SUPPLEMENT. 



THE FAMILIES OF FLOWERING PLANTS. 



T 



By Charles Louts Pollard. 

 CHAPTER IV. 



Order Glumi florae. — The Grasses and Sedges. 



HERE are probably no two families of flowering plants more 

 likely to be confused by the amateur than the Gramineae and 

 Cyperaceae, known popularly as the grasses and sedges. The 



farmer would designate both 

 groups by the comprehensive term 

 "hay", and would tind examples 

 of each in the mowing-s from salt 

 marsh as well as from upland 

 meadow. There are, however 

 important differences between the 

 families, and since from the eco- 

 nomic standpoint the grasses are 

 2^ of the highest value, while the 

 sedges are nearly worthless, it is 

 well to understand these differ- 

 ences thoroughly at the outset. 



Family Gramineae (some- 

 times called Foaceae) . — G r a s s 

 Family. This is one of the 

 largest families of flowering 

 plants, over 300 genera and 3500 

 species being recognized. They 

 are widely distributed in all coun- 

 tries, and present astonishing ex- 

 FiG. i8.-Buffaio grass, nuu.iiis dactyioidefi. trcmcs in sizc from the diminutive 



(After Scribner, BuU. No. 7. Div. of Agrost., t-»i • • 



u. s. Dept. of Agric.) herbaceous Phippsia of arctic re- 



