Palea ovate-lanceolate, five-nerved, slightly scabrid, with a slight membranous margin and cilia, rounded back, and no awn. 6-7·5 mm. long.
Caryopsis oblong-obovate, somewhat flattened, hardly grooved and adhering to the paleæ, about 3-3·5 mm. long.
Rachilla cylindrical, smooth.
The other varieties of F. elatior cannot be distinguished by the "seed" alone: in my samples F. elatior proper is longer than F. pratensis, and both have occasionally a trace of awn. Var. arundinacea has a more acuminate, stiff point. Festuca pratensis has its palea as a rule somewhat more acute than Lolium perenne, and the flatter tapering rachilla of the latter is more closely appressed to the palea. The caryopsis of Festuca also tends to adhere to the paleæ.
⊙⊙ Paleæ and “seed" at most 3-3·5 mm. long.
≡ Palea devoid of hairs or keel, notched or blunt, and with no trace of awn.
Δ Palea hyaline, nerves indistinct. Tips notched or blunt.
Agrostis alba.
There is occasionally a very short basal hair (awn).
Agrostis and Aira will present difficulties to the beginner, not only on account of their small sizes, but also from the variability as regards awns, basal hair-tuft, &c. None are of value, and most of them are weeds.
Agrostis alba, L. (var. stolonifera).
Palea enclosing the fruit 1·8-2 mm. long, white, delicate, membranous, with a blunt notched apex and three (or five) nerves: occasionally there is a fine kneed basal awn, not projecting.
The glumes may remain attached: the outer has a serrulate keel, and often a violet hue. No awn. About 2-3 mm.