1002 



THE GRASS FAMILY. 



slender. Flowering glumes all keeled, with minute 

 silky hairs on the keel or sides. 

 Root annual. No hairs on the axis of the spikelet . 8. Annual P. 

 Stock perennial. Minute woolly hairs on the axis 

 under the flowering glumes. 

 Panicle ovate or oblong, more or less crowded. 



Stem creeping at base. Leaf-stalks much flattened 9. Flattened P. 

 Stock tufted. Stems and lower sheaths thickened at the base. 

 Stems bulbous at the base. Panicle contracted 15. Bulbous P. 

 Stems scarcely bulbous. Panicle rather loose . 14. Alpine P. 

 Panicle loose or very long. 



Grlumes pointed. Flowers about 3. 



Panicle long. Spikelets oblong or lanceolate. 

 Stems weak. Leaves narrow and flaccid. 



Panicle slender * ... 12. Wood P. 



Stems tall. Leaves long and stiff. Panicle 



very long and rather stiff Purple Molinia. 



Panicle very spreading, with slender branches, 

 and few, rather large, ovate spikelets. 



(Alpine plant.) 13. Wavy P. 



Flowering glumes rather obtuse. Panicle spread- 

 ing, with numerous spikelets. 

 Rootstock with creeping scions. Flowers about 

 4 in the spikelet. Lateral nerves of the 



flowering glumes very faint 10. Meadow P. 



No creeping scions. Flowers 2 or rarely 3 in 

 the spikelet. Lateral nerves of the flower- 

 ing glumes conspicuous 11. Roughish P. 



Fig. 1217. 



1. Reed Poa. Poa aquatica, 

 Linn. (Fig. 1217.) 



(Eng. Bot. t. 1315. Glyceria, Bab. Man.) 



A stout, reed-like perennial, 4 to 6 

 feet high, with a creeping rootstock. 

 Leaves flat and very rough on the edges. 

 Panicle much branched, spreading, near- 

 ly a foot long. Spikelets numerous, with 

 5 to 8 or 10 flowers. Outer glumes un- 

 equal, thin, and 1-nerved. Flowering 

 glumes about \\ lines long, loosely im- 

 bricated, strongly 5- or 7-ribbed, rather 

 obtuse, and scarious at the top. 



In wet ditches, and shallow waters, 

 throughout Europe and Russian Asia, 

 except the extreme north, and in North 

 America. Frequent in England and 

 Ireland, but rare in Scotland. Fl. 

 summer. 



