86; GRAMINEAE. 65. Ajropyrum. 



75. AGROPYRUM, Beauv. 



(Greek agros, a field ; pyros, wheat : " wild wheat.") 

 Spikelets several-flowered, compressed, solitary and sessile in alternate notches of the 

 rhachis of a spike, one face of the spikelet (sides of the glumes) appressed to the rhachis ; 

 outer glumes 2, shorter than the flowers ; flowering glumes rounded on back with usually 

 5 nerves converging at summit ; ovary pubescent at top. 



Spikelets broad, long-awned A. scabrum 1. 



Spikelets narrow, short-awned A. repens 2. 



1. A. scabrum (Labill.), Beauv. Variable perennial, sometimes over 1 m. high ; leaves 

 scabrous on edges, more or less hairy ; spikelets distant, 6- 12 -flowered, on a fragile axis, 

 5-7 cm. long with the scabrous awns, which are 2-4 cm. long, the upper flowers and awns 

 finally divergent ; flowering glumes narrow, rigid. 



Throughout the State as far north as the Flinders Range. Oct. -Dec. 



*2. A. repens (L.), Beauv. English Couch-grass. Perennial with creeping rootstock ; 

 leaves scabrous on upper face ; spikelets thick, rather distant on a stiff axis, 4-6-flowered ; 

 outer glumes half or more as long as the flowering glumes, which are 5-nerved near the 

 summit and usually taper into a short stiff awn. 



Here and there in settled districts. Oct. -Jan. — Europe ; Asia. 



76. HORDEUM, L. 



(Latin name for Barley.) 

 Spikelets 1 -flowered, subcylindrical, arranged side by side in 3's in the alternate notches 

 of the fragile rhachis of a dense cylindrical spike ; outer glumes 2, narrow, awned, placed 

 side by side in front of the spikelet ; flowering glume convex, 5-nerved, long-awned ; 

 grain hairy at top, adherent to the flowering glume and palea. 

 Leaf -sheaths glabrous ; central outer glumes dilated and 



ciliate L. murinum 1. 



Leaf -sheaths hairy : all outer glumes bristle-like L. maritimum 2. 



*1. H. murinum, L. Barley-grass. Annual, with villous leaf -blades but glabrous 

 sheaths ; spike 3-10 cm. long, bristly ; central spikelet of the trio fertile, with the outer 

 glumes lanceolate and ciliate, the 2 lateral spikelets barren, with 1 or both outer glumes 

 resembling bristles ; flowering glumes tapering into awns 3 times their length and much 

 longer than the outer glumes. 



Throughout the State. Oct.-Dec. — Cosmopolitan. 



*2. H. maritimum, With. Sea Barley. Resembles the preceding but the spikes are 

 smaller, the sheaths of the lower leaves pubescent, the upper leaves glabrous • the 2 

 lateral spikelets have awns shorter than their outer glumes, and all the outer glumes are 

 bristle -like and not dilated or ciliate. 



Sea-coasts, and also inland at such places as Jamestown and Bordertown. Oct.-Dec. — 

 Europe. 



Familv 21.— CYPERACEAE. 



Flowers bisexual or unisexual in little spikelets consisting of several scale-like bracts 

 called glumes ; perianth none or reduced to hypogynous bristles or scales ; stamens 

 usually 1-3, rarely 4 or 6 ; anthers basifixed, 2-celled ; ovary free, 1 -celled, with ] erect 

 anatropous ovule ; style divided into 2-3 stigmatic branches ; fruit an indehiscent dry 

 nut (achene), flattened when the style is 2-branched, trigonous when it is 3-branched ; 

 seed erect, albuminous ; stems usually solid, often trigonous ; leaves narrow, with closed 

 tubular sheaths. Grass or rush-like herbs usually perennial. The Sedge Family. 



A. Flowers bisexual ; fruits more than 1 in each spikelet. 

 B. Glumes in 2 opposite rows (distichous). 



C. All glumes fruit -bearing except 1 or 2 at base Cyperus 1 . 



C. Barren glumes usually several. 



Flowers 2 or more, bract usually 1, narrow .... Schoenus 2. 

 Flowers 2 ; involucral bracts with very broad 



sheaths Gymnoschoenus 3. 



B. Glumes imbricate all round the rhachilla. 



D. Base of style thickened. 



Base persistant on nut Heleocharis 4. 



Base deciduous from nut Fimbristylis 5. 



D. Base of style not thickened. 



Hypogynous bristles or scales absent or 3-6 . . . Scirpus 6. 



Hypogynous scales 2, flat Lipocarpha 7. 



A. Flowers bisexual ; fruit solitary in each spikelet ; glumes 

 imbricate all round. 

 E. No hypogynous bristles or scales. 



