poa. 259 



outer glumes rather unequal, ovate, pointed, mostly keeled ; 

 flowering glumes ovate, pointed, concave, more or less keeled, 

 compressed, rather longer than the outer ones, membra- 

 naceous at the margins ; scales acnte or torn, swollen at 

 the base ; ovary roundish ; styles two, reflexed, hairy ; stig- 

 mas feathery ; seed oblong, pointed, compressed at each side. 



A large group of Poas are characterized by a fine web 

 of silky threads at the base of the florets. 



1. Poa aquatica, Linn. Reed Poa. 

 (Glyceria, Bab. Man.) 



Root perennial, creeping; stems upright, stout, smooth, 

 striated, a little compressed, three to six feet high; leaves 

 flat, acute, broad, straight, long, rough at the edges and 

 keel ; sheaths nearly smooth ; ligule very blunt, short, 

 entire ; panicle very large, numerously branched, widely 

 spreading, the branchlets rather zigzag, rough; spikelets 

 numerous, erect, green or brownish, upper large and ovate, 

 lower smaller and narrower, containing from four to eight- 

 florets ; outer glumes blunt, almost equal, whitish, polished ; 

 flowering glumes seven-ribbed, the central rib extending the 

 whole length of the glume, and minutely toothed, the lateral 

 ribs roughish, but not toothed or haired ; palea shorter, 

 and with two teeth on the summit. 



This is a very handsome, stately, reed-like plant of 

 a universal pale green colour, not the least glaucous. 

 Its growth is perfectly upright, and the large groups of 

 reed-like stems with their abundant sword-shaped foliage 

 and large panicles form a noble river-side object, though 

 the plants individually are too stiff to be called graceful. 

 The numerous florets open in July, and are soon suc- 

 ceeded by the stiffer seeding stage. 



Although so large a plant, and of such stiff aspect, 

 the Reed Poa is by no means tough in its texture, but 



2s 



