178 



About the grass No. 2, Brizopyrum Douglasii, is to be remarked 

 that it is dioecious, which is rare among grasses. 



Bucliloe dactyloides, the so-called Buffiilo-grass, and Monantho- 

 chloe littoralis, are tv,o instances of dioecious grasses in Nortli 

 America. 



The so-called Buff (do-grass grows in abundance on the Western 

 plains, from Canada down to Northern Mexico ; it is the grass on 

 Avhich the buffaloes principally subsist. Its true nature was for a 

 long time miknoAvn. Nuttall described the male [jlant as Sesleria 

 dactyloides ; also Torrey, in the Report of the P. R. R, Kunth 

 gives it under the name Calanthera dactyloides. The female plant 

 is given by Stendel under the name Antephora axillifloi-a. 



The latter, Monanthochloe, grows in Florida and Island of Gal- 

 veston, Texas, where it covers large tracts of moist, sandy, sahne 

 soil. 



In East India is kno^vn the genus Spinifex, with, six species, 

 which are only incompletely dioecious ; in South America the genus 

 Gynerium, with five species. 



The so-called " bunch grass " is the Festuca scahrella. The so- 

 called " grama grass " of Texas and New Mexico is the Festuca 

 macrostachya. It is said of the bunch grass that it fattens (juicker, 

 but gives not the amount of strength and muscle as the grama grass. 

 Grasses in the vicinity of San Francisco which I saw this season : 



Aira elongata. 



Brizopyrum Douglasii . 



Agrostis macrojihylla. 



Melica poteoides, and imperfecta. 



Stipa Neesiana. 



Elymus, 2—3 species. 



Festuca, 2-3 species. 



Lolium tremulentum (?). 



Spartina, 1 species. 



Uniola, 1 species. 



Phalaris, 2 species. 



Hordeum, 2 species. 



Cynodon Dactylon. 



Lophochliena Califomica. 



A vena, 4 species (?). 



Ccratochloa, 2 species (?). 



Poa, 3 species (?). 



17 genera, Avith 29-30 species. 



