of a bright green, paler above, shining underneath, furnished
with many straight parallel ribs; the margins rough
with minute teeth; radical ones linear, attenuated, ending
in a blunt, callous point, from 4: to 6 inches long, when
dried involute ; those of the stem lanceolate, scarcely an
inch long. Sheaths from 2 to 6 inches long, smooth, and
marked with numerous prominent ribs; the margins overlapping
each other ; inner one white and scariose. Stipules
broad, obtuse, embracing the stem, occasionally slightly
torn at the edges, about a line and a half long, very thin
and scariose. Panicle erect, thin, somewhat racemose,
surrounded at the base by the truncate, callous rudiment
of the bractea. Rachis jointed, smooth; the joints furnished
with a prominent ring. Primary branches forked,
mostly 2 issuing from the same joint. Peduncles smooth,
simple, or forked, thickened at the extremity. Spikelets
solitary, ovate, of a greenish yellow, or pale chesnut, stained
with purple. Florets 3, in each spikelet, inserted alternately
on a very short, smooth, flexuose axis ; the intermediate
one hermaphrodite and diandrous ; the 2 lateral ones
male and triandrous. Glumes 2, nearly equal, broad, ovate,
acuminate, membranous, smooth and glossy, rather longer
than the florets. Perianth of 2 unequal valves ; outer one
cartilaginous, of the same form as the glumes, but shorter,
rough on the back, destitute of an awn, and fringed at the
margin ; the inner one very thin, white and scariose, twice
narrower, lanceolate, bifid with pointed segments, concave
above. Hypogynous scale deeply cloven, with linear,
pointed segments. Filaments very slender, capillary,
white. Anthers yellow, linear, attached by the middle,
versatile : cells parallel, bursting longitudinally, free at
both extremities. Ovarium fusiform, smooth, attenuated
into the style, which is scarcely half the length. Stigmas 2,
large, brush-shaped, thickly bearded with papillary hairs.
Several authors state the florets to be furnished with a short
awn, but I have not been able to detect even the rudiment
of one in the specimens which I have examined. The
genus is evidently intimately allied to Deschampsia, Aira
and Anthoxanthum, but abundantly distinct from either.
In the same excursion the late Mr. Don collected specimens
and plants of what he took to be a new species of
Melica, allied to M. ccerulea, which he called M. alpina.
A careful examination however proves it to be nothing
more than a barren variety of M. ccerulea, with the glumes
enlarged and foliaceous, almost approaching to a viviparous
state. Mr. Lindley has also regarded it as a species, and
named it Molinia depauper at a.—D . D o n .