GRAMINE^ 227 



in the higher mountains: C. paniculata L., marshes in the mountains ; C. 

 elotlgata L., at Lupega; C. canescens L., in the lower mountains ; C. 

 digitata L., Gorge of Saorge, etc., on limestone; C. Mairii Coss. et G., 

 rare in damp places near Nice ; C. yeslcaria L., River Var near Nice, and C. 

 paludosa Good., in ditches near Nice, etc. 



GRAMINE^E. 



No 'less a botanist than Sir J. D. Hooker remarked that " the tribes and 

 genera of Grasses are most difficult of classification. Many systems have been 

 proposed." J We give a table of the Tribes, showing a natural grouping of the 

 genera ; and instead of giving a key to the very numerous genera, we have given 

 the chief generic characters in the body of the work. About 70 genera, com- 

 prising at least 230 species and sub-species, have been recorded from the area 

 dealt with. Of these about 215 species and sub-species occur in the Department of 

 the Var alone. It is impossible here to briefly describe more than about 85 

 species, though most of the others are mentioned. The following sequence is 

 based upon that adopted with greater or less similarity by Coste, Ardoino, Arc- 

 angeli, and Albert and Jahandiez in their respective Floras. Some of the 

 generic characters are taken from Babington's " Manual of British Botany '' ; 

 others, together with a few of the short specific characters, are taken from 

 Woods' " Tourist's Flora " (1850). The term " pales " used by these two writers 

 to include the fertile or flower-glume as well as the pale, has been dropped in 

 accordance with modern custom. The very useful little " Genera of British 

 Plants," by H. G. Carter, M.B. (1913), came into my hands too late to be of 

 service here. 



The genera may be grouped in the following tribes or sub-tribes. (This ar- 

 rangement is somewhat eclectic, though based upon Hooker's " Student's 

 Flora ") : 



1. PHALARIDE/B. Spikelets laterally compressed ; rachilla not produced 

 beyond the uppermost glume. Glumes 4, uppermost only with a 2-sexual flower. 

 Pales o, or in the perfect flower i-nerved. Mibora (sometimes placed in Agros- 

 tideae), Anthoxanthum, Phalaris, Crypsis, Phleum, Alopecurus. 



2. SESLERIE/E. Spikelets subspicate or capitate, with empty glumes (im- 

 perfect spikelets) on the pedicels below them. Sesleria, Echinaria. 



3. PANICE/E. Spikelets dorsally compressed. Fertile-glume 3- or more 

 nerved, not awned, hardening round the fruit. Tragus, Setaria, Panicum, 

 Digitaria. 



4. CHLORIDE/E. Spikelets crowded in two close rows, forming a one- 

 sided spike or raceme with a continuous (not jointed) rachis. Cynodon, 

 Spartina. 



5. ANDROPOQONE/E. Spikelets hermaphrodite, or male and herma- 

 phrodite, each male standing close to a hermaphrodite. Andropogon, Sorg- 

 hum, Saccharum. 



6. ARUNDINE/C. Spikelets 2- or more fld. ; rachilla bearded with long, 

 silky hairs. Arundo, Phragmites, Ampelodesmos. 



7. AGROSTIDE/C. Spikelets terete or laterally compressed ; rachilla pro- 

 duced or not beyond the flower-glume. Glumes 3 (2 empty), flower solitary, 

 2-sexual ; pales 2-nerved. Ammophila, Calamagrostis, Agrostls, Sporo- 

 bolus, Qastridium, Polypogon, Lagurus, Stipa, Piptatherum. 



8. AVENEj42. Spikelets panicled, terete, or laterally compressed, usually 

 2-flowered ; rachilla produced beyond the flower-glume (except in some sub- 

 species of Aira). Glumes 4 or more, 2 lowest empty, 2 or more upper flowering 

 with a dorsal bent and twisted awn (except some species of Aira and Des- 

 champsia).- Aira, Corynephorus, Ventenata, Avena, Trisetum, Arr- 

 henatherum, Holcus, (iaudinia. 



1 " The Student's Flora of the British Isles," Ed. Ill, p. 466. 

 5 1 * 



