GRAMINK^. (GRASS FAMILY.) 861 



mas feathery — Tufted pereunials or annnalg, with convolute, nmd 

 fihform leaves, usually curved. ' a j 



* Aic7i glalrous, or apjjrcssed-puleridehL 



1. S. parviflora, Dssf. Ij! .3 to. 8; culms nearly naked. Panicle 

 diffuse, .lo to .2 long; g-lumes hyaliue-membranous, unequal, the lower 

 tapering into an awn .01 to .015 long; lower pale hairv at base, appres- 

 sed-hirsute at tip, awn .03 to .1, capillary, puberuknt-scabridulous 

 geniculate at first quarter of its length, t\\isted below knee — May — 

 Kocky places; mountains ner.r Qnyetein (Syrian Desert); Damascus 

 rlateau, and southward to Sinai and Egypt. 



2. S. tortilis, Desf, 

 Sefsuf. .2 to .4; culms ^"""^^^ Fig. 383. 

 leafy. Panicle .1 long, con- 

 tracted, the dilated sheath of 

 upper leaf forming an invo- 

 lucre ; glumes nearly equal, .012 long, longer than floweret,^ 

 linear-lanceolate, tapering into a cusp shorter than they; lower 

 pale with an acute spur at base, appressed-pubescent, awn .00 to <.it 

 . 1 long, once or twice geniculate and much twisted and appres- % 

 sed-hairy below middle, scabrous and straight or twisted above 'i 

 — March to May — Sands and dry places ; coast to middle mount- 

 ain zone ; Jordan Valley, and southward to Sinai. A noxious 

 weed, the sharp spur of the lower pale insinuating itself intotlie 

 meshes of garments, and the fleece of sheep, and working its 

 way into the skin, the stiff hairs making its withdrawal difEcult. 



3. S. SLagascse, R. et Sch. % .5 tol; root fibrous; 

 culms sparingly leafy. Panicle erect, .3 long, loose; glumes 

 hyaline, equal, linear-lanceolate, tapering-aristatc, .02 to .03 

 long; lower pale linear-lanceolate, pubescent in lines or all 

 round below, silky at truncate tip; awn .15 to .2 Floweret of stipa tortiiis. 

 long, appressed-puberulent — March and April — Borders of et-Tih to 

 Moab, Hauran, Damascus, Aleppo, Sof Dagli, and northward ; Jaffa. 



* * Awn feathery above hiee or throughout. Root fhrous. Culms leafy. 



4. S. barbata, Desf. If .3 to .5. Panicle few-flowered, .2 long, 

 narrow; glumes about equal, hyaline, linear-lanceolate, tapering-aris- 

 tate, .02 to .03 long; lower pale oblong-lanceolate, truncate, appresscd- 

 hairy at base and along one line, and at tip, otherwise glabrous; awii 

 .1 to .15 long, geniculate at lower fourth or third — April to June — 

 Sinai; Lebanon and Antilebanon ; Damascus; KurdDagli; Pabnyrene 

 Desert. 



26. ARISTELLA, Bertol. Auistella. 



Spikelets 1-flowered, somewhat laterally compressed, the perfect 

 floweret sessile, jointed at base. Glumes membranous, nearly equal. 

 Lower pale coriaceous, involute, bidentate a little below its tip, awn 

 straight, jointed at base; upper pale shorter, obtusely 2-keeled. Sta- 

 mens 3, with glabrous anthers. Styles 2, short, with feathery stigmas 

 — Perennial with aspect of Stipa. 



A. bromoiclcf, L. 11 .5 to .7, tufted; root-fibrous; culms slender, 

 rigid. Leaves long, convolute, filiform, smooth. Panicle linear, .1 to 

 .15 long, .005 broad, loose, interrupted at base, branches 2-3 together, 



