116 CLASSIFICATION ACCORDING TO [CH. 



zz Sheaths downy. A weed of open lands 

 and hedges, two feet or less. 



B. sterilis, L. 



B. giganteus is rarer than B. asper and has smaller spikelets 

 and more slender awns. B. maxim/m and B. madritensis are rare. 



©0 Awns, if present, merely the points of 



the palecB, very short or obsolete. Sheaths 



split : ligule short. 



Festuca. 



= Leaves flattened. Panicle somewhat close. 

 Often tall grasses. 



z Meadow-grass, with 5 — 6 to a dozen or 

 more flowers in the spikelet. 



F. elatior, L. 



zz Shade-grass, with 4 — 5 flowers only in the 



F. sylvatica, Vill. 



= = Leaves suhulate or setaceous, at least below. 

 Mountain pasture grass, usually small. 



F. ovina. 



Concerning difficulties between Poa and the awnless forms of 

 Festuca, see p. 114. F. elatior and F. sylvatica are practically awn- 

 less, the awn-points being merely the acuminate tips of the palese. 



The long-awned species of Festuca have compact stiff panicles 

 and narrow or setaceous leaves (see p. 111). 



Regarding varieties of i^. ovina, see p. 112. 



tt Awns, twisted below and bent above, inserted 

 into the middle of the back of the bifid palea or 

 below it. 



© Awns long and conspicuously projecting 

 from the spikelet, which is gaping and 

 contains 3 — 5 flowers. Leaves flat. 



Avena. 



