606 THE GEASS FAMILY. 



Flowering; glumes rather obtuse. Panicle spreading, with 

 numerous spikeleta. 

 Eootstoek with creeping scions. Lateral nerves of the 



flowering glumes -very faint 10. Meadow P. 



No creeping scions. Lateral nerves of the flowering glumes 



conspicuous 11. Rotighish P. 



1. Reed Poa. Poa aquatica, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. 1. 1315. Glyceria, Bab. Man.) 



A stout, reed-like perennial, 4 to 6 feet high, with a creeping rootstock. 

 Leaves flat and very rough on the edges. Panicle much branched, spread- 

 ing, nearly a foot long. Spikelets numerous, with 5 to 8 or 10 flowers. 

 Outer glumes unequal, thin, and 1-nerved. Flowering glumes about Ij 

 lines long, loosely imbricated, strongly 5- or 7-ribbed, rather obtuse, and 

 scarious at the top. 



In wet ditches, and shallow vraters, throughout Europe and Russian Asia, 

 except the extreme north, and in H'orth America. Frequent m England 

 and Ireland, but rare in Scotland. Fl. summer. 



2. Floating Poa. Poa fluitans, Scop. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 1520. Glyceria fluitans and O. plicata, Bab. Man.) 



An aquatic perennial, often 2 or 3 feet high or more, with rather thick 

 but weak stems, creeping at the base ; the leaves often floating on the surface 

 of the water. Panicle erect and slender, a foot long or more ; the branches 

 few and usually erect. Spikelets few, ^ to 1 inch long, with from about 8 

 to near 20 flowers. Outer glumes unequal, thin, and 1-nerved. Flowering 

 glumes loosely imbricated, l-j to near 3 lines long, strongly 5- or 7-ribbed, 

 scarious at the top, obtuse or slightly pointed. 



In wet ditches, and stagnant or slow-running waters, throughout Europe 

 and Russian Asia, except the extreme north, and in North America. Com- 

 mon in Britain. Fl. all summer. 



3. Sea Poa. Poa maritima, Huds. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 1140. Sderochloa, Bab. Man.) 



A perennial, with a creeping rootstock and decumbent or erect stems, at- 

 taining about a foot in height. Leaves rather short, narrow, and usually 

 convolute. Panicle erect, rather stiff, 3 or 4 inches long, or sometimes 

 more ; the branches erect, or the lower ones spreading. Spikelets not nume- 

 rous, shortly stalked, all turned to one side of the branches, each about 6 

 lines long, and containing about 6 or 8 flowers. Glumes near \^ lines long, 

 all rounded on the back, obtuse and scarious at the top, and faintly 5- 

 nerved, the lowest outer one rather smaller. 



In maritime sands, common on the coasts of Europe and western Asia, 

 fi'om the Mediterranean to the Arctic Circle, and in North America. Fre- 

 quent all round the British Isles. Fl. summer. 



4. Reflexed Poa. Poa distans, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 986. SclerocAloa, Bab. Man., and S. Borreri, Eng. Bot. 



Suppl. t. 2797.) 

 Very near the sea P., of which it may possibly prove to be a mere variety. 

 The stock is tufted or the stems scarcely creep at the base ; the leaves are 

 flatter, the stems taller and more slender, the panicle much more spreading, 

 with long, slender branches, and the spikelets smaller, the glumes not above 

 a line long. 



