Ri 
542 THE GRASS FAMILY. [ Melica. 
In woods, and shady rocky places, in hilly districts, extending all over 
Europe and Russian Asia, to the Arctic Zone. In Britain, only in Scotland 
and the west of England. 7. early summer. 
2. ME. uniflora, Linn. (fig. 1250). Wood Melick.—An elegant peren- 
nial, 1 to 2 feet high, more slender even than MM. nutans, with longer and 
narrower leaves. lLeaf-sheath quite closed, opposite to the blade as in 
Cyperacee, and produced into a small green point. Panicle sometimes 
reduced to an almost simple raceme with only 3 or 4 spikelets, sometimes 
with a few long, slender, distant branches, each bearing several spikelets. 
Each spikelet near 3 lines long, coloured as in MZ. nutans, but erect and 
containing but one flower; the imperfect inner glume oblong, stalked, and 
reaching to the height of the flowering one. | 
I woods and shady places, in central and southern Europe, extending 
eastward to the Caucasus and northward into Scandinavia. Frequent in 
England and Ireland, much less so and quite local in Scotland. #1. early 
summer. 
XXXIX. TRIODIA. TRIODIA. 
Spikelets awnless, rather large, and few in a panicle, contracted almost 
into a simple raceme, and few-flowered. Outer glumes pointed, as long as 
the flowering ones or longer; flowering glumes with 3 very minute teeth 
at the top. 
A small genus, chiefly Australian, differing from Avena and its allies 
chiefly in the absence of any awn, from Festuca in the outer glumes usually 
exceeding the flowering ones. 
1, E. decumbens, Beauv. (fig. 1251). Decumbent Triodia.—A 
tufted perennial, 6 inches to a foot high. Leaves narrow, with a few 
long soft hairs on their sheaths and edges, and a tuft of hairs in the place - 
of their ligula. Spikelets seldom more than 5 or 6, erect, containing 3 or 
4 flowers. Outer glumes of a firm consistence, but nearly scarious towards 
the edges, 4 or 5 lines long, concave but keeled, very pointed and glabrous ; 
flowering glumes deeply concave, ending in 3 minute teeth, the central one 
more pointed, but all 3 often scarcely prominent. 
On dry heaths, and hilly pastures, in central and northern Europe and 
western Asia, extending from northern Spain and Italy, far into Scandinavia, 
but not an Arctic plant. In Britain, generally distributed and rather 
common. 7. summer. 
XL. KQELERIA. KCLERIA. 
Spikelets few-flowered, in nearly sessile clusters, crowded into an oblong 
or nearly cylindrical spike-like panicle ; the glumes keeled, scarious on the 
edges, pointed, or, in some exotic species, awned. an 
A small genus, chiefly European and Asiatic, with a few species from 
the southern hemisphere, all closely allied to Poa and Festuca, from 
which they differ chiefly in inflorescence, which is nearer to that of Phlewm 
or Phalaris; | | 
1. K. cristata, Pers. (fig. 1252). Crested Keleria.—A perennial, 
usually about 6 inches high, with a dense tuft of short leaves, chiefly 
