Flora Medica

GRAMINACE^E.Nat. syst.ed. 2. p. 369.LOLIUM.Spikes many-flowered, distichous, sessile, contrary to therachis. Flowers beardless at the base. Glumes 2, nearly equal,herbaceous, lanceolate, channelled, awnless ;the lower or innerones very often deficient in the lateral spikelets. Paleae 2, herbaceous; the lower concave, awnless, or awned below the point;the upper bicarinate. Stamens 3. Ovary smooth ;styles 2,very short, inserted below the point;stigmas feathery with;long, simple, finely-toothed, transparent hairs ;scales 2, fleshy,smooth, acute, entire or 2-lobed. Caryopsis smooth, adheringto the upper paleae. Kunth.1292. L. temulentum Linn. sp. pi. 122. fl.Dan. t. 160.Eng. Bot. t. 11 24-. Kunth gram. 437 Europe, Japan, NewHolland, Chili, Montevideo. (Darnel.)Root of a few downy fibres. Stems 2 feet high, leafy, round jsmoothand shining below ; rough upwards. Leaves of a brighter green thanL. perenne, rough on the upper side. Sheaths roughish. Ligulashort, abrupt, notched. Spike about a span in length, with a roughstalk. Glumes linear, flatfish, many-ribbed, roughish at the edges,rising above the spikelets, generally attended, in tfie lower ones, with ashort elliptical inner valve, pressed close to the channel in the stalk.Florets about 6. Outer paleae elliptical, concave, with a dorsal awnlonger than itself; inner rough at the folds. Grain elliptical, a littleflattened, with a furrow along its upper side, where it is firmly coatedby the inner valve. The grains are of evil report, for causing intoxicationin men, beasts, and birds, and bringing on fatal convulsions. Hallerspeaks of them as communicating these properties to beer. Smith. Itacts as a narcotico-acrid poison. Darnel meal was formerly recommendedas a sedative poulticeṪRITICUM.Spikelets 3 or many-flowered the fructiferous rachis ;generallyarticulated ; flowers distichous. Glumes 2, nearly opposite,almost equal, awnless or awned. Paleae 2, herbaceous : the lowerawnless, mucronate or aristate at the point, the upper bicarinate; the keels more or less ciliated with aculei. Stamens 3.Ovary pyriform, hairy at the point. Stigmas 2, terminal, subsessile,feathery with ; long, simple, finely-toothed hairs. Scales2, generally entire and ciliated. Caryopsis externally convex,internally concave, and marked by a deep furrow, distinct, oradhering to the paleae. Kunth.609 R R