474 



GRAMINEiE. 



LoLIUM. 



40. LOLIUM. Linn.; Kunth, cnnm. 1. p. 435. darnel. 



[An ancient Latin name, applied to this genus.] 



Spikelets sessile, many-flowered, distichous, contrary to the rachis. Flowers naked at the 

 base. Inner glume mostly wanting. Lower palea lanceolate, mucronate, or with a short 

 awn at the lip ; upper one bicarinate. — Spike simple : rachis not articulated. 



1. Lolium perenne, Linn. Ray-grass. Common Darnel. 



Perennial ; flowers longer than the glumes, mucronate, or with short awns. — Linn. sp. 1. 

 p. 83 ; Muhl. gram. p. 196 ; Bigel. fl. Bost. p. 45 ; Torr. fi.\. p. 133 ; Beck, hot. p. 416 ; 

 Darlingt. fl. Cest. p. 87 ; Kunth, enum. 1. p. 436. 



Culm 1-2 feet high, terete. Leaves broadly linear, smooth and shining : ligule truncate. 

 Spike about 6 inches long ; the rachis flexuous. Spikelets ovate, 12 - 18, alternately 

 arranged on two opposite sides of the rachis, somewhat distant, 7 — 9-flowered. Glume 

 solitary (except in the terminal spikelet, which has two), situated externally, linear-lanceolate. 

 Lower palea lanceolate-oblong, rather obtuse, 5-nerved : upper one longer, ciliolate on the keels. 



Meadows and pastures : somewhat rare. Fl. June. Doubtless of European origin ; now 

 pretty widely diffused in the northern and middle States. It is not cultivated, but in some 

 places constitutes a considerable portion of the meadow-grass. 



41. TRITICUM. Linn. ; Kunth, enum. 1. p. 438/ WHEAT. 



[From the Latin, iritum ; because it is beaten or ground for food.] 



Spikelets solitary at the joints of the rachis. Glumes 2, opposite and transverse, nearly 

 equal. Paleas lanceolate ; the lower one acuminate or awned at the summit. — Annual 

 or perennial grasses. Glumes ovate-oblong and somewhat ventricose (Triticum proper), 

 or lanceolate (Agropyron). 



1. Triticum repens, Linn. Couch-grass. Quitch-grass. 



Spike distichous, compressed ; spikelets about 5-flowered ; glumes lanceolate, 5-nerved, 

 acuminate ; lower palea with or without an awn ; rhizoma creeping. — Linn. sp. 1. p. 86 ; 

 Engl. bot. t. 909; Muhl. gram. p. 195 ; Bigel. fl. Bost. p. 45 ; Beck, hot. p. 416 ; Darlingt. 

 fl. Cest. p. 86 ; Kunth, enurn. 1. p. 440 ; Hook. fl. Bor.-Am. 2. p. 254. Agropyron repens, 

 Beauv. Agrost. p. 102; Torr. fl. 1. p. 135. 



Root or rhizoma creeping extensively, and penetrating deeply into the earth. Culm 1-2 

 feet high. Leaves sometimes a little glaucous, smooth or somewhat hairy : sheaths usually 

 smooth : ligule short and truncate. Spike 3-5 inches long ; the rachis flexuous, jointed and 

 compressed. Glumes nearly equal, keeled, strongly nerved. Flowers rather distant. Lower 

 palea 5-nerved, oblong, mucronate, or with a short bristle at the tip : upper palea shorter, 

 ciliate on the keels. 



