896 GRAMINE^. (GRASS FAMILY.) 



82. LOLIUm, L. Darnel. Tares. Zuwdn. 

 Spikelets 3-many-flowered, solitary at each joint of the rachis, 

 placed edgewise. The glumes except in the terminal spikelet 1, firm, 

 many-nerved. Lower pale membranous, scarious at tip, awnless or 

 awned, concave ; the upper 2-toothed, 2-keeled, ciliate along the keels 

 — Annuals or perennials. Inflorescence an interrupted, flattened spike. 



* Floicerets lanceolate. 



1. Ij. pereiinc, L. % Ray Grass. ffasMshet-el-Faras. Sammdh. 

 A to .6; root bearing clusters of sterile leaves. Leaves linear, the new 

 ones folded lengthwise. Spikelets oblong, compressed, 3-11-flowered; 

 glume lanceolate, acutisJi, a little shorter than spikelet ; flowerets awn- 

 less — Spring — Fields and waysides ; common. 



2. t.. multiflorum, Gaud. or (D .4 to .6; root 

 destitute of clusters of sterile leaves. Leaves linear, the 

 new ones convolute — Spikelets lanceolate, 7-20-flowered ; 

 glume rather oUuse, one-half to one-third as long as spikelet ; 

 flowerets awnless, or short-awned — Spring — Littoral of 

 Syria, and southward to the Tih. 



Var. pumiluin, Boiss. Culms decumbent, .04 to .09 

 long — Syrian coast. 



Yar. ari§tatum. Post. Awns two-thirds as long as 

 lower pales — Sands ; J^ahr-el-Ghadir. 



3. Yi, rigidum. Gaud. .3 to .5; root destitute of 

 clusters of sterile leaves. Leaves linear, fiat. Spike stiffs 

 often incurved. Spikelets dhlanceolate, 3- 9-flo wered, appressed to the ra- 

 chis; glume linear-lanceolate, obtuse, a little shorter than the spikelets ; 

 pales muticous — Spring — Fields ; common. 



Var. RottbCBllioicles, Held. Smaller; spike thicker, straight 

 or incurved ; rachis more deeply excavated ; glume longer than appres- 

 sed spikelet — Syrian coast; Mcab; el-Ghor. 



Var. compre§§uin, Boiss. et Held. © (2) 2^ Culms tufted but 

 destitute of sterile leaf clusters, decumbent ; spike usually curved ; spike- 

 lets close, often inibricated^ hroader than in type; Beiriit; Aint§,b. 



* * Flowerets elliptical^ turgid in fruit. Sterile leaf -clusters 0. 



4. Li. temulentum, L. Bearded Darnel. Tares. Zuwdn. 

 .6 to 1. Leaves firm, flat, linear,' .005 to .01 broad. Spike stiff, loose, 

 .1 to .2 long; spikelets cuneate-oblong, 3-8-flowered, as long as inter 

 nodes or longer; glume stifi, linear, obtuse, longer than spikelet ; lower 

 pale shorter than its aicn — Spring — Fields ; common. 



Var. muticum, Boiss. Awns very short or — With type. 

 83. AOROPYRUJfl, P. de B. Agroptrum. 



Spikelets solitary at teeth of rachis, 5-co -flowered, laterally com- 

 pressed, with face to the rachis. Flowerets perfect, the upper one or 

 two staminate or tabescent. Glumes 3, coriaceous, nearly equal, shorter 

 than flowerets, lanceolate or linear, not ventricose, convex or keeled, 

 3-several-nerved, muticous or aristate. Lower pale similar to glumes, 

 muticous or aristate, oo -nerved, the nerves connivent attip; upperpale 

 2-keeled, keels ciliate — Perennials or annuals. 



