71. Dactyloctenium. GRAMINEAE. 85 



71. DACTYLOCTENIUM, Willd. 



(Greek daktylos, linger ; ktenion, a little comb : the spikes are digitate and 



comblike.) 

 1. D. aegyptium, (L.), Willd. Short annual; leaves flat, with a few hairs seated on 

 tubercles ; spikelets 3-4-flowered, arranged alternately and closely in 2 rows along one 

 side of the rhachis of 4-10 short digitate spikes ; rhachis ending in a naked point ; outer 

 glumes 2, shorter than the flowers ; flowering glumes broad, keeled, pointed ; seed rugose, 

 at first enclosed in a loose pericarp. — Eleusine aegypliaca, Pers. ; E. cruciata, Lamk. 

 Far North and West. Spring and summer. Common in most warm countries. 



72. LEPTOCHLOA, Beauv. 

 (Greek leptos, slender ; khloe, grass.) 

 1. L. digitata (R. Br.) comb. nov. Stems stout, rigid, tall; leaves short; spikelets 

 5-6-flowered, 3-4 mm. long, sessile in 2 rows on one side of 6-20 slender spikes, 5-10 cm. long, 

 apparently digitate like those of Chloris, but really arranged in whorls or rising separately 

 from near the top of the stem ; outer glumes much shorter than the flowers : grain smooth 

 — L. mibdigitata, Trin. ; Eleusine digitata, Spreng. 

 Near Oodnadatta. 



Tribe 10. — Hordeeae. Spikelets 1 or several-flowered, sessile, in 2 opposite rows on the 

 rhachis of a simple spike. 



73. LOLIUM, L. 



(Latin name for Darnel.) 

 Spikelets several-flowered, solitary, sessile in the alternate notches of the rhachis of a 

 spike and appressed to it by one of their sides (backs of the glumes) ; outer glume 1 

 except in the terminal spikelet, stiff, convex, several-nerved ; flowering glumes 5-nerved ; 

 grain adhering to the palea. 



A. Flowers oblong, swollen in fruit L. temulentum 1. 



A. Flowers lanceolete, not swollen in fruit. 



Perennial ; outer glume much shorter than flowers ... L. perenne 2. 

 Annual ; outer glumes equal to or longer than flowers L. subulatum 3. 



* 1. L. temulentum, L. Darnel ; Drake. Glabrous annual, with a stiff, stout spike ; 

 spikelet oblong-cuncate, 3-9-flowered, broad-topped in fruit ; outer glume equalling or 

 larger than the flowers ; flowering glume awnless or awned below the summit, coriaceous, 

 narrower than the palea. 



Settled districts. Oct. -Jan. — Europe ; Asia. 



* 2. L. perenne, L. Rye-grass. Perennial ; outer glume shorter than flowers ; spikelets 

 3-12-flowered, lanceolate in outline ; flowering glume membranous, awnless. 



Settled districts. Oct. -Mar. — Temperate parts of the globe. 



The cultivated variety or species (L. italicum, A. Braun) has awned flowering glumes 

 and sometimes more numerous flowers. Italian Rye-grass. 



* 3. L. subulatum, Vis. Stiff annual, resembling Lepturus cylindricus ; spike thick and 

 long ; spikelets lanceolate, 3-6-flowered ; outer glume equal to or longer than the flowers ;. 

 flowering glume membranous, awnless, or with a very short awn or point. — L. rigidum, 

 Gaudin var. subulatum, Fiori. 



Settled districts. Oct. -Dec. — Mediterranean region. 



74. LEPTURUS, R. Br. 



(Greek leptos, slender ; aura, tail : alluding to the slender spikes.) 



Spikelets 1 -flowered, sessile, solitary and half -imbedded in the alternate notches of a 



slender fragile spike ; outer glumes 1 or 2, stiff, 5-nerved ; flowering glume shorter, 



hyaline. Annuals. 



Outer glumes 2 L. incurvatus 1. 



Outer glume 1 L. cylindricus 2. 



1. L. incurvatus, Trin. Spikes slender, acute, cylindrical, stiff, usually curved ; outer 

 glumes 2 in all the lateral spikelets, placed side by side and one partially overlapping the 

 other. 



Near salt or fresh water in all districts except the Far North. Oct. -Dec. — Also European. 



2. L. cylindricus, Trin. Like the preceding, but the spikes rather thicker and usually 

 straight ; the lateral spikelets have 1 outer empty glume, only the terminal one having 2. 



Southern districts and South-East. Oct. -Jan. — Also European. 



