338 CLXXIII. GRAMINE.E. (J. D. Hooker.) [_Poa, 0. Stapf 



Nephelochloa altaica & soongarica, Griseb. in Ledeb. Fl. Ross. iv. 367. Glyceria 

 soongarica, Schrenk in Fisch. $- Mey. Enum. PI. Schrenk. i. 1. Aira altaica r Trin. 

 in Bunge Verz. Suppl. 7. Altaic. 8. 



Var. alfina, Boiss. 1. c. 610 ; 1-2 in. high, fastigiately branched, panicle de- 

 pressed amongst the leaves, rachis short, branches crowded spreading subsquarosely 

 and decurved, spikelets 2-3-fld. fl. gl. acute. Var. minor, Boiss. in Bourg. Pi. 

 Lycia (I860). 



Var. major, Boiss. I.e.; tall, panicle spreading, spikelets few or many-fld., flg. 

 gls. trnncate or rounded at the tip mucronate, margins very narrowly scarious. 

 Nephelochloa tripolitana, Boi.ts. fy Blanch. Diagn. Ser. II. iv. 133. 



Subgen. II. EUPOA. Fig. gls. 5-nerved, lateral pairs sometimes 

 obscure. 



* Stem bulbously thickened at the base. Arenariee. 



2. P. bulbosa, Linn. Sp. PI. 70, var. elanata, Stapf; densely tufted, 

 leaves linear acute flat, ligule ovate or oblong, panicle oblong, lower 

 branches binate, spikelets -J ^ in. 4-7-fld. subsessile crowdecl^ften viviparous, 

 gl. I ovate acute margin broadly hyaline, flg. gls. oblong acute, upper ^ 

 hyaline silkily hairy below the middle, nerves obscure, wool or very 

 scanty, keels of palea scabrid. P. bulbosa, Duthie Grass. N.W. Ind. 40; 

 Griseb. in Goett. Nadir. (1868) 74. 



WESTERN HIMALAYA ; from Kashmir' to Zanskar, alt. 5-9000 ft., Falconer, &c. 

 WESTERN TIBET, alt.9-13,OCO ft. DISXBIB. (of P. bulbosa) temp. Europe and Asia. 



Stems 6-16 in., terete, smooth. Leaves chiefly subradical, margins smooth, 

 shortly acute, lower 2-2f in., upper much shorter, i in. broad, of the surculi very 

 narrow ; sheaths lax, often open, upper more appressed shorter than the internodes ; 

 ligule -|- in., or shorter in reduced forms. Panicle 1-2 in., rarely ovate, lobed, 

 contracted, lower branches nearly smooth ; branchlets short, scaberulous. Spikelets 

 shortly pedicelled or subsessile, oblong or ovate-oblong, pale green; gl. I -j 1 ^ J in., 

 ovate, acute, 3- rarely 2-nerved, margins denticulate, nerves rough ; II similar but 

 larger, more acuminate, 3-nerved ; fl. gls. -J f in., oblong, acute, sometimes mucro- 

 nulate, upper - hyaline; nerves obscure; palea % shorter. Anthers -^"iV i". 

 Differs from typical bulbosa in the absence or scantiness of wool in the spikelets. 

 Kashmir specimens are unusually tall and stout, with many broad leaves and some- 

 times a laxer habit. Zanskar ones are typical in all respects but the absence of wool. 

 The viviparous state is very common. 



** Stem not bulbously thickened at the base. 



t Spikelets broadly ovate ; gls. thin, broad, dorsally strongly arched, 

 fl. gl. base silkily hairy, wool 0. Alpinae. 



3. P. alpina, Linn. Sp. Pi. 67; densely tufted, surculi clothed with 

 short distichous thickish sheaths, leaves short broadly linear firm acute, 

 panicle broadly ovate, lower branches mostly binate, spikelets ^- in. 3-6- 

 fld. broadly ovate, gls. all thin arched, I ovate acute margin broadly 

 hyaline, flg. gls. ovate-oblong obtuse upper 5 hyaline silky-hairy below the 

 middle nerves obscure, wool 0, keels of palea ciliate below the middle. 

 Host Gram. Austr. ii. 49, t. 67 ; Engl. Bot. t. 1003 ; Knapp Gram. Britt. t. 

 50 ; Reickb. Ic. Fl. Germ. t. 83 ; Ledeb. fl. Ross. iv. 370 ; Boiss. Fl. Orient. 

 v. 605; Griseb. in Goett. Nachr. (1868) 74; Duthie Grass. N.W. Ind. 40. 



WESTERN HIMALAYA and WESTERN TIBET; from Kashmir to Garwhal, alt. 

 10-16,000 ft. DISTHIB. N. temp, and Arctic regions. 



Stem 4-16 in., terete, smooth. Leaves chiefly crowded at the base of the stem ; 

 rarely more than in. broad, flat or of the surculi plicate, firm, margins rough ; lowest 

 sheaths and of the surculi distichous, the thickened bases enclosiug the stem, upper 



