VIl] FLOHAL CHARACTERS 103 



The four glumes and two stamens distinguish this grass at once. 

 Other grasses with occasionally tuft-like inflorescences — e.g. species 

 of Agrostis, Gastridium, Aira, Dactylis, Cynosurus, Poa, Triodia, 

 Kceleria — are distinguished at once by having three stamens 

 (Bromtis occasionally has but two), only two glumes, several 

 flowered spikelets, &c. 



B. Inflorescence a distinctly branched panicle, more 

 or less loose and spreading. 



(a) Tall reed -like perennials, growing in water 

 or in marshes, with plume-like inflorescences, 

 and silky hairs at the base of the palea?. 

 Glumes with a keel and point, but not awned. 



(i) Spikelets purplish : outer palea with a slender 

 dorsal awn : basal hairs longer than the palese. 

 Leaves narrow. Not common. 



Calamagrostis Epigeios, Roth. 



(ii) Spikelets greenish. No awns : basal hairs 

 much shorter than the palese. Leaves broad. 

 Common. 



Digr aphis arundinacea, Trin. 



A variety of Digraphis with white stripes in the leaves is grown 

 in gardens. Other aquatic reed-like grasses are Arundo and Glyceria 

 aquatica : both have several flowers in the s})ikelet. 



The rare Calamagrostis lanceolata^ Roth., C. stricta, Nutt. and 

 0. strigosa, Hartm. also come here. 



(b) Slender grasses, not reed-like, with delicate 

 loosely spreading panicles of small spikelets. 



(i) A tall, slender shade-grass, in woods. Palese 

 very smooth and glistening. Spikelets few, 

 distant and turgid, awnless. 



Milium effusinn, L. 



