeled, curved, 

 upper very short ; lower sheaths short, upper long compressed. Panicle 

 1-1 in., ovate, compressed. Spikelets -f n in. broad, green and purplish- 

 brown ; empty glumes ovate, acute, keel scabrid ; fl. glumes also broad, 

 acute. DISTRIB. Europe, N. Africa, Siberia. Very near P. alpina, but 

 differing in locality, habit, and the close ovate panicle. 



30. CATABRO'SA, Heauv. 



Spikckts minute, subterete, obconic, in branched effuse panicles, 1- or 

 more-Hd. Empty glumes 2, much shorter than the flowering, unequal, 

 scarious, convex, awnless ; upper truncate, crbiiulate. Fl. glumes coria- 

 ceous, cuneate, terete, 5 -nerved, torn at the membranous tip, back smooth, 

 awnless ; lower sessile ; upper pedicelled, often flowerless or male. Palea 

 as long. Scales ovate-oblong. Stamens 3. Ovary ovoid, glabrous ; 

 stigmas subsessile, feathery. Fruit compressed, not furrowed, free. DIS- 

 TRIB. Temp, and cold regions ; species 5. ETYM. Kara&pufns, from the 

 erase top of the glumes. 



1. C. aquat ica, Bcauv. ; panicle pyramidal. 



Watery places, from Devon and Kent northwards ; fl. May-June. Terrestrial 

 or aquatic, soft, bright green, flaccid. Rootstock stout, branched, creeping 

 and rooting at the nodes. Stem 6-12 in., bent below, then erect, compressed, 

 smooth, striate, leafy, sometimes much branched. Leaves flat, - in. broad, 

 linear, obtuse, upper short ; sheaths inflated, smooth ; ligule ovate, obtuse. 

 Panicle 1-4 in., rachis stout, grooved ; branches whorled, divided, slender. 

 Spikelets -fa in., subsolitary, pedicelled, green and purplish ; empty glumes 

 1-nerved, green, tips very broad ; fl. glumes fulvous or purplish, smooth ; 

 nerves green ; anthers white. DISTRIB. Europe, N. Africa, Siberia, Hima- 

 laya, N. America. Var. littordlis, Parn., has smaller 1-fld. spikelets. W. 

 coasts. 



