BRITISH TRIBES AND GENERA 53 
spikelets flattened dorsally; no bristles; lowest empty glume much 
smaller than the second one, sometimes rudimentary (fig. 30). 
2. Setfaria. Panicle dense, spike-like, with numerous bristles 
on the pedicels, which remain after the spikelets fall off; spikelets 
dorsally compressed. 
3. Spartina. Rachis compound ; spikes appressed ; spikelets 
much flattened laterally ; styles united for half their length. 
Tribe ORYZE#. Inflorescence paniculate ; spikelets laterally 
compressed ; glumes 3 or 1; empty glumes minute or absent ; 
palea with one nerve or keel; stamens variable, 6, 2 or 1. We 
have only one representative of this tribe in Britain, viz. :— 
Genus 4. Leersia. Empty glumes absent, flowering glume 
translucent, stamens 3. 
Series B. POACE/:. Spikelets rarely articulated to the 
pedicel, the articulation being above the empty glumes, ze. in the 
rachilla ; the male flower or additional empty glume or rudiment 
(when present) is usually terminal; spikelets containing one or 
many bisexual flowers. Six tribes are represented in Britain. 
Tribe PHALARIDE&. Spikelets with one bisexual flower, and 
two staminate ones or two additional empty glumes or rudiments 
beneath ; no terminal rudiment ; glumes 6, or 5 anda palea. The 
position of the imperfect flowers or rudimentary glumes, beneath 
the bisexual flower, is an exception to one of the characters of the 
Poacee. Another peculiarity of this tribe is that the palea of the 
terminal flower is 1-nerved or keeled, so that it is doubtful whether 
it be a glume or a palea ; strictly speaking, the term pale aapplies 
to a 2-nerved scale attached to the secondary axis of the spikelet. 
This is also the case in the tribe Ovyze@, which has close affinities 
with the Phalaridee ; these tribes, therefore, may be regarded as 
transitional between the two primary series, There are three 
British genera : 
Genus 5. Phalaris. Third and fourth glumes small and 
empty, or aborted and simply represented by pedicels. 
6. Anthoxanthum. Third and fourth glumes empty, awned ; 
flower bisexual with two stamens, its glume awnless (fig. 13). 
7. Hierochloe. Two lower flowers staminate (3 stamens each) ; 
terminal flower bisexual, with two stamens. 
Tribe AGROSTIDE. Spikelets with one bisexual flower, ter- 
minal, or sometimes with a stalklike rudiment (continuation of the 
rachilla) above it; glumes not more than three. The British 
genera whose spikelets have no rudiment are : , 
Genus 8. Adzléum. Panicle widely spreading ; spikelets minute, 
terete ; glumes neither keeled norawned ; fruiting glume indurated. 
. Alopecurus. Panicle cylindric, dense; spikelets articu- 
lated to the pedicel; flowering glume with a dorsal awn ; palea 
when present I-nerved, but in the British species absent. The 
articulation of the spikelet to the pedicel is one of the characters 
of Poaceg, and if the 1-nerved palea be regarded as a glume, then 
we have here both characters of that series, but the habit of A/opfe- 
curus (fig. 36) is identical with that of Phlewm. 
