338 CLXXiii. QEAMiNE^. (J, D, Hooker,) [Poa, 0. Stapf 



Nephelochloa altaica & soongarioa, Qrisel. in Ledeb. Fl. Uoss. iv. 367. Glyceria 

 soongarica. Schrenk iri Fisch. ^ Mey. Enum. PI. 8'clvrenk. i. 1. Aira a,ltaicai Trin. 

 in Bunge Vera. SUppl. Fl. Altaic 8. 



Var. al^ina, Boiss. I.e. 610; 1-2 in. high, fastigiately branched, panicle de- 

 pressed amongst the leaves, rachis short, branches crowded spreading subsquarosely 

 and decurved, spikelets 2-3-fld. fl. gl. acute. Ywr. minor, Boiss. in Bowg. FL 

 Z-ycia (1860). 



Var. major, Boiss. I.e.; tall, panicle spreading, spikelets few or manj-fld., flg. 

 gls. tmncate or rounded at the tip mucronate, margins very narrowly scarious. 

 Nephelochloa tripolitana, Boiss. ^ Blanch. Diagn. Ser. II. iv. 133. 



Subgen. II. Eupoa. Fig. gls. 6-nerved, lateral pairs sometimes 

 obscure. 



* Stem bulbously thickened at the base. — § Arenariss. 



2. P. bulbosa, Linn. Sp. PI. 70, ijar. elanata, 8iapf; densely tutted, 

 leaves linear acute flat, ligule ovate or oblong, panicle oblong, lower 

 branches binate, spikelets |-j in. 4-7-fld. subsessile crowded often viviparous, 

 gl. I ovate acute margin broadly hyaline, flg. gls. oblong acute, upper J-5 

 hyaline silkily hairy below the middle, nerves obscure, wool or very 

 scanty, keels of palea scabrid. P. bulbosa, Buthie Grass. N.W. Ind. 40; 

 Griseb. in Qoett. Nachr. (1868) 74. 



Wbsteen Himaiaya j from Kashmir to Zanskar, alt. 5-9000 ft., Falconer, Ac. 

 Western Tibet, alt. 9-13,0CO ft.— Distkib. (of P. bulbosa) temp. Europe and Asia. 



Stems 6-16 in., terete, smooth. Leaves chiefly subradical, margins smooth, 

 shortly acute, lower 2-2f in., upper much shorter, ^ in. broad, of the surculi very 

 narrow ; sheaths lax, often open, upper more appressed shorter thau the iiiternodes ; 

 ligule ^-^' in., or shorter in reduced forms. Panicle 1-2 in., raiely ovate, lobed, 

 contracted, lower branches nearly smooth ; branchlets short, scaberulous. Spikelets 

 shortly pedieelled or subsessile, oblong or ovate-oblong, pale green ; gl. I ^f^— J in., 

 ovate, acute, 3- rarely 2-nerved, margins denticulate, nerves rough ; II similar but; 

 larger, more acuminate, 3-nerved ; fl. gls. -|— ^ in., oblong, acute, sonietimifs mucro- 

 nuhite, upper i-i hyaline ; nerves obscure ; palea -i shorter. .Anthers xV^iV '"• — 

 Sifl'ers from typical bulbosa in the absence or scantiness of wool iu the spikelets. 

 Kashmir specimens are unusually tall and stout, with many broad leaves and souie- 

 timcs a laxer habit. Zanskar ones are typical iu all respects but the absence of wool . 

 The viviparous state is very common. 



** Stem not bulbously thickened at the base. 



t Spikelets broadly ovate ; gls. thin, broad, dorsally strongly arched, 

 fl. gl. base silkily hairy, wool 0. — § Alpinae. 



3. P. alplna, Linn. Sp. Fl. 67; densely tufted, surculi clothed with 

 short distichous thickish sheaths, leaves short broadly linear firm acute, 

 panicle broadly ovate, lower branches mostly binate, spikelets |-| in. 3-6- 

 fld. broadly ovate, gls. all thin arched, I ovate acute margin broadly 

 hyaline, flg. gls. ovate-oblong obtuse upper ^ hyaline silky-hairy below the 

 middle nerves obscure, wool 0, keels of palea ciliate below the middle. 

 Most Gram. Austr. ii. 49, t. 67 ; Engl. But. t. 1003; Knapp Gram. Sritt. t. 

 50 ; Beickb. Ic. Fl. Germ. t. 83 ; Ledeb. M. Boss. iv. 370 ; Boiss. Fl. Orient. 

 V. 605 ; Griseb. in Goett. Nabhr. (1868) 74 ; Buthie Grass. N.W. Ind. 40. 



Western Himalaya and Western Tibet; from Kashmir to Garwhal, alt. 

 10-16,000 ft. — DiSTBiB. N. temp, and Arctic regions. 



Stem 4-16 in., tel'ete, sraootli. Leaves chiefly crowded at the base of the stem ; 

 rarely more than i in. broad, flat or of the surculi plicate, firm, margins rough ; lowest 

 sheaths and of the'surculi'distichbus, the thickened bases enclosing the stem, tipper 



