TRTANDRTA. DTGYXIA. 0S 



ner valve about the len^ith of the calix, 2-Ti=rved, arched 

 ovt r the seed, nerves mariii.>ed above with inier.upied 

 tiift.s of dt use villus. Seed subiere.t-, enlarged .and iniifCt- 

 ed abt)\e. \t the base ot ihe iniier vaive in the upper- 

 ni si flovver there isei iiera barren ;)e(i.ced wi.h an obtuse 

 point, or a durd iiiiperleci av.nt-J flower. 



2. 'arisiulata. Yatves of ti.e caiix uneqiial, obtuse, and 

 lacer. ic, about S-floweted; lateial teeth of the outer co- 

 PoHu vuUe obtuse, and tiie awn very siiort. 



Kear Wilmingion, Delaware, — Dr. Ralclwin. 



Obs. Perhaps only a variety of the former. Ipper leaves 

 «nt.rtly sheaihtiiir; spikelcts aimosts terete, 3 flowered, 

 doi sal awn nierelv visrble, lateral teeth obi use, nervt-s pu- 

 bescent; inner valve inflecte'i.f; ing-ed to the suir.m i. — - a- 

 lix very acute at the base, purple, va bath species pctsist- 

 enu coi-ollus'ipitate, villous at tlic b:ise. 



Near as th'S g-envs aproaches Trisetmn in its artificial 

 character, it is still widely separated by habit, and would 

 never probably be referred to Avenn, bein.sr distinguished 

 from both ih(»se genera by ilie remarkable snrall.iess of 

 the calix, its trimcate appearance, and want of nerves, as 

 well as the singular inequali'.y or gibbosily of the corolla. 



92. MEI.ICA. L. (Menc-gras.s.) 



Calix coloured, 2-valved, 2 flowered; glumes 

 loose, obtu.se, membrauaceous, and unequal. 

 Corolla 2-valved, ventricose, smaller than the 

 calix; the rudiment of a third flower betwixt 

 the flosculi. 



Panicle in the form of a spike or raceme, rarely more 

 compound; flowers large. In the M iniifio'ra the calix is 

 but 1-flowered; and in the M uspera 3-flowered. To the 

 g-eneric character of Melica, Schrader adds *' stamens 

 dilated and combined at their b;tse; nectaiey of 1 leaf" 



Species, \. M. glabra. 2. diffusa? (1 have seen a third 

 species from the Northern states collected by Mr. Big-e- 

 low, in which the corolla glumes are obovate and villous, 

 a little shorter than the scariose calix, disposed on a ra 

 cemedike panicle.) Of this genus there are species ia 

 Africa, I'.urope, and South America. It is, however, a ge- 

 nus neither numerous nor common. 



93. HOLCUS. Z. (Soft-grass.) 



Calix 2 flower^Hl, 2 valved, (opaque and ner- 

 vose.) Corolla smaller, 2-valved, the exterior 



