596 
GRAMINEiE. (GRASS FAMILY.) 
ward. Aug. —Panicle sometimes reduced to nearly a simple raceme, 
when the peduncles are pretty long; occasionally with the short 
branches in half-whorls of 3 or 4. — P. alpina, L., which has an ovate 
panicle of larger and short-pedicel led spikelets, broader obtuse leaves, 
&c., is found in Canada, and may be expected within our borders. 
Branches of the panicle long, capillary , roughish, flower-bearing at 
the summit: flowers cobwebby at the base: culm rather naked. 
3. P. pain gens, Nutt. (Vernal Spear-Grass.) Culm flat¬ 
tened (1° — 2° high), stoloniferous from the base ; root -leaves long and 
linear, those of the culm 2 or 3, lanceolate, very short, all abruptly 
sharp-pointed; branches of the spreading panicle mostly in pairs; 
spikelets 3-5 -flowered (3^ - long)) glumes pointed, rough on the 
keel; lower palea oblong-lanceolate , with a conspicuous scarious tip, 
rather obtuse , hairy along the keel below. (P. brevifolia, Muhl. ?) — 
Rocky places, New York and westward. April, May. 
delnlis, Torr. (Weak Spear-Grass.) Culm terete , 
weak and slender (1£°-2P high) ; culm-leaves 3-4, linear, pointless, 
short; branches of the weak and slender panicle few, in pairs, or the 
lowest in threes; spikelets 2-A-flowered (scarcely 2 n long , pale green); 
glumes acutish, smooth; flowers broadly oblong , very obtuse , smooth , 
except the sparing web at the base. — Rocky woods, from Rhode Isl¬ 
and and N. New York to Wisconsin. May. — Allied to Nos. 3 and 5. 
* * Branches of the panicle chiefly in half-whorls of 3 to 5 or more , 
rough or roughish : flowers more or less webbed at the base. 
Spikelets scattered on the loose branches , on distinct pedicels. 
5. P. Biemoralis, L., var. cJesia, Trin. (Wood Meadow- 
Grass.) Culm flatfish (l°-2° high); leaves pale, rather long; li m 
gules very short; branches of the loose nearly sessile panicle filiform, 
nearly erect, bearing few or several about 3-flowered spikelets above 
the middle, some of them shorter than their pedicels; flowers lanceo¬ 
late, acutish , obsoletely nerved , minutely soft-hairy along the keel below , 
naked on the sides. — Woods and shaded hills, common northward. 
June. —Spikelets pale, fully 2" long. 
sylvesllis. Culm flattened , slender, upright (2° -3? 
high); leaves pale, linear; those of the culm (2'-4'long) much 
shorter than the internodes; ligulesshort; branchesofthe pyramidal- 
oblong long-peduncled panicle numerous from each joint, ascending 
or widely-spreading (l'-2 1 long), bearing 2-3-flowered spikelets 
from about the middle, many of them shorter than their pedicels; 
flowers oblong, obtuse, rather distinctly nerved , densely silky-hairy on 
the whole length of the keel and on the margins to the middle. (P* 
stolonifera, Muhl. ?) — Rocky banks and meadows, Ohio (and Ken¬ 
tucky), Short! Sullivant! Michigan, and southwestward. — Panicle & 
long. Spikelets pale green, scarcely 2" long, appearing much like 
those of No. 4, except the abundant hairiness under the glass. 
