HOW TO KNOW THE GRASSES 

 71a. Nerves of lemmas conspicuous; plants of wet, non-salty soils. .72 



71b. Nerves of lemmas inconspicuous; plants of salty or alkali soils. .73 



72a. Lemmas 5-nerved; plants found west of the 100th meridian. Fig. 

 106. 



Glyceria pauciiloia Presl 



Perennial; tufted; leaf blades usually 

 10 — 15 cm. long; 5 — 15 mm. wide; plants 

 50 — 120 cm. tall; panicles drooping, 10 — 

 20 cm. long; spikelets 4 — 5 mm. long, usu- 

 ally with 5 — 6 florets. This and the next 

 species depart from the usual in Glyceria 

 by having split sheaths. The broad lem- 

 mas have a purple line near their trans- 

 lucent apex. Marshes, wet meadows, and 

 shallow water, up to timber line. June 

 — September. 



Figure 106 



72b. Letnmas 7-nerved; plants found east of the Mississippi. Fig. 107. 



Glyceria pallida (Ton.) Trin. 



Figure 107 



Perennial; plants weak and sprawHng; 

 culms 30 — 100 cm. long; fohage glabrous; 

 leaf sheaths spht; blades usually 4 — 8 mm. 

 wide; panicles open, 5 — 15 cm. long; spike- 

 lets usually 6 — 7 mm. long, with 4 — 7 florets; 

 tips of lemmas thin, membranous, irregular; 

 lemmas 2.5 — 3 mm. long. This species is 

 found in cold, wet places, often in shallow 

 water. May — June. 



Var. fernaldii Hitch, is a late-blooming 

 form with very narrow leaf blades, 1 — 3 mm. 

 wide. Wet places and shallow water; New- 

 foundland to Pennsylvania, westward to Min- 

 nesota and Wisconsin. 



73a. Panicle pyramidal, open, the lower branches naked near their 

 bases; plants widespread in the U. S 74 



57 



