CXIII. GBAMINEiE 
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. 
Rhachilla 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 ...... 
Stems slender, usually less than 12 in. Leaves narrow. 
Outer empty glume 3 -nerved ..... 
Outer empty glume 1 -nerved. 
Anthers ^ in. 
Anthers in. 
Panicle 2—6 in., very loose and flaccid . 
Panicle 1—3 in., rarely 4 in., stiff .... 
1. P. pratensis. 
2. P. nemoralis. 
3. P. polycolea. 
4. P. himalayana . 
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, 2J-4J 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 
including B^t^ ^iana. W. Himalaya, above 5000 ft. — X. temperate regions, 
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 
c 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.— 
JN. 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 wirv. 
Ligule very short. Panicle diffuse, 2| -4 in. ; branches naked for 
more than half their length, the lower ones in whorls of 2-5. 
Spikelets few, \ in., 3-flowered, crowded towards the end of the 
branches. Glumes very thin. Outer empty glume 1 -nerved 
4 lowering glumes glabrous except a few minute hairs at the base. 
Anthers ± in. / 
W. Himalaya, 8000-12,000 ft. 
