880 GRAMINBiS. (grass FAMILY.) 



Leaves 2-ranked, elongated. Panicle cylindrical, .25 to .3 long, spike- 

 like, dipinnate, flattened ; spikelets sessile along the stiff, hairy, sessile " 

 branclies, imbricated, 6-12-flowered, oblong, .005 to .Ollong, flattened; 

 lower glume acute, shorter and narrower than upper; lower pale some- 

 w-hat coriaceous, white or turningblackish, oblong-ovate, obtusish, keel 

 scabrous, the lateral nerve somewhat prominent — December to March 

 —Dry fields and waysides; Jaffa, and southward to Egypt; Ghor-es-Safieh. 



66. MEL.ICA, L. Melic Grass. 

 Spikelets laterally compressed, 2-5-flowered. The low^er 1-2 

 flowerets perfect, the upper 1-3 sterile, tabescent, imbricated in a tur- 

 binate or oblong-cylindrical body. Glumes membranous, concave, as 

 lono- as flowerets or shorter. Pales muticous, the lower somewhat 

 cardlaginous, concave, the back 5-co -nerved, the upper 2-keeled, 2- 

 tooihed at tip — Perennials, with creeping root-stock and tufted culms ; 

 leaves at length more or less convolute, 



* Lower pale glabrous. 



1. M. ramosa, Vill. 2^ .3 to .4. "Ltdive^ convolute-filiform, stiff. 

 Panicle loose, pyramidal, branched, or simple and raceme-like, one-sided. 

 Spikelets at length nodding, about 4-flowered, the upper 1-2 flowerets, 

 sterile; glumes oblong-lanceolate, acutish, sometimes pinkish, scarious- 

 margined, the upper somewhat longer, as long as flowerets or longer; 

 lower pale lanceolate, punctate-scabrous at back, many-nerved, scarious 

 and obtuse at tip — April to August — 



Var. vulgaris, Panicle pyramidal. Leaves with ligules- -Palestine. 

 Var. eligulata, Boiss. Culms slender. Leaves without ligules. 

 Racemes one-sided, .03 to .05 long — Rocks; coast to middle moun- 

 tain zones. 



Var. parviflora, Boiss. Spikelets few, racemed, small. Leaves.' 

 flliform, with ligules — Middle Lebanon. 



* * Margin of lower pale or its whole outer surface villous. 

 t Sterile flowers glabrous. Spikelets .007 to .008 long. 



2. M. ciliata, L. % .3 to .7. Panicle spike-like, .06 to. 08 long, - 

 cylindrical, often lobed, branches short, appressed; spikelets ascend- 

 ing, 2-3-flowered, the loicer floiceret only fertile ; glumes membranous, - 

 straw-colored, the lower oblong-lanceolate, apiculate, the upper longer, 

 lanceolate, acuminate; lower pale lanceolate, acute, glabrous and 

 tubercled-scdbrous at back, margin loith yellow ish-ichite villi as long as ' 

 breadth of pale — May to October — Antilebanon; Aintab. 



Var. Netorocleiisi§, Coss. Leaves involute. Spike few-flowered, - 

 one-sided; glumes more acuminate, often reddish; villi of lower pale 

 white — Subalpine and Alpine Lebanon and Antilebanon ; Amanus. 



3. M. Ctspant, Guss. If .3 to .5. Panicle spike-like, .05 to .1 

 loug, equal or somewhat one-sided, branches ajDpressed ; spikelets at 

 length spreading, .007 to .01 long, 2-4-flo\vered, the upper 1-2 flower- 

 ets sterile, oblong to turbinate or cylindrical, scabrous or glabrous; 

 glumes straw-colored or violet, the lower ovate, acute, the uj^per longer, 

 lanceolate, acuminate. Lower pale densely long-villous over the whole 

 back — May and June — 



(a) Sheaths and blades of leaves glalrous. 



