PoA, Linn. 



Spikelets mostly 2 to 6-flowered, in loose or close (rarely in spike-like) 

 panicles ; rhachilla' disarticulating above the glumes and between the valves, 

 glabrous or scantily and minutely hairy. Flowers hermaphrodite or the upper 

 imperfect. 



Glumes thin, membranous, keeled, acute or obtuse, 1 to 3-nerved. Valves 

 membranous, sometimes rather firm, obtuse or acute, 5 to 7 -nerved ; callus small, 

 obtuse, often with a tuft of long wool. Pales shorter than the valves, 2-keeled. 

 Lodicules 2, more or less 2-lobed. Stamens 3. Ovary glabrous. Styles short, 

 free, stigmas plumose, laterally exserted. Grain ovoid, oblong or linear, often 

 grooved, free or adherent to the pale ; hilum punctiform, basal ; embryo small. 



Annual or Perennial ; blades flat and flaccid or convolute and more or less 

 rigid ; ligules hyaline. Panicles open, often efi'use, rarely contracted, spike-like. 

 Spikelets rather small, awnless. 



Numerous species in the temperate regions, particularly of the northern 

 hemisphere, few in the tropics. 



PLATE 453. 



Poa trtvialis, Linn. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VIL, p. 714). 



Nat. Order Graminese. 



Perennial, loosely tufted, glabrous. — Culms geniculately ascending, usually 

 from a short arched rooting base, ij to 2 feet long, terete or subcom pressed below, 

 scabrid above, rarely smooth all along, about 3-noded ; internodes exserted ; sheaths 

 somewhat loose, striate, smooth or rough, the lower thin ; ligules ovate-oblong, 2 

 to .') lines long ; blades linear, acutd, 2 to 5 inches by 1 to 3 lines, usually flat and 

 flaccid, scaberulous. • 



Panicle oblong to ovate or pyramidal when open, erect or slightly nodding, 

 3 to 7 inches long ; rhachis usually smooth below ; branches in distant semiwhorls 

 of 4 to 6 (mostly of 5), unequal, filiform, scaberulous,- the longest up to 3 inches 

 long and undivided often for more than half their length, distantly or closely 

 branched, ultimate branchlets closely 6 to 2-spiculate ; lateral pedicels very short. 



Spikelets green or purplish, ovate to oblong, acute, ^ to 2 lines long, 3 to 

 4-flowered. 



Glumes subequal, rather firm, loiver narrow, oblong, acute, 1^ to Ij line long, 

 1-nerved, keel scaberulous, upioer glume ovate and acuminate, Ij line long, 

 3-nerved ; side-nerves prominent, keel very scabrid. Valves oblong, acute, rather 

 firm, Imver \^ line long, pubescent along the keel to the middle, otherwise glabrous, 

 side-nerves rather prominent ; callus with a small tuft of very long wool. Pales 

 Ij line long, 2-toothed, keels finely and very densely scabrid. Anthers 1 line long. 

 Grain J line long, grooved. 



HSLbitat : Natal. Without precise locality, Buclianan 33. 



Drawn from Buchanan's 33, which was very kindly lent for the purpose by 

 the Director of the Herbarium at Kew ; the plant is not in our collection. 



Fig 1, Spikelet ; 2, lower glume ; 3, upper glume ; 4, valve in profile ; 5 pale ; 6, pistil, 

 stamens, and lodicules. All cnlare/ed. 



