Graminaceae 57 
PLEUROPOGON 
Annual or perennial (ours), erect, soft. Leaf-blades flat. Spikelets 8—1 5-flow- 
ered, perfect, rather large, in terminal racemes, distant, short-pedicelled; rachilla jointed 
above the glumes and between the flowers. Glumes membranous or somewhat hyaline, 
l-veined, or the upper imperfectly 3-veined, awnless, unequal. [Lemma membranous or 
cartilaginous, 5—-7-veined; apex hyaline or emarginate or 2-toothed, with the mid-vein 
extending into a short mucro or awn. Palet hyaline, 2-veined: its keels winged, ciliate. 
Stamens 3. Grain oblong, hard, enclosed, free. (Gk. pleuron—side, pogon—beard; 
referring to the ciliate palet-keels. ) 
A, Plant 3—6 dm. high; leaf-blades about 4 mm. wide, raceme |1.5——2 dm. long; 
spikelets 1.5—-2.5 cm. long; lemma 5—6 mm. long; awn of lemma 8—16 mm. long; 
palet 5 mm. long. U. .'. califernicum Benth. (California Pleuropogon) 
AA. Plant 6—12 dm. high; leaf-blades 6—8 mm. wide; raceme 2—-3 dm. long; 
spikelets 2.5—5 cm. long; lemma 7—8 mm. long; awn of lemma about 6 mm. long; 
palet 7 mm: long. W.C.  P. refractum Benth. (Nodding Pleuropogon) 
DISTICHLIS 
Perennial, rigid, erect, with extensive creeping rootstocks. Leaf-blades involute. 
Spikelets 8—16-flowered, dioicous, compressed, shortly pedicelled; panicle narrow; ra- 
chilla jointed between the flowers, glabrous; flowers imbricate. Glumes firm, acute, un- 
equal, 3—-|]-veined, unawned. Lemma very wide, obtuse to acute or shortly awned, 
rigid, coriaceous, 3- to many-veined. Stamens 3. Styles thickened at base. Grain 
flattish, broadly ovoid, enclosed, not or only slightly adherent. Salt marshes and alkali 
flats. (Gk. distichos—=2-ranked; the inflorescence is somewhat flat.) W.E. (D. den- 
tata; D. maritima.) D. spicata Gr. (Salt-grass) 
BRIZA QUAKING-GRASS 
Annual (ours) or perennial. Leaves flat or convolute. Spikelets somewhat flat, 
several flowered, nodding, 3—9-flowered (ours), 2—3 mm. long (ours), about 2 mm. 
wide (ours); panicle open (ours) or contracted; flowers perfect. Glumes thin, mem- 
branous, strongly concave, 3—-5-veined. Lemmas imbricated, wider than the glumes, 
5- to many-veined, the upper often sterile. Palet much shorter than the lemma, hyaline. 
Stamens 3. Grain enclosed, usually free. (Gk. briza—a grain like rye.) U. 
B. minor L. 
DACTYLIS | ORCHARD-GRASS 
Perennial. Leaf-blades flat. Spikelets 3—5-flowered, nearly sessile, much flat- 
tened, in dense somewhat |-sided fascicles which are arranged in a |-sided panicle; 
rachilla jointed above the glurnes and between the flowers. Glumes unequal, | —3-veined, 
acute or mucionate, sharply keeled, hispid-ciliate on the keel. Lemma 5-veined, strongly 
cliate-keeled, shortly awn-pointed. Stamens 3. Grain narrow, oblong, enclosed, not 
adherent. (Gk. dactylés=a finger; referring to the thick spreading panicle-branches. ) 
\ ia 38 D. glomerata L. 
POA BLUE-GRASS 

Annual or perennial. Leaf-blades narrow, usually flat, ending in a cucullate 
point. Spikelets 2—6-flowered, rarely 7—10-flowered, the upper flower imperfect or 
