I$2 FLORA. 



leaves setaceous, stiff, rough, the i or 2 culm leaves about 2.5 cm. long, erect, the 

 basal ones numerous, 5-12.5 cm. long; spike 2.5-7.5 cm. in length, strict; spike- 

 lets i -flowered, 6-8 mm. long, arranged alternately in 2 rows on one side of the 

 erect slender rachis, often purplish; lower scale empty, very short, adnate to the 

 rachis, sometimes almost wanting; flowering scale 68 mm. long, scabrous, long- 

 acuminate or short-awned. Introduced into Newf. and at Amherst, Mass. Ad- 

 ventive from Europe. July-Aug. 



96. LOLIUM L. 



Annual or perennial grasses, with flat leaves and terminal spikes. Spikelets 

 several-flowered, solitary, sessile and alternate in the notches of the usually con- 

 tinuous rachis, compressed, the edge of the spikelet (backs of the scales) turned to- 

 ward the rachis. Scales rigid; lower scale empty in the lateral spikelets, and the 

 2 lower empty in the terminal; flowering scales rounded on the back, 5-y-nerved; 

 palets 2-keeled. Stamens 3. Styles distinct, very short. Stigmas 2, plumose. 

 Grain adherent to the palet. [Latin name for Darnel.] About 6 species, natives 

 of the Old World. 



Empty scale shorter than the spikelet. 



Flowering scales awnless. i. L. perenne. 



Flowering scales awned. 2. L. Italicum. 



Empty scale equalling or extending beyond the flowering scales. 3. L. temulentum. 



1. Lolium perfenne L. RAY-GRASS. RYE-GRASS. (I. F. f. 521.) Smooth 

 and glabrous. Culms 1.5-7.5 dm. tall; leaves 5-12.5 cm. long, 2-4 mm. wide; 

 spike 7.5-20 cm. in length; spikelets 5-io-flowered, 8-12 mm. long, the empty scale 

 shorter than the spikelet, strongly nerved; flowering scales 4-6 mm. long, ob- 

 scurely nerved, acuminate, awnless. In waste places and cultivated grounds al- 

 most throughout the northern U. S. and southern Br. Am. Naturalized from 

 Europe. Native also of Asia. Erroneously called Darnel, this name belonging 

 to L. temulentum. July-Aug. 



2. Lolium Italicum A. Br. AWNED RAY-GRASS. Culms tufted, 6-10 dm. 

 tall. Sheaths smooth and glabrous; leaves 1-2 dm. long, 3-7 mm. wide; spikes 

 2-3 dm. long; spikelets 20-30, 1.5-2 cm. long, the flowering scales bearing an 

 awn equalling or a little shorter than themselves. In fields and waste places, 

 N. Y., N. J. and Iowa. June-Aug. 



3. Lolium temulentum L. DARNEL. IVRAY. (I. F. f. 522.) Glabrous. Culms 

 6-12 dm. tall; leaves 1-2.5 dm. * n length, 2-6 mm. wide, smooth beneath, rough 

 above; spike 1-3 dm. in length; spikelets 4-8-flowered, 1-1.8 cm. long, the 

 strongly nerved empty scale equalling or extending beyond the obscurely nerved 

 flowering scales, which are awned or awnless. In waste places and cultivated 

 grounds, locally naturalized or adventive from Europe, N. B. to Mich., Ga. and 

 Kans. Abundant on the Pacific Coast. Locally a troublesome weed. June-Aug. 



97. LEPTURUS R. Br. 



Usually low annual grasses, with narrow leaves and strict or curved elongated 

 slender spikes. Spikelets i-2-flowered, sessile and single in alternate notches of 

 the jointed rachis. Empty scales 2, rarely I, narrow, rigid, acute, 5-nerved; 

 flowering scales much shorter, hyaline, keeled, one side turned to the rachis. 

 Palets hyaline, 2-nerved. Stamens 3, or fewer. Styles short, distinct. Stigmas 

 2, plumose. Grain narrow, glabrous, free, enclosed in the scale. [Greek, refer- 

 ring to the narrow spikes. ] . Species 5 or 6, natives of the Old World. 



i. Lepturus filiformis (Roth) Trin. SLENDER HARDGRASS. (L F. f. 523.) 

 Culms 7.5-30 cm. long, decumbent, much branched. Sheaths loose, shorter than 

 the internodes ; leaves 1.25-5 cm - l n g> 2 mm - wide or less, usually involute, 

 smooth beneath, rough above; spikes 2. 5-15 cm. in length, slender, strict or curved; 

 spikelets 4-5 mm. long; empty scales acute; flowering scales about 3.5 mm. long, 

 i-nerved. In waste places, southern Penn. to Va., near or along the coast. Ad- 

 ventive from Europe. Summer. 



