31S 
XII. GRAMINE.E. 
to the membranous pericarp ; albumen hard, floury ; embryo small, nearly 
orbicular, on one side of the base of the albumen. 
One of the largest and most important Orders of flowering plants, found in every region 
of the globe except the very coldest. The New Zealand species are in general very closely 
allied to Australian ; like the Cyperacece, they have not been well collected either in the 
Northern or Middle Islands ; Mr. Colenso alone having carefully sought for them. The de- 
termination of the genera is very difficult, and the species of some genera even more so. 
A. Spikelets on the spines of globose, polygamous, involucrate heads 5. Spinifex. 
B. Spikelets sessile, in I or 2 series, on one or both sides of a flattened rachis. Empty 
glumes 0 or 1-3 (see Festuca bromoides, in C. III. /3). 
Empty glumes 2 or 3, short ; flowering solitary hard 6. Paspalum. 
Empty glume 1, margins connate ; flowering solitary. Tale 0 . . 9. Zoysia. 
Empty glumes 2, lanceolate ; flowering 3-1 6-awned 25. Triticum. 
Empty glume 0 or 2 bristles ; flowering 1-3-awned 26. Gymnostichum. 
C. Spikelets never sessile and distichous, pedicelled panicled or racemed. 
I. Empty glumes 3 or more, below the solitary hermaphrodite flowering one. 
Glumes 5 ; 4 empty, acuminate, 1-flowering, obtuse 1. Ehrharta. 
Glumes 5 ; 2 empty minute, 2 empty awned, 1 -flowering, acuminate . 2. Microlusna. 
Glumes 4, short, obtuse; 2 empty, 1 male, upper hermaphrodite . 8. Isachne. 
Glumes 4, mucronate or awned ; 2 empty, 1 male, upper hermaphro- 
dite 7. Panicum. 
II. Empty glumes 2, below the solitary flowering one. 
a. Panicle dense, cylindric, spike-like ( see Poa anceps and Danthonia in III.). 
Empty glumes equal, flattened. Pale 0. Panicle soft, spiciform . 3. Alopecurus. 
Empty glumes rigid, acuminate. Panicle reduced to an ovoid, spi- 
nulose head 10. Echinopogon. 
/8. Panicle effuse or contracted. 
FI. glume on a bearded pedicel, tip 2-fid, awned 11. Dichelachne. 
FI. glume pedicelled, ending in a long rigid aw r n 12. Apera. 
FI. glume sessile, short, acute. Seed loose in pericarp 13. Sporobolus. 
F'l. glume sessile, truncate, awned at back or awnless 14. Agkostis. 
III. Empty glumes 2, below the 2 or more floivering ones. Glume 1 in Festuca bromoides. 
Flowering glumes rarely 1 in Poa anceps, in Danthonia, and Deschampsia. 
a. Flowering glumes aivned, sometimes awnless in Iiierochloe ( see Festuca in fl). 
FI. glumes 2-5, silky; awn at the 2-fid tip, slender 15. Aruneo. 
FI. glumes 2-8, 2-cuspidate, with stout dorsal awn, and long hairs on 
sides and at base 16. Danthonia. 
FI. glumes 2-4, silky at base, 3-awned, middle awn longest . . . 19. Trtsetum. 
FI. glumes 2 or 3, shinins, truncate, or 4-toothed 17. Deschampsia. 
FI. glumes 3, shining, obtuse, 2 lateral $ 3-androus, central, § 2- 
androus 4. Hierochioe. 
FI. glumes 3-7, shining, 2-fid, with a short obtuse awn or 0. Pa- 
nicle spiciform 18. Kcelekia. 
FI. glumes 4-10, 2-fid, w'ith an intermediate awn. Ovary villous at 
top 24. Bromus. 
/3. Floviering glumes not awned except in some Festucas ( see Hierochioe and Koeleriu in a). 
FI. glumes 6-14, short, obtuse, green. Scales connate .... 20. Glyceria. 
FI. glumes 2, short, truncate, erose, membranous 21. Catabrosa. 
FI. glumes 2-10, compressed, keeled, obtuse or acute 22. Poa. 
FI. glumes 2-10, convex or keeled at back, often awned at the entire 
tip 23. Festuca. 
