Mr. Woods on the Genera of European Grasses. 35 



Glumes nearly equal, membranous. Paleae of equal length, membranous, 

 the outer much the broadest, and embracing' the other. 



2. Dactyloctenium. Spikes fingered ; spiculee many-flowered : inner glume 



niucronate. Paleae unequal, the outer ventricose, membranous ; the inner 

 scariose. 



3. Leptochloa. Spikes in a raceme. Spiculee 2- or many-flowered. Glumes 



keeled. Outer palea keeled, 3-nerved. Awn straight. 



4. Bechmannia. Spikes in a raceme ; spiculae 1 — 3-flowered. Glumes equal, 



deeply navicular, quite obtuse, and enlarging towards the apex. Paleae 

 membranous, less firm than the glume, awnless. 



5. Spartina. Spikes upright, in a raceme. Glumes very unequal, the inner 



large, acuminate, and almost including the solitary floret. Paleae un- 

 armed, membranous, but less firm than the glume, the outer retuse. 

 Styles united. 



The single floret seems to be the principal distinction between Cynodon 

 and Chloris. There is no European species of this latter genus. Dactylocte 

 NiUM cegyptiacum, Willd., the only species with which I have any concern, was 

 considered by Linnaeus as a Cynosurus ; and, in fact, these two genera may 

 be taken as the connecting links which unite the Chloridece and Festucacece. 

 Michaux ranked it as Chloris, to which its fingered spikes give it a consider- 

 able resemblance. It is said by Steudel to be the Cenchrus oegyptius of Lin- 

 naeus. Lamarck placed it with Eleusine. Walter (Carolin.) with JEgilops. At 

 last Willdenow established for this and one or two more species a new genus 

 with a bad name, which I have not presumed to alter. Beckmannia is inserted 

 by Kunth among the Phalaridece, but it has no trace of an external imperfect 

 floret, and the structure of the flower, as well as the one-sided spikes, point 

 out its strong affinity with Chloris. Spartina is the only genus whose position 

 is doubtful, yet the description approaches nearly to that of Cynodon. 



AVENACE^. 



The necessary insertion of the Arundinacece and Chloridece has somewhat 

 interrupted the natural series which might pass from Stipa to Avena. All the 

 genera have glumes, which are scariose on the margin (except in Gaudinia), 



V 2 



