196 



POACEAE 



62. CYNOSURUS L. Sp. PI. 72. 1753. 



Spikelets of two kinds, sterile and fertile intermixed in unilateral fascicles, these ar- 

 ranged in a dense spike-like panicle; sterile spikelets consisting of 2 glumes and several 

 narrow acuminate 1-nerved lemmas on a continuous rachilla ; fertile spikelets 2-3-flowered. 

 the glumes narrow, the lemmas broader, rounded on the back, bearing a slender short 

 awn, the racliilla disarticulating above the glumes. [Greek, dog-tail.] 



Species 4, in the Mediterranean region, 1 occasionally cultivated in the United States, and sparingly 

 escaped into waste places. Type species, Cynosurus cristatus L. 



1. Cynosurus cristatus L. 

 Crested Dog's-tail Grass. Fig". 450. 



Cynosurus cristatus L. Sp. PI. 72. 1753. 



Perennial ; culms slender, erect, 30-80 cm. tall ; blades 

 short, narrow, erect, glabrous or scabrous toward apex ; 

 panicles spike-like, 3-10 cm. long about 5 mm. thick. 



Sparingly occurring in fields and waste places in the eastern 

 States, and in Oregon (Portland, Salem). June. Type locality, 

 European. 



Cynosurus echinatus L., a low grass with ovate heads 1-3 cm. 

 long, and bristly-awned spikelets, has been found at Sausalito, Cali- 

 fornia (Eastti'ood), and Eugene, Oregon (Bradshaw); also on 

 Vancouver Island. 



63. ACHYRODES Boehmer in Ltidw. Def. Gen. PI. 420. 1760. 

 [Lamarckia Moench, Meth. PI. 201. 1794.] 

 Spikelets of 2 forms, in fascicles, the terminal one of each fascicle fertile, the others 

 sterile; fertile spikelet with 1 perfect floret, the rachilla produced beyond the floret as a 

 slender stipe, bearing a small awned empty lemma or reduced wholly to an awn ; glumes 

 narrow, acuminate or short-awned, 1-nerved; lemma broader, raised on a slender stipe; 

 scarcely nerved, bearing just below the apex a slender straight awn; sterile spikelets linear, 

 1-3 in each fascicle, consisting of 2 glumes similar to those of the fertile spikelet. and 

 numerous distichously imbricate, obtuse awnless empty lemmas. A low erect annual with 

 tlat blades and oblong 1-sided compact panicles of crowded fasciculate spikelets, the fertile 

 being hidden, except the awns, by the numerous sterile ones. [Greek, chaflf-like.] 



Species 1, a native of southern Europe, naturalized in southern California. Type species, Cynosuttts 

 aureus L. 



1. Achyrodes aiareum (L.) Kuntze. 

 Golden-top. Fig. 451. 



Cynosurus aureus L. Sp. PI. 73. 1753. 

 Lamarckia aurea Moench, Meth. PI. 201. 1794. 

 Achyrodes aureum Kuntze, Rev. Gen. PI. 2: 758. 

 l"891. 



Culms erect, or decumbent at base, 10-40 

 cm. tall ; leaves smooth ; ligule prominent, de- 

 current as a broad, scarious margin ; panicle 

 dense, 2-7 cm. long. 1-2 cm. wide, shining, 

 golden-yellow or ])urplish. the branches close, 

 short, erect ; pedicels fascicled, somewhat 

 clavate, pubescent, spreading at right angles 

 or drooping, the fascicle with a tuft of long 

 whitish hairs at the base; fertile spikelet 

 about 2 mm. long, the sterile 6-8 mm. long ; 

 glumes narrow, hyaline, 2 mm. long ; lemmas 

 awned from below the apex. 



A native of the Mediterranean region, abundantly 

 naturalized in southern California, rarer northward 

 to Santa Clara County; also in northern Mexico. 

 Mar. -May. Type locality, Etiropean. 



