24 i//'. Woods on the (icncru nf Eiiraficdii Grasses. 



^^luiiic ;ui(l ol' llic oiilL'i- jjîili'U of I Ik; uhorlivc Hoix-t meet each in a ])oint, 

 wliiflâ ill many eahcs is piolon^^cd into a seta. O. (ÀusgaUi lias, I helieve, 

 always a filmy iiinec jialcji <o iIk; nential lloiet, Init it does not appe-ai' that 

 lliis is (-(invilanl lliroii^ili flie jrenus. A <om|)arison of Kuntli's (lesei'i|itioiis of 

 the ^('iiiia l*(iiiii Kill ;i(i<l OiiUmikiiiis leaves no distinguishing' mark between 

 tliiiii, cxccid (lie " vliima- it jjaiea' miitiea;" of the CoriiHT, and " palea; nm- 

 «•lonala- e( gluma- ))l(rMm(|(ie aristata-" of the latter. A mark of this sortis 

 not often to he dcpendi-d on among (brasses, and with the (|ualifying adverb 

 it seems to he a vei'y slight distinction. 'J'his learned author is amazingly 

 eareless in his divisions, whether of trih(;s, of genera, or of species, as to 

 whelher I lie dc-cri jil ion contain, or do not contain, a (riljcrciilid : he seems in 

 all cases to trust ralhci' to the geneia! Iiahit of tin- |)lant and to his own tact, 

 (lian I") any ilccidcd or dcscriliahic character. 



Si'-iAitiA. Sii- .1. Iv Smith says, that the hrislle-like invohicrnm is not siif- 

 (Icienl to form a generic character. 1 am glail to .seize; anything wiiich sepa- 

 lates a group <»f jilanls which have a peculiar a|ipearanee. 'I'lu; smallei- spikes, 

 wh<-re the whole is compound, have something of a one-sided appearance, l)iit 

 I think rather from their position than from their stru(;tui-e. 'I'he whole; in- 

 lloresccncc is, I hclicvc, invariahly alike- all round. Since t here is a mai'ked 

 hahil, I aiji not willing to throw this genus hack again into I'diiKiiiii : how far 

 it may l)c rightly separated from I'i;nnisI';'1'()M I will iieit ve'iilure- tei eh-eiele, hut 

 I have' high aiilhorily U\v he'e'ping Ihcm elisline't. in the' I'.iireipe'an spe'cie.S 

 the le'ave'S are; reaigh aiiel the' she-alhs smeieith, he-areleel at the- meiutli. 



I lolletw l\nnth, r.ilhe'r llian my eiwn juelge-me-nt, in |)lae'ing LAi'i'Ae.ei anieing 

 I lie I'tiiiiicii', hut i ilo lied know whe-re- e'Isi' tei put it. The' einte'r glume' is 

 lii'oiiil hased, hill small, and se) thin that it is eifle'ii elillie'iilt le) ejcle'e'l il. 'I'iie 

 inner is h;ir<l a ne I prickly. 'I 'his elilfeii'iie'e' of si ill e-t lire' might give' semie- groiiliel 

 Id e'einside'r the lallir as an ahealiM' lh)re't ; hut as I hi' thin vahe' is (eiwareis 

 llie' rae'his eif the' splKe, anej iherejeirc preihahly the' infe'i'ieir gliinie, analogy 

 eioe's not su|>port us in this vii'w e)f Ihe- suhje'e-t. The' iiilh)re'scen(;(; is in small 

 spike's, no) epiile- se'ssile', on a live'-e'hanue'le'il rae'his, e'ae-ji spike' springing from 

 an angle' anel having a, ehaniiel ahe)\e' it. .\ elillcre'iie'i' in the- elirei'tieiu of the- 

 parts «;'i\'e's lei (he' wheiK' liii' appi'arane-e' of a one' sieh'el rae'e'iiie'. The' spie'iike 

 grow all roiiiul I he' rae'his eif the-se' she)rt spike's ; the'ie are' t wei eir meire' of I lieiii. 



