GEAMINE^. 611 



In wet heathy places, moors, woods, and waste places, throughout Europe 

 and Russian Asia, from the Mediterranean to the Arctic regions. Common 

 in Britain, except wliere destroyed by cultivation. FL late in summer, or 

 autumn. 



XXXVIII. 1XEEX.ICK. MELICA, 



Spikelets awnless, rather large, and few in a slender panicle, each with 1 

 or 2 flowers, besides a small, terminal, wedge-shaped glume, enclosing 1 or 

 2 more minute or rudimentary ones. Glumes broad and several-nei-ved, but 

 not keeled ; the outer empty ones thin, the flowering ones of a rather firmer 

 texture. 



A small but natural and widely dispersed genus, readily known by the 



small, terminal, empty glumes, much more conspicuous than in any of the 



alhed genera. 



Spikelets drooping, 2-flowered 1. Mountain M. 



ypikeleta erect, ] -flowered 2. Wood M. 



1. Mountain Melick. Melica nutans, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 1059.) 



A slender erect perennial, 1 to 2 feet high, with erect, flat leaves. Pani- 

 cle one-sided, 2 to 3 inches long; the short but slender branches usually 

 erect, so as to give it the appearance of a simple raceme. Spikelets about 

 10 to 15, drooping, 3 or even 4 lines long, 2-flowered ; the outer glumes 

 brown or purple, with scarious edges, the flowering ones scarcely protruding 

 beyond them ; the inner imperfect glume much shorter, broadly wedge- 

 shaped. 



In woods, and shady rocky places, in hilly districts, extending aU over 

 Europe and Eussian Asia, fi-om the mountains of tlie south to the Arctic 

 Zone. In Britain, chiefly in Scotland and the north of England, not re- 

 corded from Ireland. Fl. early summer. 



2. TVood Melick. Melica uniflora, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 1058.) 



An elegant perennial, 1 to 2 feet high, more slender even than the mountain 

 M., with longer and narrower leaves. Panicle sometimes reduced to an almost 

 simple raceme with only 3 or 4 spikelets, sometimes with a few long, slender, 

 distant branches, each bearing several spikelets. Each spikelet near 3 lines 

 long, coloured as in the mountain it/., but erect and containing but one 

 flower ; the imperfect inner glume oblong, stalked, and reaching to the height 

 of the flowering one. 



In woods and shady places, in central and southern Europe, extending 

 eastward to the Caucasus and northward into Scandinavia. Frequent in 

 England and Ireland, much less so and quite partially distributed in Scot- 

 land. Fl. early summer. 



XXXIX. TRIODIA. TEIODIA. 



Spikelets awnless, i-ather large, and few in a panicle, contracted almost 

 into a simple raceme, and few-flowered. Outer glumes pointed, as long as 

 the flowering ones or longer ; flowering glumes with 3 very minute teeth at 

 the top. 



