446 GRAMINACEiE. 



var. major Torr.: taller; leaves broad-linear, and with the sheaths 

 smooth ; panicle more dense. 



Moist woods. N. Y. to Car. May, June. %. — Culm about 2 feet high, 

 simple. Leaves short, flat. Panicle 4—8 inches long, very slender, with yel- 

 lowish-green spikelets. Pennsylvanian Koeleria. 



2. K. truncala Torr. : leaves and sheaths smooth or pubescent ; panicle 

 oblong, contracted ; branches short, racemose ; spikelets somewhat cluster- 

 ed, 2-flowered ; upper glume broad-obovate, very obtuse or truncate ; upper 

 palea smoothish. Holcus striatus Linn. Aira truncata Muld. 



Dry woods. N. Y. and Mass. to Car. June. %..--Culm. about 2 feet high, 

 slender. Leaves lance-linear, flat. Panicle 3—5 inches long, rather dense, nar- 

 row. Perhaps not distinct from the preceding. Tmincated Kceleria. 



44. DACTYLIS. i>m7i.— Orchard Grass. 



(From the Greek SuktvXos, q, finger ; in allusion to the form of the spike.) 



Spikelets 2 — T-flowered, aggregated, subsecund. Glumes 



unequal ; the larger keeled, mucronate. Palese herbaceous, 



mucronate ; the lower 5 -nerved, with a fringed keel ; upper 



bifid. Stigmas plumose. — Panicle contracted', glomerate. 



D. gbmerala Linn. : panicle distantly branched, somewhat secund ; 

 spikelets 3 — 4-flowered, in dense unilateral clusters at the enfls of the 

 branches. 



Fields and meadows. N. Y. and Mass. to Car. June. Q].. — Culm 2 — 3 feet 

 high. Leaver broad-linear, acuminate, rough. Panicle glaucous, contracted, 

 somewhat secund ; the clusters ovate, or lance-oblong. Introduced from Europe, 

 where it is sometimes cultivated for cattle. It is thought, however, to be infe- 

 rior to Timothy. Rough Orchard-grass. 



45. TRICUSPIS. Beauv. —TncnsTpis. 

 (From the Latin tres, three, and cuspis, a. point : in allusion to the lower palea.) 

 Spikelets nearly terete, many-flowered. Glumes shorter 

 than the flowers. Lower palea bifid at the apex, and tricuspi- 

 date by the projecting keel and marginal nerves, the base and 

 sides villous ; upper palea slightly bicuspidate. — Panicle com- 

 pound, spreading. 



T. seslerioides Torr: : panicle loose, spreading ; branches flexuous, 

 smooth; spikelets ovate-lanceolate, 5 — 6-flowered, nearly terete, shining. 

 Poa seslerioides Mick, P. quinqiiefida Pursk. Windsoria poceformis Nutt. 



Sandy fields. N. Eng. and N. Y. to Car. Aug. %.—Culm 3—5 feet high, 

 erect, smooth. Leaves long, flat, nerved, the sheaths bearded at the throat. 

 Panicle very large, at length spreading and pendulous, usually purple. It is a 

 harsh grass, but is sometimes cut for hay. Tall Red-top. 



46. FESTUCA. Linn.—Yescxxk Grass. 

 (Said to be derived from the Celtic /esf, signifying /oo<7, pasturage.) 



Spikelets oblong, 3 — many-flowered ; the flowers distichous. 



