GRAMINEiE. 675 



• 

 and a long, loose, slender and spreading panicle of small, pale-green or 

 purple spikelets. Empty glumes concave but not keeled, 1 to IJ lines long, 

 nearly smooth. Flowering glume almost as long, very smooth and shining. 

 Palea nearly similar but rather smaller, faintly 2-nerved, and notclied at the 

 top. 



In moist woods, widely spread over Europe, Eussian Asia, and North 

 America, extending from the Mediterranean to the Arctic Circle. Com- 

 mon in Britain. Fl. summer. 



III. PANICUiyi. PANICUM. 



Spikelets either in a loose or close and spike-like panicle, or along one side 

 of the simple branches of a panicle, usually small, 1-flowered, rarely awned. 

 Outer glumes usually 3 ; the lowest small, sometimes very minute, the nest 

 always empty, the third empty or with an imperfect or male flower in its 

 axil. Flowering glume concave, of a firmer texture, hard when in fruit. 

 Palea like the flowering glume, but rather smaller, and more or less 2- 

 nerved. 



A vast genus, chiefly tropical or North American, with a very few species 

 spreading into Russian Asia and Europe, including most of the cultivated 

 Millets of southern Europe, Africa, and Asia. It is in most cases easily 

 recognized by tlie small outer glumes, although in some species reduced to 

 an almost microscopical scale. 



Spikelets 2 together, along one side of the linear, digitate branches of the 

 panicle. (Digitabia.) 



Spike-like branches of the panicle 2 to 4 inches long 1. Fingered F, 



Spike-Hke branches not above an inch long 2. Glabrous P. 



Spikelets crowded in a simple or branched, spike-like panicle. 

 Spike-like panicle cylindrical, the spikelets intermixed with numerous 

 long, awn-Uke bristles. (Setakia.) 

 Bristles rough with reversed haii's, felt as the spike is drawn down- 

 wards through the hand 3. Rough P. 



Bristles rough with erect hairs, felt as the spike ia pushed upwards 

 through tlie hand. 



Flowering glume marked with transverse wrinkles 4. Glaucous P. 



Flowering glume not wrinkled 5. Green P. 



Panicle pyramidal, without awn-like bristles, but the spikelets some- 

 times coarsely awned (Echinochloa) 6. Cockspur P. 



1. Fingered Panicuiu. Panicum sanguinale, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 849. Bigitaria, Brit. Fl.) 



An annual, with stems from 1 to 2 feet long, more or less spreading or 

 creeping at the base, then ascending or erect. Leaves flat, more or less 

 hairy. The panicle consists of 2 to 6 or rarely more, simple, slender 

 branches, 2 to 4 inches long, and all spreading from nearly the same point 

 at the top of the peduncle so as to appear digitate. Spikelets in pairs along 

 one side of these branches, one sessile, the other shortly stalked, each about 

 1 line long. Outermost glume very minute, almost microscopic ; the second 

 concave, and about half the length of the thu'd, which is nearly flat, and 5- 

 nerved. Flowering glume about the same length, veiy smooth, and awn- 

 less. 



One of the commonest weeds in all tropical and warm countries, becom- 

 ing less frequent in central Eurojje, and scarcely extending into Russian 

 A.sia beyond the Caspian. In Britain, only as an introduced weed of culti- 

 vation in the south of England. Fl. the whole season. 



