MELICA. GLYCERIA. 167 



31. MELICA Linn. MELIC GRASS. 



GENERIC CHARACTER. 



Spikelets 2 to 5-flowered ; the 1 to 3 upper flowers 

 imperfect and dissimilar, convulate around each 

 other, and enwrapped by the upper fertile flower. 

 Glumes usually large, scarious-margined, convex, 

 obtuse, the upper 7 to 9-nerved. Palets papery- mem - 

 branaceous, dry and sometimes indurating with age; 

 the lower rounded or flattish on the back, 7 many- 

 nerved, scarious at the entire blunt summit. Stamens 

 3. Stigmas branched plumose. Perennials with 

 soft and flat leaves. Panicles simple or sparingly 

 branched ; the rather large spikelets racemose-one- 

 sided. 



An old name, from meli, honey. 



1. M. Mutica (Melic Grass). Of which there are 

 several varieties, viz., M. Glabra, M. Diffusa. Rich 

 soils southeastern Pennsylvania to Wisconsin, and 

 southward. 



32. GLYCEKIA R. Br., Trin. MATSTXA GRASS. 



GENERIC CHARACTER. 



Lpikelets tirete or flattish, several many-flowered; 

 the flowers mostly early deciduous by the breaking up 

 of the rhachis into joints, leaving the short and une- 

 -equal 1 to 3-nerved meinbranaceous glumes behind. 

 Palets naked, of a rather firm texture, nearly equal ; 

 the lower rounded on the back, scarious (and some- 



