A(il«»STII)K.K. 283 



between tlicm. Stnniens 'i-'.\. Stvlcs very sliort. (Jrain free, 

 ivatlilv fallin;; away I'roni tlie jjhinic. tlio pericur]) loosely ciiclod- 

 inj,' the see«l or very tliin and I'vaiicseent. 



IVreiinialrt or rarely appearing' to lie aiiiiuuls, ol'teii slender, the 

 leal-liladea Hat or iMnivolntc-lerete. 



There are ahoiit SM species widely sjtread over the tropical, 

 Miihtropieal, and ti'iuperate re;rion8 of botii the New and the Old 

 World, mostly, however. Aineriean, 



S/)(iro/)tihi:< was iiiclnded by the older anthors in .if/rosfi'n. R. 

 Itrown lirst pointed out the dilVerences in the fruit and took as tlio 

 principal character ilie loose nieniitranous pericarp readily detach- 

 al>le from the seed, but this is not apparent in the dried state in jiU 

 species. When soaked in water the pericarp is easily removed. As 

 a whole. Spovdiniliis is diielly distin^Miished \\'un\ .\(fi'ns/is Ity the 

 total absence of any dorsal awn, and by the^rrain so loosely enclosed 

 in llie ^dunie that it usually protrudes from it wiii-n I'ipe. and 

 often falls away. See \'ol. 1. }). 4'\. The palea also <:enerally splits 

 icadily into two. a character which (Jrisebach took f(»r a new^'enus. 

 f>i(ir/ii/riin)i. and which Nees tl<rured and described as a two-valvcd 

 pericarp, a character unknown in (iraminejv. Two species, S. 

 cottiprrssits and .S'. scrofiiiits. occasionally have two llowers to a. 

 spikelet. 



A. IMant slemlor, oidy 2— t em. high, spikelets 1 mm. lon<i:. 1 



li. Plants taller and stouter (b) 



b. Floral <rlunie ry-(\ mm. long (c) 



c. Panicde terminal 2 



c. Panicles terminal and lateral 3 



b. Floral glume '3-4.5 mm. long (d) 



(1. Empty glumes subequal (e) 



e. Floral glume 4-4.;') mm. long 4 



e. Floral glume 3-3.5 mm. long 5, G 



d. Emi)ty gUunes unerpud (f) 



1". Floral glume ;{.5 nmi., first glume 1.6 mm., 



second glume 2.5 mm. long 7 



f. Floral glume 3-4 mm., first glume 2-3 mm., 

 second glume 3.5-5.5 mm. long 8 



