GRAMIKE^. (GRASS FAMILY.) 847 



3._ Ovary glabrous. Styles 2, terminal, long, more or less connate, 

 stigmas feathery, exserted. Caryopsis oblong, flattened at back, with 

 a dot-like hilum at base of ventral surface, enclosed in pales but free — 

 Herbs, T\-ith 1-3 spikelets in a cluster, in simple spikes. 



1. P. dicliotoiiuun. Forsk. 21 JIadah. Fio. 371. 

 Mourrdt-Ghazdl. lletam. .3to.G; culms rws7i- 



like, the loioer imrt proliferous at nodes, much- 

 branched, forming a bush with aspect of Pani- 

 cum turgidum. Sheaths of culms leafless, open, 

 scarious, lanceolate, persistent; leaves of bran- 

 ches from a somewhat dilated sheath, rigid, 

 convolute, the uppermost often forming an 

 involucre to the spike. Spike cylindrical, .07 

 to .1 long, .015 to .02 in diameter, rack is sm- 

 hrons; bristles of involucre of spikelets numer- 

 ous, unequal, loMte, once and a half as long as 

 spikelet; spikelets solitary (rarely twin), lan- 

 ceolate ; lower glume oblong-lanceolate, acute, ,,.,^,^, ^.^ i-ennisetun. 

 d-nerved, two-thirds as long as tlie upper; up- diciiotomum with involucre 

 per glume and lower pale of staminate floweret magnified 3 diameter*, 

 as long as perfect floweret, concave, 5-7-nerved, oblong-lanceolate, 

 acute ; upper pale of staminate floweret somewhat narrower and shorter ; 

 lower pale of perfect flow^eret mucronate-aristate — Spring — Sandy 

 places; Arabia Petrtea ; 'Arabah. 



2. P. elatuiii, Hochst. % Glabrous, glaucesceut; culms tuU, 

 indurated Mow, forked, beset with few, lanceolate, leafless sheaths. 

 Leaves few, remote, sheath long, narrow, lamina short, convolute. 

 Spike slender, cylindrical ; rachis Iristly ; bristles of involucre reddiah, 

 numerous, unequal, once and a half as long as spikelet; spikelets 

 solitary ;. lower glume ovate, acute, half as long as upper; upper glume 

 somewhat longer, o-nerved, somewhat shorter than lower pale of the 

 lanceolate, staminate floweret — Spring — Near Naqb (Sinai). 



3. P. eiliare, L. 21! .4; tufted; culms herbaceous, dccumbcnt- 

 geniculate or ascending, leafy. Leaves narrowly-linear, acuminate, 

 glabrous or hairy. Spikes cylindrical, dense, .00 to .08 long, .01 in 

 diameter; x^ohis, roufjh ; bristles of sessile involucre numerous, ^;?/;'j9ZiVt 

 to white, unequal, the inner thicker, connate at base, plumose, once and 

 a half to twice as long as spikelet; spikelets tici/i or solitary; glumes 

 nearly equal, two-thirds as long as floweret, ovate-oblong, acute, 1- 

 nerved; lower pale of staminate floweret similar to lower pale of fertile 

 floweret, ovate-oblong, acute; upper pale of staminate floweret shorter, 

 sometimes obsolete-^ April — Sandy places; Hei)ron; el-UhOr and 

 around Dead Sea, and southward to Sinai. 



4. P. Oriciitale, Rich. If .3 to .G; culmg erect or ascending, 

 branching from base. Leaves rigid, ascending, narrowly linear, acumi- 

 nate, somewhat convolute, sj)aringly hairy, minutely scabrous to gla- 

 brous; mouth of sheath ciliate. Spikes loose or dense, .08 to .1 long, 

 .015 to .03 broad; rachis Iiainj ; pedicels short, hispid ; involucre of 

 many unequal, flexuous, reddish-violet bristles, once and a half to twice 

 as long as spikelets, the inner scarcely thicker, ])lumose; lower glume 

 ovate, 1-nerved, one-third as long as perfect floweret ; upper glume 

 ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, 3-uerved, scarcely shorter than perfect 



