•2 



Bromus unioloides (Willd.) H. B. K. 



(B. schraderi Kunth.) 



Rescue grass. Schrader's brome grass. Arctic grass. 



Florets, or "seeds," 1 11 to 25 mm. (| to 1 inch) long, strongly com- 

 pressed from the sides, sharply keeled along the back, lanceolate as 

 viewed from the side, the apex tapering and usually tipped by a short 

 awn, at the base of which the glume is slightly notched ; margins of 

 the glume membranous-edged and usually not infolded except at 

 the base; veins 4 or 5 on each side of the midnerve, or keel, evident 

 as narrow ridges; palea two-thirds to three-fourths the length of the 

 glume, which wholly incloses it ; grain folded lengthwise and tightly 

 clasping the infolded center of the palea. The florets are light or 

 yellowish brown or straw-colored, often greenish and sometimes 

 purplish. The surface varies from smooth to very fineby rough- 

 hairy, the latter condition 

 being particularly evident 

 on the veins and pedicel. 

 When spread thinly on a 

 level surface, the seeds lie 

 on one of the flattened sides. 

 (Fig. 1.) 



:A^' 



Bromus secalinus L. 



Chess. Cheat. Willard's 

 brome grass. 



Fig. 1.— Florets, or seeds, of rescue L, r rass {Bromus 

 unioloides): n. side view of ;i seed; b, fronl view of a 

 seed showing the palea, and pedicel between the edges 

 of the glume: c, seeds, natural size. 



Florets about 7 mm. (i to 

 5-10 inch) long, exclusive of 

 the awn, which varies from 

 1 to 3 mm. in length, not 

 compressed, cylindrical or somewhat spindle-shaped, obtuse at the 

 apex ; glume notched at the apex above the insertion of the awn ; 

 margins more or less infolded below the middle, narrowly or scarcely 

 membranous-edged above the middle, usually not at all flaring at 

 the apex; veins three on each side of the midnerve, very indistinct; 

 palea equal to the glume, deeply grooved conformably with the grain, 

 the keels hispid-ciliate and partially or wholly exposed ; grain equal to 

 the glume and palea, often exposed at the apex of the floret, deeply 

 grooved, reddish brown, sometimes occurring free from the glume and 

 palea. The florets are light or dark brown and mostly smooth, and 

 sometimes have a slight diffused luster under the lens. (Fig. 2.) 



The more evident characters by which rescue grass seed and chess 

 seed may be distinguished upon comparison are as follows : 



Rescue grass seeds being strongly compressed lie only on one side 



1 The seeds of these grasses in a commercial sense consist of the grain inclosed 

 in the chaff — i. e., glume and palea. 



