CXIII. GR AMINE iE 
627 
Annual or perennial ; stems tufted, smooth, erect, leafy. 
Leaves flat. Ligule membranous. Spikelets green or tinged with 
purple, flattened, in., 2-7-flowered (uppermost flower some- 
times male), in an erect, usually pyramidal panicle ; branches 
whorled, rarely solitary, spreading in flower or at least in fruit. 
.Bhachilla prolonged, tip naked. Glumes lanceolate, boat-shaped, 
keeled, acute, margins and tip scarious. Empty glumes 2, nearly 
opposite, shorter than the lowest flowering glume, the outer the 
shorter. Flowering glumes usually with web-like hairs at the 
base and on the lower half of the back ; nerves more than 3. 
Stamens 3. Ovary glabrous ; styles 2, distinct, short, feathery. 
Grain enclosed within the persistent glumes, free or adherent 
to the pale. 
Stems robust, usually tall. Leaves rather broad. Outer 
empty glume 1-nerved . . . . . . 1. P. pratensis. 
Stems slender, usually less than 12 in. Leaves narrow. 
Outer empty glume 3-nerved . . . . . . 2. P, nemoralis. 
Outer empty glume 1-nerved. 
Anthers ^ in. . . . . . . . 3. P. polycolea. 
Anthers L in. 
Panicle 2-6 in., very loose and flaccid . . . 4. P. k imalayana-. 
Panicle 1-3 in., rarely 4 in., stiff . . . . 5. P. annua. 
1. Poa pratensis, Linn . ; FI. Br. Ind. vii. 339. Perennial ; 
rootstock producing stolons ; stems robust, 6-24 in., usually tall. 
Leaves 1-6 in., chiefly basal, rather broad. Ligule short, blunt. 
Panicle stiff, 2^-4^ in. ; lower branches usually in whorls of 5, 
naked for at least half their length. Spikelets numerous, ^ in., 
3-5-flowered. Outer empty glume 1-nerved. Flowering glumes 
hairy. 
Simla, Matiana. — W. Himalaya, above 5000 ft, — N. temperate regions, 
including Britain. 
2. Poa nemoralis, Linn. ; FI. Br. Ind. vii, 341. Perennial ; 
stems slender, 1-2 ft. Leaves 2-12 in., about ^ in, broad. Ligule 
very short. Panicle narrow, 2-6 in., loose, often drooping; 
branches mostly erect, solitary or in whorls of 2 or 3. Spikelets 
^ in., 2-4-flowered. Outer empty glume 3-nerved. Flowering 
glumes hairy, nerves obscure. 
Simla, wet rocks on old Mahasu road. — W. Himalaya, above 5000 ft. — 
N. temperate regions, including Britain. 
*3. Poa polycolea, Stapf ; FI. Br. Ind. vii. 342. Perennial; 
stems slender, 6-12 in. Leaves 2-8 in., very narrow, flat or wiry. 
Ligule very short. Panicle diffuse, 2J-4 in, ; branches naked for 
more than half their length, the lower ones in whorls of 2-5. 
Spikelets few, J in., 3 -flowered, crowded towards the end of the 
branches. Glumes very thin. Outer empty glume 1-nerved. 
Flowering glumes glabrous except a few minute hairs at the base. 
Anthers in. 
-W. Himalaya, 8000-12,000 ft. 
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