GRAMINE^. (GRASS FAMILY.) 401 



near the ground and partly enclosed in the bract-like sheaths of the upper leaves, one- 

 flowered, all the upper glumes indurated and cohering at their bases with the thick- 

 ened rhachis, the lower glume of the lowest spikelet lanceolate with an herbaceous tip, 

 or 2 to 3-cleft, thickened and adnate to the upper glume, the lower glumes of the other 

 spikelets free, much smaller, membranaceous, one-nerved : flowering glume shorter, 

 3-nerved, tricuspidate. 



Tribe VIII. Spikelets 2 to many-flowered, variously paniculate or rarely racemose: 

 flowering glumes awnless or terminated by one to many awns. FESTUCACE^E. 



* Glumes 1 to 3-nerved, or rarely many-nerved, 3-toothed, 3-divided, or 3-awned : rhachis 



glabrous or short pilose. 



30. Triodia. Spikelets in a strict spicate or open spreading panicle, some of the upper 



flowers male or imperfect. Outer glumes keeled, awnless : flowering glumes imbri- 

 cated, rounded on the back, at least below, hairy or smooth, 3-uerved, either mucro- 

 nate, 3-toothed, or 3-lobed at the apex, or obscurely erose : palet broad, prominently 

 2-keeled. 



31. Diplachne. Spikelets narrow, sessile or nearly so, distant on the long slender 



branches of the panicle, usually in two rows. Outer glumes keeled, awnless : flower- 

 ing glumes 1 to 3-nerved, with a thin shortly 2-lobed apex, the keel produced into a 

 short point or awn between the lobes : palet thin, prominently 2-nerved. 



32. Triplasis. Panicle simple and scanty, partly included in the leaf-sheath. Spikelets 



remotely 2 to 5-flowered. Outer glumes much shorter than the flowers, 1-nerved : 

 flowering glumes 2-lobed or 2-cleft, 3-nerved, strongly fringed on the nerves, the mid- 

 nerve extended into an awn between the lobes : palet shorter, 2-keeled, long ciliate on 

 the keels. 



* * Tall grasses with a many-flowered panicle : flowering glumes 3-toothed, or 1 to 3-awned : 



rhachis or the flowering glumes long pilose. 



33. Phragmites. Flowers rather distant, silky, villous at the base and with a conspicu- 



ous silky-bearded rhachis, all perfect but the lowest flower of the spikelet, which is 

 male and glabrous. Outer glumes narrow, unequal, glabrous, keeled : flowering 

 glumes slender, awl-pointed : palets much shorter, 2-keeled, pubescent on the 

 keels. 



* * * Spikelets capitate : flowering glumes 3 to 5-nerved. 



34. Munroa. Spikelets 2 or 3 together in small sessile leafy heads or clusters terminating 



the numerous fasciculate and lateral branches, and at the nodes, each about 3-flow- 

 ered, the upper flower imperfect. Outer glumes shorter than the flowers, 1-nerved : 

 flowering glumes larger, rather rigid, 3-nerved, entire or 2-toothed, the central nerve 

 excurrent in a mucro or short awn. 



* * * * Spikelets variously paniculate : flowering glumes mostly 3-nerved, rarely 1-nerved. 



35. Kceleria. Spikelets 3 to 5-flowered, compressed, numerous in a dense spike-like cy- 



lindrical or interrupted panicle. Outer glumes unequal, keeled, lanceolate, about as 

 long as the spikelet : flowering glumes similar, rarely mucronate, the upper one usually 

 smaller and imperfect. 



36. Eatonia. Spikelets usually 2-flowered and with an abortive rudiment or pedicel, nu- 



merous in a contracted or slender panicle, very smooth. Outer glumes unequal ; the 

 lower narrowly linear, keeled, 1-nerved ; the upper broadly obovate. shorter than the 

 spikelet, not keeled, 3-nerved : flowering glumes oblong, obtuse, chartaceous. 



37. Catabrosa. Spikelets 2 to 3-flowered, in a loose panicle. Outer glumes unequal, 



shorter than the flowers ; the lower short and narrow ; the upper obovate, 3-nerved, 

 erosely-dentate at the apex : flowering glumes obtuse, prominently 3-nerved. 



38. Eragrostis. Spikelets usually many-flowered, pedicellate or sessile in a loose and 



spreading or narrow and clustered panicle. Outer glumes unequal and rather shorter 

 than the flowering ones, keeled, 1-nerved : flowering glumes obtuse or acute, unawned, 

 3-nerved, with prominent keel and the lateral nerves sometimes very faint. 



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