Eleusine. CLXI. GRAMINE^. 6I7 



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-flowered ; glumes unequal, near twice shorter than the flowers ; fis. subfal- 

 cate, &' long, lov/er 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, 

 flat, 12 — 18' long; sheaths shorter than the joints; panicle 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 high; cauUnelvs. numerous, 

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

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



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



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



44. MELICA, 



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



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

 2 — 5-iiowered ; 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 ; Ivs. linear, flat, pubescent beneath ; slip, lace- 

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

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

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

 1\. Mountains, Penn. to Car. 



45. DACTYL IS. 



Gr. Ja»crvXoj, a finger ; fi-om the form of the spikes. 



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

 the larger one carinatc, shorter than the flowers ; paleae subequal, 

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

 nate, upper bifid at apex ; scales dentate. 



D. GLOMERATA. Orchard Grass. 



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

 glaucous ; sheaths striate ; slip, 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. CIirORE^.— Inflorescence spiked. Spikelets solitary, few-flow- 

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

 Upper palea with two keels. 



46. ELEUSINE. 



From E/c?/*w, where CercH, the goddesH of harvests, was worshiped. 



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

 unecjual, lower one smaller ; palcoc unequal, upper one bifid toothed ; 

 scales truncate, fiin})riate ; caryopsis triangular, ovate, enclosed in a 

 separate membrane or perigyniuni. 



E. iN-nicA. Wire Grns^. 



St. o])iiqii<', comprrsscd, prociinibi-nt .-iiid hrnncliing at l)nsr, 12 — 10' long; 

 /r5. linear, sonicwh.-it liaiiv, <>n sinoolh, loose sheaths hairy at the throat; 

 spikes 2 — J, rarely uutro ur less, linear, straight, divaricate, 2 — 1' long; spikelets 



