Eleusine. CLXI. GRAMINEiE. 617 



glabrous, rough-edged ; sheaths longer than the internodes ; panicle loose, 8 — 12^ 

 long, nodding ; spikelets all on long peduncles, about 10" long, ovate, flat, about 

 10-flovvered ; glwmcs unequal, near twice shorter than the flowers ; fls. subfal- 

 cate, 6" long, lower one abortive ; sta. 1.- % Dry woods, middle and Western 

 States. Singularly elegant and showy. Aug. 



2. U. GRACILIS. Michx. (Holcus laxus. Linn.') 



, St. slender, leafy, 3 — 4f high ; Ivs. broad-linear, tapering to a slender point, 

 flai, 12 — 18' long; sheaths shorter than the joints; panicte long, racemose, 

 branches solitary, short, remote, erect ; spikelets 3-flowered ; fls. spreading, 

 straight, monandrous ; glumes rigid, acute. — %. Sea coasts, N. Y. to Ga. Aug. 



3. U. spiCATA. (Festuca distachophylla. Michx.') 



St. smooth, round, branched at base, 1 — 2f hign; caullnelvs. numerous, 

 3 — 6' long, involute, rigid and acute ; slieaths longer than the joints, close, upper 

 ones hairy at throat ; slip, inconspicuous ; panicle densely spicate, consisting of 

 short, fasciculate branches with sessile spikelets ; spikelets oblong, 5 — 9-flower- 

 ed ; fls. triandrous. — %. Salt marshes, N. Y. to Car. July. 



44. MELICA. 



Lat. mel, honey ; the plant to which the name was first applied had a sioeet pith. 



Panicle simple or compound ; glumes 2, unequal, membranous, 

 2 — 5-flowered ; fls. a little longer than the glumes, the upper incom- 

 plete and abortive ; scales truncate, fimbriate ; caryopsis free, not 

 furrowed. 



M. GLABRA. Walt. (M. speciosa. Muhl.) 



St. 3 — 4f high, glabrous ; Irs. linear, flat, pubescent beneath ; stip. lace- 

 rate ; panicle glabrous, loose, few-flowered, erect or a little nodding, branches 

 simple, solitary; spikelets 6 — 8" long; lower ^Zwwie shorter, very smooth: palece 

 veined; upper/, neuter, pedicellate, consisting of very short, roundish paleae. — 

 % Momitains, Penn. to Car. 



• 45. DACTYLIS. 

 Gr. SaKTv\os, a finger ; fiom the form of the spikes. 



Spikelets aggregated, compressed, 3 — 5-flowered; glumes unequal, 

 the larger one carinate, shorter than the flowers ; palese subequal, 

 lanceolate, acuminate, the lower one emarginate, carinate, mucro- 

 nate, upper bifid at apex ; scales dentate. 



D. GLOMERATA. Orchard Or ass. 



St. roughish, 2 — 4f high ; Its. linear-lanceolate, carinate, a little scabrous, 

 glaucous; sheaths striate, stip. lacerate; panicle remotely branched, rather 

 secund ; spikelets about 4-flowered, in dense, glomerate, unilateral, terminal 

 clusters ; glumes very unequal ; anth. large, yellow. — % A fine, well known 

 grass, of rapid growth, introduced in shady fields, as orchards, &c. June. 

 Tribe 8. CHLORE.E.— Inflorescence spiked. Spikelets solitary, few-flow- 

 ered, the terminal flower often abortive. Glumes carinate, not opposite. 

 Upper palea with two keels. 



46. ELEUSINE. 



From EUnsis, where Ceres, the goddess uf harvests, was worshiped. 



Spikes digitate, vmilateral ; spikelets 5— 7-flowered ; glumes obtuse, 

 unequal, lower one smaller ; palete unequal, upper one bifid toothed ; 

 scales truncate, fimbriate ; caryopsis triangular, ovate, enclosed in a 

 separate membrane or perigyuium. 



E. Indica. Wire Grass. 



St. oblique, compressed, procumbent and branchmg at base, 12—10 long; 

 Ivs linear, somewhat haiiy, on smooth, loose sheaths hairy at the throat; 

 '^pii:es 2—4 rarely urore or less, linear, straight, divaricate, &— 4' long ; spikelets 



