62 



GRAMINEAE. 



Native of 8. Europe; reported by Dr. Behr as occurring at San Francisco. 

 V;u\ BCEGASTACHYA (Gray) Davy. STINK-GRASS. Differs in having denser 

 panicles and usually larger and more numerously (10 to 50) -flowered spikelets. 

 — Adventive in the San Joaquin Valley at Tulare. 



29. KOELERIA Pers. Koeler-grass. 

 Panicle contracted, cylindrical, spike-like. Spikelets oblong, compressed, 2 

 to 5 or 7 (rarely only 1 ) -flowered. Bracts scarcely equaling the lowest 

 bractlet, unequal, narrow, compressed, acute or produced into short, straight 

 awns or points, keeled, membranous and broadly scarious-margined; lower 1, 

 upper 3-nerved with rather faint nerves. Rachilla often prolonged beyond the 

 uppermost flower and bearing a rudiment or none. Bractlets imbricate, mem- 

 branous, acuminate, keeled, 3 or rarely 5-nerved ; palea hyaline, 2-fid. Scales 2, 

 oblique. Stamens 3. Ovary glabrous; styles short. Achene almost linear, 

 plano-convex. (Prof. G. L. Koeler, a German Agrostologist, author of 

 ' ' Descriptio Graminum, ' ' published in 1802. A genus for which it is hard 

 to assign any very distinctive technical character. The panicle is peculiarly 

 silvery-shining and the bracts are more scarious and more faintly nerved than 

 in related genera.) 



1. K. cristata (L.) Pers. Crested Koeler-grass. Tufted pale green 

 glabrous, pubescent or silky perennial; rootstock stoloniferous; stems 1 to 

 3 ft. high, slender; sheaths striate; ligule % to 1 line long, truncate, 

 lacerate; blades about % line wide, flat or conduplicate, % to 5 in. long; 

 paniclo narrow, more or less interrupted or lobed, 1 to 5 in. long; rachis 

 puberulent or pubescent; branches very short, pubescent, spikelet-bearing to 

 the base; spikelets shortly pedicellate, 2 to 3 lines long, pale green, shining; 

 bractlet linear-lanceolate, scabrid, acute or mucronate; palea minutely ciliate 

 and scabrid on the keels; anthers 1 line long, pale purple. 



Exceedingly variable species, common on dry hills and sandy tracts: 

 Montezuma Hills; Vaca Mts. ; San Francisco; Berkeley Hills; Antioch. Apr.- 

 June. Var. pubescens Vasey, a very pubescent form, has been collected near 

 San Francisco. Var. longifolia Vasey, a long-leaved form, is reported from 

 Santa Cruz Co. by Dr. Anderson. 



30. MELICA L. Melic-grass. 

 stems often forming conns at the base by the thickening of 1 or 2 of the 

 Lowest internodes. Panicle sparingly branched, often narrow, rarely racemose 

 and secund. Spikelets 2 to 8 (rarely 1) -flowered, terminated by 1 to 3 much 

 smaller, convolute, empty bractlets which enfold one another, the innermost 

 often truncate-clavate. Bracts awnless, unequal, convex, mostly obtuse; upper 

 "> to 9-nerved, lateral aerves often vanishing in the broad, Bcarious margin 

 ami united by delicate cross-veins. Bractlets somewhal distant, awnless, 

 convex or flattish on the back. 5 to many-nerved; apex Bcarious, mostly 

 blunt, entire or 2-toothed; central uerves sometimes slightly excurrent; palea 

 2 nerved, ciliate above, emarginate or 2-toothed. Scales fleshy, mostly united. 

 Styles distinct; stigmas plumose. (Greek name for some sweet grass, perhaps 

 Sorghum, from meli, honey, and ika, n Greek Buffix.) 



SpikcU-ts of 1 (rarely 2) Rowers; bractlet berbaceo-coriaceous, with a narrow scarious 

 margin above, strongly 7 to 9-nerved; stems nol corm-like at the base. 

 Bracts obtuse, Bhorter than the whole spikelet; bractlet glabrous or scabrid; rudiment 



shortly pedicellate 1. M. imperfecta. 



Upper bract acute, equaling the whole spikelet; bractlet hairy above the middle; rudi- 

 ment long-pedicellate 2. M. torreyana. 



