890 GRAMINE^. (GRASS FAMILY.) 



Var. paucifloriim., Post. Spikelets .005 to .00' 

 e d . New Bridge ( Jord an) . 



77. §CL.EROPOA, Griseb. Scleropoa. 



Spikelets short-pedicelled, compressed, or linear-terete, flowerets 

 3-00, imbricated. Glumes nearly equal, keeled, obtuse to retuse or 

 acute, shorter than spikelets. Lower pale usually somewhat coriaceous, 

 keeled, muticous or mucronate-aristate, 5-3-1-nerved, upper pale short- 

 er, acutish, 2-keeled — Tufted annuals, with spikelets in stiff, 1-sided 

 or forked panicles. 



'*'- SpiTcelets h'oad, flattened. Panicle wmewliat 1-sided. 



1. S. Pliili§t£ea, Boiss. .1 to z^. Leaves linear, setaceous- 

 acuminate, short, the upper remote frr;;i panicle. Panicle oblong-el- 

 liptical, usually purplish, .05 to .08 i"ug, .08 to .04 broad, the lower 

 branches with 3-5 spikelets; spikelets .006 to .01 long, .002 to .003 

 broad, oblong -elliptical^ obtuse, O-lS-fiowered, tapering at base; glumes 

 oblong, the lower shorter, 1-nerved, the upper 3-nerved; lower pale 

 oblong, obtuse, obsoletely mucrouate, hirtulous toward base, lateral 

 nerves obsolete — Spring — Sands ; coast. 



2. S. maritmia, L, .3 to .5, glaucous. Leaves rigid, narrow- 

 linear, at length convolute, the upper often sheathing the base of the 

 panicle. Panicle oblong-ovate, .08 to .1 long, .04 to ,05 broad, com- 

 pound, branches thick, triquetrous, forked, often with nearly sessile 

 spikelets at forks; pedicels flattened, spikelets 5-9-flowered, oblong- 

 linear, acute, .01 to .013 long, .0015 to .002 broad ; glumes oblong, 

 keeled, the lower 3-nerved, shorter, the uj^per 5-nerved; lower pale- 

 coriaceous, oblong-lanceolate, obtusish, mueronulate, the lateral pair of 

 nerves close to one another and to the margin — Spring • - Sands; coast. 



* * Sp>ilcelets narroiD, linear-oblong to linear. 



t Branches of p)anicle not jointed, spilielets at forJcs 0. Glumes obtuse. 



3. §.prociinitoeiis, Curt. .1 to .2. Leaves linear, acuminate. 

 Panicle rigid, oblong, contracted, branches and iiedicels very short, 3- 

 angled; spikelets 5-9-flowered, oblong-linear, .005 long, .0015 to .003 

 broad ; glumes unequal, oblong, the lower 1-nerved, shorter, the upper 

 ,3-nerved; lower pale oblong, oht\\s.Q, p)rominently o-nerxed and grooved — 

 Spring — Salt marshes between Hamath and Palmyra. 



4. S. rigida, L. .1 to .3, Leaves linear, acuminate. Panicle 

 rigid, oblong-lanceolate, .05 to .1 long, .01 to .03 broad, with branches 

 and pedicels 3-angled ; spikelets 5-ll"flowered, linear-oblong, .005 to 

 to .01 long, . 002 broad, loose, 'pedicellate ; glumes lanceolate ; lower pale 

 oblong, convolute, obsoletely Tceeled and nerved — ^^fmg — Gx^^z-^ places 

 and roadsides; everywhere. Fig. 412. 



r^i' Branches of panicle jointed, brittle, bear- 

 ing spiTcelets atforlcs. Glumes acute. 



5. S. Mempliitica, Spreng. .1 

 -to .2. Sheaths of leaves dilated, open, 



the uppermost often forming a spathe to 

 .the panicle. Panicle oblong, straggling, 



.05 to 08 or .1 long, .01 to .03 broad, Tipo"f panicle of Scleropoa 



forked, the spil-elets at fli'st erect, at length Mempliitica. 



^at angles iYhmfjO'-ldQ% linear, acute at both ends, .007 to .01 long, .001 



