Digraphis arundinacea, Trin.
Paleæ ovate-lanceolate, nerveless and awnless, but silky with double basal hair-tuft, and polished at the base; smooth, hard and shining, and closely investing the caryopsis which has no groove. Dark grey in colour. The glumes are without awns or wings, and are left behind.
The allied Phalaris canariensis has wing-like keels to the glumes.
Triodia also comes into this group, with short basal hairs; but its broad ciliate palea, 6 mm. long, has a short mucronate point between two teeth (Fig. [40]).
(2) Hairs at the base forming a fluffy “web." Paleæ thin, 2-3 mm. long.
Poa pratensis.
P. trivialis.
P. compressa.
P. nemoralis.
| Poa pratensis. P. trivialis. P. compressa. P. nemoralis. |
The “seeds" of Poa proper are nearly all small—not more than 3-4 mm., more or less lanceolate, with tough, keeled glumes, and when “webbed" tend to adhere together as if stuck with cobweb. The keeled glumes give them an angular appearance—triangular in section—and make them tend to lie on the side. Rachilla evident. Nerves of paleæ distinct.
Poa pratensis, L. (Fig. [55]).
"Seed “ 2-3 mm. long, brownish: caryopsis about 1-1·5 mm. Outer palea acute, indistinctly 3-5 nerved, edges and keel, silky; margins overlapping the hyaline inner palea.