In water and mud of springs, marshes, lakes and ponds, in Ariz. (Coconino Co., 

 s. of Flagstaff), June-Sept.; in most of s. Can. and e. U.S., w. to Minn., Ariz, 

 and Mo. 



Several varieties are recognized. Our plant is referred to var. augustifoUa Hitchc, 

 characterized by having leaves 4—15 mm. wide, ligules 3-10 mm. long, and lower 

 pistillate branches with 2 to 6 spikelets. 



This provides the "wild rice" of commerce, and it is still harvested to some 

 extent in the Great Lakes region. The seeds are a favorite food of ducks, rails, 

 blackbirds, bobolinks and other birdlife, and it is especially valuable in northern 

 United States and Canada where it thrives in mud and water of quiet lakes 

 and ponds. 



45. Zizaniopsis Doell & Asch. 



A genus of 4 species in North America and South America; we have one 

 species. 



1. Zizaniopsis miliacea (Michx. ) Doell & Asch. Southern wild-rice. Fig. 137. 



Coarse perennial from creeping rhizomes, 5-11 mm. thick; culms 9-30 dm. 

 long, 5-15 mm. thick, rooting at some of the lower nodes, mostly erect and 

 unbranched; ligule a scale 5-15 mm. long; blades 15-100 cm. long, 8-22 mm. 

 broad, flat; panicle 3-6 dm. long, 10-17 cm. broad, the main branches verticillate 

 and ascending, much verticillately rebranched with each branchlet bearing some 

 pistillate spikelets and some staminate ones, both kinds ascending and appressed 

 and superficially similar; zone of abscission below the floret; each spikelet consist- 

 ing of a single naked floret (glumes obsolete or absent), 6-8 mm. long, ellipsoidal, 

 acuminate, not at all laterally compressed; lemma 7-nerved, mucronate or with 

 an awn 2-3 mm. long. 



At the edges of streams, in marshes, along sloughs and in shallow water of 

 ponds and lakes, in Okla. (McCurtain and Pushmataha cos.) and s.e., e. and 

 n.-cen. Tex., Edwards Plateau and extreme n. Rio Grande Plains, locally abundant, 

 spring-fall; Coastal States, Md. to Tex., n. to Ky., Ark. and Okla. 



46. Hydrochloa Beauv. 

 A monotypic genus of southern United States. 



1. Hydrochloa caroliniensis Beauv. Fig. 138. 



Mostly submerged bottom-rooted aquatic perennial; culms 3-10 dm. long, about 

 0.5 mm. thick, often rooted at most nodes, somewhat branched; ligule a scale of 

 0.5-1 mm. long; blades floating near surface or usually emergent a few cm., 

 2-4 (-6) cm. long, 2-3 (-5) mm. broad; panicles 5-20 mm. long, racemiform, 

 few-flowered, the terminal ones with staminate spikelets, the subterminal axillary 

 ones with pistillate spikelets; zone of abscission below the floret; each spikelet 

 consisting of a single naked floret (glumes obsolete or absent), not indurated and 

 scarcely compressed; staminate floret about 4 mm. long, pistillate ones about 2 

 mm. long. 



Ponds, lakes and slow-flowing streams in e. Tex., rare, late summer; Coastal 

 States, N. C. to Tex. 



This is a very inconspicuous grass and may well be more common than is indi- 

 cated by the few collections. It sometimes becomes so thick where it grows as to 

 become a nuisance. 



47. Anthaenantia Beauv. 



Erect perennials with short creeping rhizomes; blades narrow, firm, flat, the 

 uppermost much-reduced; panicles terminal, narrow, the slender branches ascend- 

 ing or appressed; spikelets obovoid, 2-flowered, the lower flower reduced; first 



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