GRAMINE^. (grass FAMILY.) 



859 



truncate,^ obtusish, with a geniculate, divergent, exserted awu twice 

 to thrice its length ; upper pale linear — May and June — Subalpinc and 

 alpine Lebanon, and Antilebanon. 



24. ARISTIDA, L. Triple-Awned Grass. 

 Spikelets 1-flowered, somewhat laterally compressed, the floweret 

 perfect, stipitate. Glumes membranous, lanceolate, acuminate. Pales 

 unequal, the lower membranous, at length indurated, enclosing the 

 slender, muticous, upper one, the awn dividing from or near base into 

 three naked or feathery bristles. Stamens 3. Styles 2 — (Ours) peren- 

 nial herbs, tufted at base, with stif! culms, geniculate below, and 

 liliform leaves. 



* Aicn2)crslstent, divided from lase into three, nuTced bristles. 



1. A, casriilcsceus, Desf. 71 A to .5. Panicle .15 to .3 long, 

 .02 broad, often interrupted at base; glumes linear-subulate, more or 

 less unequal, purplish; lower pale stalked, somewhat longer than 

 fjlumes, linear- convolute, slightly scabrous; awns capillary, .015 to .02 

 long, scabridulous — Spring — Rocky, dry places; coast to middle 

 mountain zones; el-GhOr to Sinai. 



Var. piimila, Post. Culms .05 to .2; glumes sometimes more 

 unequal; floweret more exserted — Coast; Dead Sea; Tiberias; south- 

 ern deserts. Rather a form than a variety. {A. pumila, Dec.) 



* * Awn jointed, caducous^ dividing above base into 3, naked bristles. 



2. A. §ielbcriana, Trin. % .3. Panicle narrow ; glumes linear, 

 luicqual, the lower tapering-setaceous, the upper convolute, with o 

 Ijiistles at tip, the middle longer; awn of lower pule twisted, .012 long, 

 ;(S long as pale, then divided into three, nearly equal, naked bristles, .045 

 long — Spring — Palestine, near Arimathea. 



' * * Avm .jointed, caducous, simple and often twisted beUw, dividing 



higher ?<rp into 3 bristles, the intermediate or all feathery. 

 : Middle bristle of awn .025 to .05 long, feathery above; the lateral 

 bristles {except A. Forslcahlei) not feathery. 



Pro- SS'' 



j; Lower pale 2-lobed at tip, the awn arising in 



the sinus. 



3. A. obtusa, Del. If Dereri. Sefsuf. 

 falfd. .1 to .2. Panicle close, .06 to .1 long, 

 i)3 to .035 broad; glumes nearly equal, thrice 

 -.long as floweret, lanceolate-linear, convo- 

 ute, acute; awn naked to fork, the middle 



ijristle naked below, feathery for its upper 

 two-thirds, .02 to .025 long, twice and a 

 lialf as long as the lateral — Spring — Sinai. 



I \ Lower pale notbilobed, but icith a callous tip, 



to which the calyptriform base of the awn is 



jointed. 



4. A. ciliata, Desf. 2f .3 to .5. Nodes 

 nid lig^des of leaves long -ciliated. Panicle 

 loose, .2 to .25 long, .05 to .00 broad; glumes 

 glabrous, nearly equal, linear-lanceolate, ob- 

 tuse ; lower pale hirsute at base; avfu slightly 



Noilo of stem. 



Spikolet of Arigtida ciliata. 



