64. Sclerochloa. 



GRAMINEAE. 



81 



of the State. Aug. -Dec 



4. G. stricta, Hook. f. Leaves long, setaceous, erect, with broad sheaths clasping the 

 base of the narrow panicle, which is 5-15 cm. long; spikelets linear, 6-12-flowered, 6-10 

 mm. long ; flowering glumes obtuse, 5-nerved, glabrous ; lodicules not united : grain 

 oblong. — Poa syrtica, F. v. M. 



Beside fresh or brackish water in all part? 



64. SCLEROCHLOA, Beauv. 

 (Greek skleros, hard ; khloe, grass.) 



* 1. S. dura (L.), Beauv. Small, stiff, glabrous annual; stems covered by the broad 

 leafsheaths up to the short unilateral spikelike panicle, which is surpassed by the flat 

 leafblades ; spikelets 3-5-flowered ; outer glumes unequal, the 2nd longer, 7-nerved ; 

 flowering glumes truncate, keeled, 5-nerved ; grain oblong, tapering into a bifid beak. 



Near Spalding. Oct. -Dec. — Mediterranean region. 



65. FESTUCA, L. 

 (Latin name of a weed which grew among barley.) 

 Spikelets several-flowered, paniculate ; outer glumes narrow, keeled, the 1st usually 

 1 -nerved, the 2nd 3 -nerved ; flowering glumes rounded on back, at least in the lower 

 part, the upper part often keeled, 5-nerved, acute, or tapering into a short straight 

 awn, terminal or nearly so ; grain furrowed on the inner face, adherent to the palea. 

 A. Perennials ; awn short or absent ; outer glumes subequal. 

 B. Leaves cylindrical. 



Leaves rigid, as long as stems F. littoralis 1. 



Leaves soft, much shorter than steins F. duriuscula 2. 



B. Leaves flat ; stem and panicle long F. elatior 3. 



A. Annuals. 



C. Spikelets spreading at summit ; outer glumes very 



unequal ; awn rather long. 



Panicle long, arched ; 1st glume minute F. Myuros 4. 



Panicle shorter ; 1st glume h length of 2nd F. bromoides 5. 



C. Spikelets compact ; outer glumes almost equal ; no 



awn F. riijida 6. 



1. F. littoralis, Labill. Leaves erect, cylindrical, straw-colored, rigid, pungent, often 

 exceeding the panicle; panicle spikelike, 6-10 cm. long, straw-colored; spikelets few, 

 flat, erect, 14-16 mm. long, 4-6-flowered ; outer glumes about 8 mm. long, both sub-5- 

 nerved ; flowering glume rather longer, sub-7-nerved, ciliate on the nerves towards base, 

 mucronate. — Schedonorus littoralis, Beauv. 



Robe and other places near the coast. Summer. 



2. F. duriuscula, L. Sheep's Fescue. Rather slender, but the erect stems stiff ; leaves 

 short, setaceous, mostly basal ; panicle contracted, 3-10 cm. long, with solitary branches ; 

 spikelets 8-10 mm. long, 6-8 -flowered ; flowering glume faintly 5-nerved, terminating in 

 an awn about \ its length. 



Barossa and Flinders Ranges. Oct. -Dec. — Also common in Europe and Asia. 



* 3. F. elatior, L., var. arundinacea, Hack. Rather tall, with flat scabrous leaves; 

 panicle loose, 10-30 cm. long ; spikelets 10-14 mm. long, 4-8-flowered ; flowering glume' 



the central nerve excurrent in a very short point or awn. . 

 Nov. -Jan. — Europe. 



*4. F. Myuros, L. Rat's-tail Fescue. Annual with 

 subulate leaves covering the stem to the base of the 

 panicle, which is long, narrow, unilateral and often 

 arched ; spikelets flat, with 4-6 divergent flowers ; outer 

 glumes very unequal, the lower one minute ; flowering 

 glume cylindrical, with a terminal awn rather longer 

 than it. — Vulpia Myuros; Gmel. 



Throughout the State. Sept. -No v.— Almost cosmo- 

 politan. 



* 5. F. bromoides, L. Differs from the preceding in 

 having a long naked stem below the panicle, which is 



shorter ; 1st glume about £ as long as the 2nd. Vulpia 



bromoides, S. F. Gray. 



Same places and season. 



* 6. F. rigida (L.) Kunth. Hard Fescue. Small stiff 

 annual, with narrow leaves ; panicle narrow, oblono-. 

 unilateral, rather compact, 4-8 cm. long ; spikelets linear.' 

 6- 10 -flowered ; outer glumes almost equal; flowerino 

 glumes obtuse, scarcely 2 mm. long.— Scleropoa ri<iida 

 Grisib. 



A common weed. Sept. -No v. — Europe ; Asia. 



8 mm. long, faintly 5-nerved, 

 Moist plains in South -East. 



Fig. 21.— Festuca rigida. 



