612 THE GEASS TAMILT. 



A small genus, chiefly Australian, differing from Oat and its allies chiefly 

 in tlie absence of any awn, from Fescue iu the outer glumes usually exceed- 

 ing the flowering ones. 



1. Decumbent Triodia. Triodia decumbens, Beaur. 



{Poa, Eng. Bot. t. 792.) 



A tufted perennial, 6 inches to a foot high. Leaves narrow, with a few 

 long soft hairs on their sheaths and edges, and a tuft of hairs in the place 

 of their ligula. Spikelets seldom more than 5 or 6, erect, containing 3 or 4 

 flowers. Outer glumes of a firm consistence, but nearly scarious towards 

 the edges, 4 or 5 hnes long, concave but keeled, very pomted and glabrous; 

 flowering glumes deeply concave, ending in 3 minute teeth, the central one 

 more pointed, but all 3 often scarcely prominent. 



On dry heaths, and liilly pastures, in central and northern Europe and 

 ■western Asia, extending from northern Spain and Italy, far into Scandmavia, 

 but not an Arctic plant. In Britain, generally distributed and rather com- 

 mon. Fl. summer. 



XL. KCELERIA. KCELEEIA. 



Spikelets few-flowered, in nearly sessile clusters, crowded into an oblong 

 or nearly cylindrical spike-hke panicle ; the glumes keeled, scarious on the 

 edges, pointed, or, in some exotic species, awned. 



A small genus, cliiefly European and Asiatic, with a few species from the 

 southern hemisphere, all closely alhed to Poa and Fescue, from which they 

 differ cliiefly in inflorescence, which is nearer to that of Phleum or Phalaris. 



1. Crested Koeleria. Kceleria cristata, Fers. 

 (Aira, Eng. Bot. t. 648.) 



A perennial, usually about 6 inches high, with a dense tuft of short leaves, 

 chiefly radical ; but in luxuriant specimens the stems attain a foot, with 

 leaves almost as long. Spike cylLndrical, 1 to 2 inches long or even more, 

 the lower clusters more or less distant. Spikelets usually 2- or 3-flowered ; 

 the glumes IJ to 2 hnes long, and very pointed ; the outer ones unequal, 

 aud scarious on the edge only ; the flowering ones white and scarious, ex- 

 cept the green keel, giving the spike a variegated and shining, silvery-grey 

 aspect. 



In dry pastures, in central and southern Europe, extending more spa- 

 ringly nortliwards into Scandinavia, in central and Russian Asia, in Nortli 

 America, and New Zealand. Widely distributed over the hilly disti'iets of 

 Britain, aud abundant in some pai'ts, but rare, or wholly wanting in others. 

 Fl. summer. 



XLI. SESI.ERXA. SESLEEIA. 



Spikelets few-flowered, in nearly sessile clusters, crowded into an ovoid 

 or cyhndi'ical spike-like panicle, as in Kceleria, but there is usually a glume- 

 hke bract on the main axis, at tlie base of the lower spikelets. Outer glumes 

 nearly equal and 23ointed, the flowering ones 3- or 5-toothed at the top, the 

 central tootli lengthened into a point, or (m exotic species) mto a short 

 awn. 



