GRAMINA. 63 
base, but gradually thickening nearly to the apex. Anthers dark 
purple. 
Grey Hair- Grass. 
Frencli, Coryne^hore Mamhatr':. German, Granes Sillergras, 
GENUS XXIV.-Kl-RK, Lbm. 
Spikelets stalked, arranged in a loose or rarely compact panicle 
with long (rarely short) branches which are spreading at least 
during the time of flowering, laterally compressed, biconvex, open 
during flowering, each containing 2 or rarely 3 perfect florets, or 2 
perfect florets and a stalklike rudiment, all the florets sessile, or 
the upper one or ones stalked. Glumes 2, nearly equal, as long 
as or longer than the florets, keeled, scarious. Pales 2, unequal, 
scarious, the lower one concave, rounded on the back, bifid or den- 
ticulate at the apex, usually with a dorsal awn, which is bent, more 
rarely straight, but never articulated or clavate, nor suiTounded by 
a ring of hairs in the middle, usually from below the middle of the 
pale. Upper pale bifi'd, 2-ribbed. Lodicules 2, lanceolate, entire. 
Stamens 3. Stigmas 2, terminal, subsessile, plumose, protruded at 
the base of the florets between the margins of the pales. Caryops 
glabrous, fusiform, flat, or with a narrow furrow on the inner face. 
The derivation of the name of this genus of grasses is from atp£i»', to hurt, on 
account of the supposed poisonous qualities of some of the species. 
Section I.— DESCHAMPSIA. Pal. de Beam-. 
Perennial. Spikelets sub-compressed, with 2 perfect florets and the 
rudiments of a third above them; the second floret distinctly stipitate. 
Lower pale scarious, smooth, not hardening over tlie caryops, truncate 
and denticulate at tlie apex. Ahti dorsal, not evidently twisted at 
the base, slightly incurved, but not distinctly geniculate. 
SPEC I ES L— A IRA MAJOR 
PrMK^; :,[IJ(.\'XXX. MDCCXXXl. 
A. cjpspitosa, B:„th. Haudbic. Bi-Il Bot. v.. p. .^^7. Stu..! FL p. 4;iti. 
wItIl bruad very pDrniii^ht slightly rou<ih cartlla.Linuus vih>, and 
^L.jiii lt;i\v;s fv;\v, bimilar to the radical oue^:, tiic upper one much 
