42 TRIANDRIA. DIGYNIA. 



rations of Mr. Elliott- The dorsal glume of the corolla 

 is terminated by a long and straight awn; the style appears 

 to be single at the base, but bifid above. This grass has 

 much less the habit of Jlgrostis ihan the following genus, 

 and certainly no affinity to Leersia. 



Species. 1. M. diffusa. A very common grass in the 

 western, as well as most of the eastern states; round Lex- 

 ington in Kentucky it grows in such abundance as almost 

 to exclude every other grass, and affords a tolerable pas- 

 turage. 2. erecta. Not quite so common as the preced- 

 ing. 



^5. TRICHODIUM. Mchaux. 



Calix 2-valvcd, valves nearly equal, acute; 

 carina a little hispid. Corolla shorter than the 

 calix, 1-valved, awnless. <S%ma^a almost ses- 

 sile, rather hirsute. 



Flowers in capillary trichotomous panicles, mostly in 

 loose terminal fascicles. — Very nearly allied to the genus 

 ^igrosiis v.-ith which it almost agrees in habit and charac- 

 ter, differing, however, essentially in the glume of the 

 corolla consisting of but a single valve. The carina of the 

 calix described as spinulose by Persoon and Richard, is 

 enjtirely a microscopic character, and even then can 

 scarcely be called more than a very short hispid ciliation, 

 wliich in T. laxijhrum more distinctly invests the racliis, 

 being very sensibly asperate. 



Species. 1. T.laxiflorum. 2. decwnbejis. 3. elatiim.Th\a 

 last species, probably appertaining to some other genus, 

 is not recognized by Mr. Elliott under any other name 

 than Jigrostis dispar, with the same characters as given 

 ty Michaux, adding that he had never seen it.. 



Thus far the Trickodhm is an American genus, not hav- 

 ing been found indigenous in any other country. Like 

 several species of ^grostis, the Trichodium, particularly 

 the T. decumbens, has been greatly recommended to foreign 

 agriculturists, more, however, apparently from sinister 

 motives than any sensible conviction of its positive utility. 

 Empiricism apart, its cultivation may perhaps at some 

 future period be considered as important in the northern 

 states: it is scarcely to be supposed that it could ever be so 

 far acclimated in any part of Europe, and particularly in 

 Great Britain, as to supercede the important varieties of 

 the Agrostis stolonifera, and particularly that which has 

 received the name of f iorin-grassi \Yhich^ boweverj it 

 greatly resembles. 



