46 il//'. Woods on the Genera of E/iropean Grasses. 



do not descend to the base of the palea. It is perhaps this structui-e wliich 

 has induced PaHsot de Beauvois to consider it as an awn, but it is by no 

 means fragile at the point of junction with the palea, and something of the 

 sort mavbe traced in some species of Fesfnca. 



HORDEACE^. 



These are united among tlieniselves, and separated from others ivy the in- 

 florescence, the spieuke being many-flowered, sessile, or very neaily so, on 

 opposite sides of a channelled and ti^othed rachis, each tooth being the recep- 

 tacle of one or more si)icuUe, which is received in the channel above. The 

 exceptions are in Hordeuni iind some species of Eli/nius, where the spicula? 

 arc only one-flowered, and in Trificuni Nardas and 7'. iini/atera/e, where the 

 spike is one-sided. I should not be very averse to joining these plants with 

 FestKca, only that I cannot well separate them from T. Poa and T. tenellum. 

 The latter has sometimes a branched spike, which, however, is not one-sided, 

 'I'he union of these two deviations from the type of the tribe, viz. of a branched 

 rachis and one-sided inflorescence, has led me to place Tr'iticiiin )narltnnnni 

 (auct.) and Festaea diraricata, as I have already inentioned, with Festaca. 

 (iaudhiinfragUis is, I think, the only plant among tliose which form the sub- 

 ject of this essay, which has the technical character of this tribe without 

 belonging to it. The genera are : 



1. Brac/ii/podtuni. Spicuhe distant, solitary, on a short stalk. Glumes un- 



e([ual, the inner umch smaller than the adjacent palea. Outer palea 

 ribbed, setigerous. 



2. Lolium. Spieuke placed edgewise on the rachis! Inferior glume very 



minute, or wanting, exce^it in the terminal spicula. 

 :>. Trlfieuin. Spieuke solitary. Glumes opposite, nearly erpial, embracing 



the florets. 

 4. Secale. Spieuke solitary. Glumes very narro\v. Outer palea tapering 



into a long seta. 

 .'). 3igUops. Glumes somewhat oidiqne. These and the outer palea similar, 



turgid, ending in several rigid seta^. 

 0. Ehjmus. Spiculœ 2 or o together; each of 2 or more perfect florets. 



