SEA-COAST 



41 



grass habit. The root is fibrous. The stems ;irc 

 proslmte, erect in water, riifid, short, stout, spread- 

 ing. The leaves arc flat, short, bluish-green, more 

 or less acute, hairless. The sheaths are large, 

 grooved, inflated. The ligules are short. The 

 panicle is rigid, green, inversely lancc-shaped, 

 egg-sh.iped, compact, in two rows, the branches 

 short and rigid, solitary or 2-3, stout, erect to 

 spreading, smooth, more or less in two rows. The 

 spikelets are but shortly stalked, crowded, linear- 

 lance - shaped, 4-10 - flowered. The rachis is 

 angular. The flowering glumes arc 3-5, blunt, 

 with a short point. The florets are large. The 

 plant is 3-6 in. high, flowering in June and July, 

 and is .'i herbaceous annual. 



Secund Grass (Fcslnca uniglumis, Sol. = ]■'. 

 Hiembranacea, L., non Kit.). — The habitat of this 

 plant is sandy sea-coasts. The plant has the grass 

 habit. The root is fibrous. The stem is erect, 

 leafy throughout almost, bent below, slender, 

 hairless. The leaves are bristle-like, short. The 

 upper sheaths are large, inflated, the uppermost 

 distant from the spike. The ligule is short and 

 auricled. The panicle is erect, simple, one-sided, 

 close, short, oblong, pale-green, shining. The 

 rachis is smooth. The spikelets have awl-like 

 awns, and are all turned one side, being in fruit 

 wedge-shaped, and the flowers are keeled and 

 flattened. The flower-stalks are short and stout. 

 The rachilla is smooth. The lower empty glume 

 is very small, with awl-like tips, the upper 3-nerved, 

 membranous (hence mewbranncea). The flowering 

 glumes are distant, very narrow, with prominent 

 nerves, rounded below, flattened above, narrowed 

 to the awl-like awn. The flowers are triandrous. 

 The ovary is hairless. The glumes are very un- 

 equal, often only one (hence unigliimis). The 

 plant is 6-12 in. high, flowering in June and July, 

 and is a herbaceous annual. 



Desmazeria (Festucd) loliacea, Huds. = F. rott- 

 bceUioides, Kunth. — The habitat of this plant is 

 sandy shores. The plant has the grass habit. 

 The root is fibrous. The stems are spreading, 

 erect, or ascending, leafy, stout, slightly curved. 

 The leaves are flat, rolled together lengthwise, 

 small. The sheaths are smooth. The ligule is 

 oblong. The spikes are strict, half-round, wavy, 

 with smooth edges, a raceme-like ])anicle, simple, 

 with alternate, solitary, linear - oblong spikelets 

 in two rows, stalkless, erect, green. The flower- 

 ing glumes are 8-12, blunt, with a short point, with 

 faint nerves, bluntly keeled, smooth, the lateral 

 nerves strongest. The upper glume reaches to the 

 base of the fourth floret. The plant is 4-8 in. high, 

 and flowers between May and July, being a herb- 

 aceous annual. 



Fesluca ambigua, Lc Gall. — The habitat of this 

 plant is sandy places, walls, and sandy shores. 

 The plant has the grass habit. This plant has 

 been regarded as a variety of F. ciliala — F. bar- 

 bala and as a subspecies of F. Myiirus. The plant 

 is slender, with the leaves with inroUcd margins. 

 The panicle is short and close, long, narrow, erect. 



The glumes are not hairy. The upper sheath 

 nearly reaches the panicle. The upper empty 

 glume is 3-6 times as long as the flowers. The 

 flowers are round in section, rough. The plant is 

 4-8 in. high, flowering from May to July, and is 

 a herb:iceous annual. 



Jersey Brome Grass (Bromus ma.ximus, Desf. 

 = /.'. rigciis, L.).— The habitat of this plant is 

 sandy and dry pLices on the shore. The plant 

 has the grass habit. The root is fibrous. The 

 stems are round in section, downy. The leaves 

 are broad, bright-green, flat, hairy. The sheaths 

 are round, the hairs spreading or turned back. 

 The ligule is short and blunt. The panicle is loose, 

 erect, nodding at length, slightly branched. The 

 branches are short, closely pressed, slightly divided 

 after flowering, lengthening. The rachis is downy. 

 The spikelets are downy, long, lance -shaped, 

 stalked in fruit, long-awned, pale-green or purple. 

 The rachilla is hairless. The empty glumes are 

 membranous, narrowed, awncd. The upper glumes 

 are twice as long, nearly equalling the lowest 

 flowering glume. The flowering glumes are thin, 

 narrow, rough, narrowed to the awn, which is also 

 rough. The nerves are indistinct. There are 2-3 

 stamens. The plant is 9-24 in. high, flowering 

 in June, July, and August, and is a herbaceous 

 •annual. 



Sharp Couch Grass (Agropyron pungent, Roem. 

 et Schult.). — The habitat of this plant is seashores 

 and tidal rivers, maritime shores. The plant has 

 the grass habit. The stems are erect, solid above, 

 densely tufted. The plant is soboliferous. The 

 leaves are rough, firm, pungent, with the margin 

 rolled inwards, an adaptation to drought, ribbed, 

 the ribs rough in one line. The spike is close, 

 5-12-flowered. The spikelets are rough on the 

 keel. The lower palea is acute. The glumes are 

 keeled, acute, with 7-9 ribs reaching the tip, the 

 rachis having broad internodes, and nearly or 

 quite smooth, not brittle. The lower palea is 

 awned. The plant is 1-2 ft. high, flowering from 

 June to .August, and is a herbaceous perennial. 



Hardgrass {Leplurus Jiliformis, Trin.). — The 

 habitat of this plant is gravelly and waste places 

 near the sea. The plant has the grass habit. 

 The plant is not hairy. The root is fibrous. The 

 stems are bent, curved below, ascending, stout or 

 slender (henceJ!/i/ormis). The leaves are leathery, 

 short, rather rough, with inrolled margins. The 

 sheaths are flattened, smooth, the upper inflated. 

 The ligule is very short, auricled. The spike is 

 slender (hence Jili/orinis), awl-like, erect or pros- 

 trate, straight, short. The rachis is ridged, 

 grooved, concave. The green spikelets are spread- 

 ing, or closely pressed to the rachis. The empty 

 glumes are oblique, linear to oblong, acute. There 

 is one green nerve in the flowering glume. The 

 keels of the palea are not hairy. The two glumes 

 are united below, and equal or exceed the flowers. 

 The plant is 4-10 in. high, and is in flower be- 

 tween July and September. It is a herbaceous 

 annual. 



