Order GRAMINE^E. 



Genus, Poa ; Sub-Order; Festucacece. 



GENUS XXII. POA, Lirmams. 



Spikelets few or numerous, compressed, i 10 flowered in a usually 

 open panicle, with the lower branches whorled. Empty glumes equal or 

 unequal, acute or acuminate, awnless. Flowering glumes obtuse, acute 

 or acuminate, awnless, glabrous, scabrid or silky, naked or webbed at the 

 bass, usually 5-nerved, rarely 3 or y-nerved, often surrounded at base 

 more or less, with long silky hairs, distant on a glabrous or villous 

 rachis, which articulates between the flowering glumes. Palea 2-nerved. 

 Scales 2, entire. Stamens 2 or 3. Grain glabrous, free. DISTRIBUTION 

 OF GENUS : IN ALL THE TEMPERATE AND COLD REGIONS 

 OF BOTH HEMISPHERES. Etymology : From the Greek word to 

 feed, applied to pasture. 



ARRANGEMENT OF THE SPECIES : 



Florets with long flocculent silky hairs at base. 

 Flowering glumes acute, with incurved tips. Anthers long. 



Panicle open ; culms naked below, rigid, branched ; 



leaves flaccid i. P. rainosissiina. 



Panicle open ; culms leafy from the base ; leaves 



coriaceous, flat 2. P. foliosoa. 



Flowering glumes obtuse, straight. Anthers long. 



Culms stout ; leaves flat or concave ; ligule trun- 

 cate ; spikelets large 3- - 



Culms slender ; leaves filiform ; ligule o ; spike- 

 lets small 4- 



