96 
ENGLISH BOTANY. 
florets. Glumes persistent, very unequal, the lower one the smaller, 
both shorter than the florets, not awned, subscarious. Pales 2, the 
lower one concave, rounded on the back, truncate or obtuse, not 
with 7 prominent ribs, subherbaceous, more or less scarious at the 
apex; upper pale bidentate, 2-ribbed, the ribs very finely cUiated. 
Lodicules 2, truncate. Stamens 3, rarely 2. Styles 2, terminal, short, 
persistent ; stigmas clothed with plumose hairs, protruded at the sides 
of the flower between the margins of the pales. Caryops 
glabrous, oblong, furrowed on the inner face. 
The name of tlus genus is derived from tlie Greek word yXvKvc, sweet, in al 
to the saccharine nature of some of the species. 
Section I.— EU-GLYCERIA. Ledeb. 
Spikelets very long, cylindrical before flowering, afterwards linear, 
or oblong-linear, and laterally compressed. Lodicules cohering. Stems 
weak. Leaves flaccid. 
SPECIES I.— GLTCERIA PLUITANS. E.Br. 
Plates :MDCCLII. MDCCLTII. 
Poa flnitans, Scop. Hool: & Am. Brit. Fl. ed. viii. p. 548. 
Festnca fluitans, Linn. Spec. Plant p. 111. 
Perennial. Rootstock subc^spitose, without subterranean stolons. 
Stems procumbent and rooting at the base, and then ascending or sub- 
erect, rather stout, weak. Leaves flaccid, broadly linear, parallel-sided, 
rounded or abruptly acuminate at the apex, ultimately flat, with 
numerous very slender ribs, pale glaucous green, often floating ; 
sheaths compressed, ancipitate; ligule prominent, oblong-triangular, 
subacute, often lacerate. Panicle erect or drooping at the apex, 
elongate, subsecured, lax, sometimes nearly simple and racemose, 
sometimes compound. Panicle-branches commonly 2 or 3 or 5 at the 
lower nodes of the rachis, very unequal, one of those at each of the 
lower nodes bearing but a single spikelet, the longer ones spreading 
or even reflexed during flowering, adpressed before and afterwards, 
or adpressed during flowering and diverging in fruit. Spikelets 
stalked or subsessile, elongate, nearly cylindrical before flowering, 
afterwards slightly laterally compressed, 4- to 15-flowered, pale green. 
Glumes unequal, the upper one the larger but considerably shorter 
than the lowest floret. Lower pale oblong, obliquely-truncate, 
scarious and often erose at the apex, with 7 prominent ribs. 
