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Genus 24. KOELERIA. 



Gen. Chab. Infloresceace rather densely paniculate. Spikelets 

 nearly sessile, laterally compressed, few-flowered. Glumes 

 two, unequal, membranaceous, keeled, shorter than the flowers. 

 Palese two, membranaceous, naked at the base ; the lower one 

 keeled, sharply pointed or with a straight subterminal bristle. 

 Fruit free. 



A small genus, but widely distributed, chiefly over the northern 

 hemisphere. In structural affinity it is nearer to Poa than to 

 Aira, under which latter the only British species was formerly 

 arranged. They are grasses of little value, many of them being 

 only annuals, while the foliage of others is too scanty to afford 

 much food. 



Named by Persoon, in honour of George Louis Koeler, of 

 Mayence, author of a work on German and French Grasses, 

 published in 1802. 



KoELERiA CRisTATA. Crested Koeleria. Plate XLIX. 



Panicle erect, interruptedly spicate. Spikelets with two or more 

 perfect flowers. Lower palea acute, three-veined. Leaves narrow, 

 hairy or ciliated on the margins. 



Koeleria cristata, Persoon. Most modern botanists. Aira cristata. 

 Smith. E. B. 648 ; ed. 2. 103. Airochloa, Link, Lindley, 

 Parnell. 



This is far from being a rare grass, though its partiality to cal- 

 careous soils and dry situations renders it local in distribution. 

 On the upland pastures of North Britain it is often met with in 

 abundance, especially, as remarked by Sir W. J. Hooker, in the 

 vicinity of the sea. Old walls and ruinous buildings are not 

 unfrequently decorated with its silvery-grey inflorescence. In 

 very dry exposed habitats it seldom attains a height exceeding six 

 or eight inches, the stem rising from a tuft of pale, short, slender, 

 convolute, radical leaves ; but in moister and more sheltered situa- 

 tions it is sometimes much more luxuriant, the leaves expanding, 

 though still narrow, and nearly equalling the stem in its increased 

 length of a foot or more. The cylindrical spike-like panicles vary 

 in length from one to two or even three inches, and are liable 

 to differ greatly in appearance, as do the leaves likewise, owing 

 to their being more or less downy or glabrous. The keel of the 

 glumes, especially that of the outer one, is finely toothed or 

 ciliated. 



Perennial. Flowers in June and July 



