444 
v 
Plate I, fig. 6.— a, spikelet; b, the glumes ; c, the palea and stamens £ 
d, the upper flower. 
GENUS 25. MELICA. Linnceus. 
[From the Greek mdi, honey.] 
Spikelets two to five-flowered ; the 1 to 3 upper flowers imperfect and 
dissimilar, convolute around each other ; glumes large, chartaceous-mem- 
branaceous, scarious-margined, convex, obtuse, the upper seven to nine- 
nerved; paleae of the same texture as the glumes ; the lower seven-nerved,, 
flattish-convolute or convex, obtuse, entire ; stamens three ; stigmas 
branched-plumose. 
57. Melica Speciosa. Muhleriburg. 
Melic-grass. 
Spikelets few on each branch of the loose panicle, smooth, with two- 
perfect flowers and a stalked rudiment composed of three abortive ones; 
glumes and paleae very obtuse. Perennial; flowers in June. Culms 3 
to 4 feet high. Grows in rich soil. Wisconsin, Illinois and Ohio. 
GENUS 26. GLYCERIA. R. Brown. 
Greek, glykeros , sweet, from the sweetness of the grain of some species. 
Spikelets mostly terete; racliis separating into joints ; glumes two- 
pointless, nearly equal, membranaceous ; paleae nearly equal, awnless, 
chartaceous ; the lower obtuse five to seven-nerved ; upper one bi-cari- 
nate ; stamens 2 or 3 ; stigmas decompound; grain oblong. 
58. Glyceria Canadensis. Trinius. 
Syn. —Bryza Canadensis, Michx. Poa Canadensis, Beauv. Poa 
aquatica, Ph. Rattlesnake-grass. 
Panicle oblong-pyramidal, at length spreading; spikelets tumid, ob¬ 
long, six to eight-flowered, drooping, purplish ; lower palea ovate, acutish, 
longer than the upper one ; stamens two ; leaves long, roughish. Peren¬ 
nial ; flowers in July. Culms 2 to 3 feet high. Wet grounds. St. Croix 
river, (Dr. C. C. Parry); Illinois; near Lansing, Michigan, (Rev. C* 
Pox), and about Lake Superior. Resembles the English quaking grass 
(j Briza media) in general aspect only. 
59. Glyceria Pallida. Trinius. 
Syn. —Windsoria pallida, Torr. Triodia pallida, Spreng. Uralepie 
pallida, Kunth. Poa dentata, Torr. 
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