10 A Handbook of Nebraska Grasses. 
tain group of grasses. We must decide which of the three lines 
best describes our grass. 
Since in our grass the spikelets are in a panicle, like the ex- 
treme right-hand drawing of figure 10, we refer next to the lines 
below marked “3.” We must here decide whether the spikelet 
in our grass has one or two or more flowers. Since this spikelet 
evidently has more than one flower, as shown in the extreme 
right-hand drawing of figure 12, we turn next to the lines 
marked “7” (p. 14). 

Here our decision is required as to the character and location 
of the awn on the lemma. By consulting the two figures we see 
plainly that this grass belongs to the tribe FESTUCEAE (p. 44). 
Our plant being “erect” we turn to “2” below. The rachilla 
is found to be “naked,” 7. e., without any silky hairs, so we refer 
to “3.” With the aid of a lens the “lemma” must be examined to 
determine the number of its ‘nerves’ or veins. Evidently it has 
“S-many,’ aS shown in the right-hand drawings of figure 65, and 
hence we turn to 10” (p. 49). 
Our plant is described by the second line under “10” so that 
we turn to “11” (p. 49). The lemma will be found to be “rounded 
on the back,’ which takes us to “14” (p. 50). The lemma being 
“naked at the base,” we go to “15” (p. 51). 
Here we find that the second line under ‘15” describes our 
erass and we turn to “16” below. 
