786 Order 156.— GRAMINE^J. 



If; lvs. subulate, scabrous, 2 to 4' long; sheaths glabrous, longer than the joints; 

 pan. very simple, the few, solitary, small spikelets on very long setaceous pedicels ; 

 lower glume subulate ; sterile pale single, as long as the glume, a little longer 

 than the fertile flower. — Dry, sandy soils, rare, N. Car. to Ga. 



13 P. villosum Ell. Villous throughout with soft white hairs; culm geniculate 

 below, 1 to 2f ; lvs. flat, erect, 2 to 3' by 3 to 4" ; sheaths much shorter than tbo 

 joints; pan. small (2 to 3' long), loose; spikelets oval, 1" long, green ; lower glume 

 roundish, £ as long as the 7-veined, upper one, which equals the single, sterilo 

 pale and fertile flower. — Evergreen in damp places, S. States (Feay, &c). Apr., 

 May. 



14 P. ciliatiflorum. Fringed Grass. Culm erect, strict, 1 to 3f, glabrous; 

 lvs. erect, long, linear, flat, narrow, scarcely distinct from their sheaths; pan. 

 virgate, subsimple, 3' long; spikelets pedicellate, oval, the glume and lower 

 abortive pale obtuse, subequal, the 5 veins ciliate-fringed with silky, purplish 

 hairs ; upper pale much smaller, oblong ; fertile pales thinly chartaceous, brown 

 or blackish when mature. — Varies with the leaves more or less hairy, and the 

 curious silk fringe of the spikelets moro or less copious. In pine barrens, S. 

 States. Sept. (Phalaris villosa Mx. Aulaxanthus ciliatus and rufa Ell. P. 

 ignoratum Kth., an absurd name which we venture to discard.) 



15 P. dichotomum L. Culm at first subsimple with a single terminal panicle, 

 becoming more or less branched, with lateral, subsimple panicles; lvs. lanceolate, 

 1 to 4' by 2 to 4" or 5", hairy or smooth, as likewise the sheaths; terminal pan. 

 exserted, often long-pedunculate, small (1 to 3' long), oval in outline, loosely lew- 

 flowered; spikelets small (about |" long), oval or roundish; lower glume very 

 small, upper equaling the sterile pale and fertile flower , upper sterile i to ^ as 

 long as the lower, scarious, bifid. — If Common everywhere, in meadows, fields 

 and woods. Jn. — Sept. — The following are the more striking forms of this ex- 

 ceedingly variable species (which includes P. nodiflorum, laxiflorum, nitidum 

 Lam., barbulatum Mx., sphcerocarpa Muhl., lanuginosum, ensiforum Ell., &c). 



ji. nitidum. Smooth and shining; spikelets palo purple; upper pale very 



short. 

 }-. sph.erocarpum. Hairy ; lvs. suberect ; spikelets dark purple ; upper palo 



deeply bifid. 

 6. barbulatum. Taller; nodes with a ring of ratrorso hairs; lvs. spreading; 



spikelets purplish ; upper pale entire. 

 e. lanuginosum. Woolly ; lvs. linear-lanceolato ; spikelets green ; upper pale 



elongated, very obtuse. Approaches the next species. 



16 P. depauperatum Muhl. Culm ea?spitous, erect, 9 to 12' high, simple above 

 the base; lvs. linear, rigidly erect, lower short, upper about 5' by 2V" ; pan. 

 simple with ascending branches, the peduncle very short or becoming very long ; 

 spikelets green, oval, acute, -| to 1" long; outer glume roundish, -J as long as tho 

 inner, 7-veined one ; upper neutral pale (always ?) bifid, half as long as tho lower. 

 — Hilly woods, N. States and Can. Jn. (P. rectum R. & S.) 



p. iwolutum. Lvs. involute, ending in a long, rigid point. (P. involutum, 

 Torr.) 



17 P. paucifldrum Ell. Culm mostly erect, at length, somewhat decumbent 

 and blanched ; lvs. erect, linear-lanceolate, faintly 9-veined, tapering to near the 

 base ; 3 to 5' by 5 to 7", sparingly hirsute as well as tho close sheaths; pan. ex- 

 serted, simple, raceme-like, few-flowered ; spikelets 10 or more, obovate, obtuse, 

 1" long ; lower glume broad-ovate, § as long as the upper one ; upper neutral palo 

 similar to the lower. — Wet or shady places, Mid., W. and S. States. Jn., Jl. 



18 P. ptibescens Lam. Culm slender, finally branched, glabrous, 2 to 3f long ; 

 lvs. lance-linear, 9-veined, 3 to 6' by 3 to 5", clothed with reflexed hairs as well 

 as the open sheaths; pan. small, expanded, few-flowered, pubescent; spikelets 

 largo. (IV' long), hairy, oval, obtuse, green; outer glume, lanceolate, f- as long as 

 the inner 9-veined one ; inner neutral palo nearly as long as the outer. — Dry 

 fields, etc., N. Y. to Ohio and S. States. Jn. (P. dichotomum p. Gray.) 



19 P. latifolium L. Culm mostly erect, 1 to 2f high ; lvs. lanceolate, base dilated 

 and cordate-clasping, 3 to 5' by 1', 11 to 12-veined, smoothish; sheaths hirsute at 

 throat ; pan. exserted. compound, loose, about 3' long ; spikolet3 oval, obtuse, 



