ME. Q. BENTHAM Olf GEAMIBBJ3. 123 



pungent leaves, more numerous flowers in the spikelets, and some 

 other minor points. 



55. Daottlis, Linn., is now limited to two species : — the com- 

 mon and well-known Z>. glomerata, Linn., which from Europe and 

 temperate Asia has spread over many parts of the civilized world; 

 and Z). ccBspitosa, Porst., the celebrated Tussock grass of the 

 Falkland Islands, which, though a much larger plant, appears to 

 be strictly a congener. 



56. Lasiochloa, Kunth, has three or four South-African 

 species with a close almost spikelike panicle and hairy glumes, 

 allied in many respects to Koeleria ; but the inflorescence as well 

 as the many-nerved glumes bring them nearer to Dacfylis. 



57. Beizopteum, Link, as now understood, is specially founded 

 on the Mediterranean Poasicula, Jacq., to which are added three 

 South- African species. The flat broad spikelets with coriaceous 

 glumes are nearly those of Eragrostis sect. Flatystachya ; but the 

 flowering glumes have seven nerves, and the spikelets are nearly 

 sessile in a bifarious spike, or especially the lower ones closely 

 clustered. I have already referred under DisticMis to the Ame- 

 rican dioecious plants for which the name Brizopyrum. has been 

 retained by Presl and by rournier ; the true Srizopyra are all 

 hermaphrodite. 



58. SoLEEOCHLOA, Beauv., is limited to the S. dura, a small 

 Mediterranean annual well characterized by the inflorescence and 

 sliape of the glumes ; the other species, sometimes referred to 

 Sclerochloa, belong chiefly to Outanda. 



59. Beiza, Linn., about ten species, of which the typical ones 

 are chiefly European, though one has now spread over the greater 

 part of the civilized world ; two sections are entirely American, 

 tropical or northern. All are characterized by the very concave, 

 sometimes almost vesicular, glumes enclosing a much smaller broad 

 flat palea, the grain much flattened from back to front, and some- 

 times, but not generally, adhering to the palea. The three best 

 known European species have a very loose panicle with the spikelets 

 hanging from capillary branches ; the Oriental B spieata, Sibth., 

 differs in its narrow closer panicle. The American species have been 

 separated as two distinct genera, which may be. retained as sec- 

 tions, though with little difierence in essentia] characters. Ghas- 

 colytntm, Desv., has the awnless spikelets of the European species ; 

 but the "panicle, though branched, is much more compact, the 



