Anthoxanthum.] gbamine.e. 577 



glabrous, shortly stipitate, about 1| line in length, ovate or ovato-elliptical, either 

 rounded or tapering at base, subirigonate, much compressed, with flattisb mar- 

 gins, tapel'ing at summit into a very short, cylindrical, slightly cloven or almost 

 entire beak. Nut ovate, acutely trigonate, substipitate, chestnut-brown, the 

 angles often paler; sometimes not perfected. 



Readily distinguished from the precedmg species by the obtuse scales of the 

 staminate spikes, by its usually smaller size, narrower leaves, and in having the 

 beak of the perigyne nearly entire. From C. acuta it is known by its larger size, 

 in having constantly three stigmas, and broader, ipore tapering and more nume- 

 rous staminate spikes. 



Order LXXXVII. GEAMINE^, Juss. 



" Florets usually perfect, sometimes imperfect, sometimes neuter 

 (without either stamens or pistil), solitary, or 2 or more imbri- 

 cated on a common axis or rachis contained within an involucre 

 (calyx, L.) consisting of 2 (sometimes 1, rarely none) valves or 

 glumes, the whole constituting a locusta or spikelet. Perianth ? 

 (corolla, L.) glumaceous : that of the fertile florets usually of 8 

 dissimilar glumellas (paleas or valvelete) ; lower or outer simple, 

 usually keeled or with a midrib ; inner or upper with 2 lateral or 

 dorsal nerves (hence probably of 2 united); sometimes 1, some- 

 times both are wanting : of the barren florets of 1 — 2 glumellas : 

 of the neuter ones often rudimentary or wanting. Stamens hypo- 

 gynous, 1 — 6, rarely indefinite, usually 3. Anthers 2-celled, 

 attached by their back about the middle, versatile. Ovary supe- 

 rior, 1-celled, with 1 ovule, usually with 2 (rarely 1, or 0) minute 

 hypogynous scales (called lodicules, abortive stamens ?]■ Styles ^, 

 rarely 1 (simple or bifid) or 3 (perhaps only 1, and 2 — 3 cleft). 

 Stigmas often plumose. Pericarp (a caryopsis) closely incorpo- 

 rated with the seed. Embryo lenticular, external, lying on one 

 side at the base of the farinaceous album.en. — Stems or culms 

 usually fistulose, generally simple and herbaceous, jointed, sometimes 

 branched, rarely shrubby. Leaves one to each joint, with a sheath 

 slit longitudinally on one side, having often a membranous apjjend- 

 age (ligule) at its summit. Flowers small, solitary, or in spikelets, 

 which are pa,nicled or spiked." — Pr. Fl. 



A. Stamens 2. 



I. Anthoxanthdm, Linn. Vernal-grass. 



" Panicle spiked. Spikelets with 1 perfect central floret, and 2 

 outer larger neuter ones. Glumes 2, very unequal ; upper the 

 longer. Glumellas of the perfect floret 2, awnless ; of the neuter 

 florets single, awned." — Br. Fl. 



1. A. odoratum, L. Sweet-scented Vernal-grass. "Panicle 

 spiked oblong often interrupted at the base, awn of the upper 

 neuter glumella longer than the upper glume." — Br. Fl. p. 514. 



4 E 



