340 CLXXIII. GRAMINEJE. (J. D. Hooker.) [Poa, 0. Stapf. 



than T \. in. Panicle up to 4 in., lax or contracted ; lower branches rarely 2-3-nate, 

 erect or spreading, naked below or rarely branched to the base, smooth or asperulous. 

 Spikelets shortly or terminal longer-pedicelled, green ; gl. I yj-rfr i n -> 3- or 2-1- 

 nerved, keel asptrulous, margins hyaline denticulate; II rather larger, 3-nerved; 

 gls. |-| in., acute, nerves prominent ; palea shorter. Anthers T y- T V in. linear. 

 There are many forms, characterized by narrow almost setaceous or by very short 

 leaves, by very narrow and contracted panicles, by shorter spikelets, or by various 

 combinations of these characters ; but these are all so intricately connected, and in 

 many cases so evidently the product of conditions of habitat, and are so independent 

 of geographical distribution, that it is impossible to define them satisfactorily. 

 The two extreme forms are 



Var. angustifolia, Sm. PI. Britt. i. 105; Gaud. Agrost. Helvet. i. 214; leaves 

 extremely narrow often setaceous. P. angustifolia, Linn. Sp. PL 67. P. strigosa, 

 Hoffm. &setacea, Ho/m. P. compressa& trivialis (in part) Herb. 2nd. Or. Hf-fy T. 

 Occurs with the type and passes directly into it. 



Yar. alpigena, Blytt Norg. Flora, 130 ; stem 3-8 in., leaves short plicate, ligule 

 jL-i in., panicle |-1 i n - ovate, lowest branches solitary or 2-5-nate glabrous more 

 orlessflexuous spreading sometimes deflexed, branches sparingly asperulous or glabrous, 

 spikelets 3-2-fld. variegated. P. bulbosa, Herb. Stretch. fy Winterb. n. 4. P. variegata, 

 Jacquem. mss. P. alpina, Herb. Ind. Or. Hf. fy T. (in part). Western Tibet, alt. 

 13-17,700 ft., Topidhunga in Kumaon, alt. 14,500 ft., Strach. fy Winterb. A very 

 distinct variety, with the habit of P. alpina, and confounded with it in various 

 collections. 



6. P. pseudo-pratensis, Hook. f. ; stem tall stoloniferous, leaves 

 acute or acuminate usually plicate lowest usually shortest, ligule ovate 

 acute or truncate, panicle ovate or oblong lax-fid, lower branches usually 

 binate branches very long flexuous scaberulous, spikelets i~i in. 3-2-fld., 

 gl. I ovate-oblong acute margin hardly hyaline, fig. gls. oblong tips alone 

 hyaline base silkily hairy nerves prominent, wool scanty or 0, keels of 

 palea ciliate below. Festuca, Wall. Gat. n. 3798 (partly). P. pratensis & 

 P. flexuosa ? Herb. Ind. Or. Hf. & T. (in part.) 



CENTBAL & EASTEKN HIMALAYA ; Nepal, Wallich ; Sikkim and W. Bhotan, 

 alt. 10-12,000 ft., J.D. H., Cummins. 



Stems 8-20 in., smooth, terete. Leaves crowded at the base of the stem, 1-3^ by 

 in., lowest shorter, cauline far distant, of the surculi longer, linear, gradually 

 narrowed into the sheath, glabrous smooth or minutely scaberulous ; lowest sheaths 

 short, firm, scarious, loose, upper much longer up to 6 in., membranous, smooth; 

 ligule -jJg- in. Panicle up to 8 in., branches 3-5-nate, about 2-3 in. long, naked 

 except towards the ends, all spreading or suberect, flexuous, smooth or asperulous, 

 branchlets rough. Spikelets ^-3 in., blueish, crowded, shortly or the terminal 

 longer. pedicelled, ovate-oblong; rachilla pilose; gls. firm, 1^ in., 1-nerved, with 

 rarely a lateral pair, keel roughish, margins minutely denticulate ; II rather larger, 

 more acuminate ; fl. gls. i-i in., oblong, acute, tip spotted with yellow, keel and 

 outer nerves silky beyond the middle, intermediate at the base only ; palea rather 

 shorter, ciliate below, and scabridly serrulate above or in the whole length. Anthers 

 in., linear. 



0. Glumes all, or the flg. especially somewhat firm, I fy II acuminate, 

 I always distinctly %-nerved ; anthers ^V~yV * 7i - I^ow or more often tall 

 slender species, stems when flowering surrounded by buds or short stolons, 

 or fascicled with longer stolons. Nemorales. 



7. P. attenuata, Trin. in B tinge Verz. Suppl. Fl. Alt. 9 ; stems tufted 

 erect rigid 1-2- leaved above, leaves narrowly linear plicate or involute, 

 sheaths white scarious, ligule ovate, panicle contracted dense-fid., lower 

 branches solitary or 2-nate short appressed scaberulous branching from 



