800 Order 15G.— GRAMINE^E. 



4i. UNTOLA, L. Union Grass. (Diminutive from Lat.unus, one ; 

 many flowers in one spikelet.) Spikelets compressed, 2-edged, 3 to 

 20-ilowcred ; lower flower or lis. «eutral, of one pale ; glumes 2, cari- 

 nate ; lower pale flattened and wing-keeled, the upper double wing- 

 keeled, botli awnless ; stam. 1 or 3 ; caryopsis free. — If Smooth, erect, 

 flat-leaved grasses. 



§ Spikelets on slender pedicels, larsro, elliptic. Pales unequal. Stamen 1 No. 1 



§ Spikelets subsessile, — lar<ie (6 to 10" lonsr). Pales about equal Nos. 2, 8 



— small (2 to 8" long). Pales very unequal No. 4 



1 17. latifolia Mx. Culm 2 to 4f, smooth, subsimple ; lvs. 8 to 18' by G to 12", 



lance-linear, glabrous, rough-edged ; sheaths longer than the iuternodes ; 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 fls. — 

 Dry woods, middle and Western States. Singularly elegant and showy. Aug. 



2 U. paniculata L. Sea-side Oats. Culm 4 to 8f; lvs. narrow, convolute, 

 very long; sheaths fringed at the throat ; pan. large and spreading; spikelets ovate, 

 ehort-pediceled, 12 to 20-flowered, several of the lower fls. neutral; pales about 

 equal ; the lower 9-veincd, obtuse ; stam. 3. — Sand hills along the coast, Va. to 

 Fla. A tall rank grass. Jl., Aug. 



3 U. nitida Baldw. Culm very slender, wiry, branched below, 2 to 5f; lvs. 

 narrow, 2 to 4" wide ; pan. slender and spike-like or with several spike-liko 

 spreading branches; spikelets subsessile, broader than long, about 1 -flowered, the 2 

 or 3 lower and the 1 highest abortive ; pales about equal, long-pointed, the upper 

 re-incurved at base ; stam. 1. Ga. to La. Whole plant very smooth and shining. 

 Jn., Jl. 



4 TJ. gracilis Mx. Culm slender, leafy, 3 to 4f ; lvs. broadly-linear, tapering to 

 a slender point, flat, 12 to 18' long; sheaths shorter t mn the joints; pan. long 

 racemous, branches solitary, short, remote, erect ; spikelets with about 3 fertilo 

 fls. ; lower pale spreading, £ longer than the upper ; glumes rigid, acute. — Sea- 

 coasts, N. Y. to Ga. and La. Aug. 



45. PHRAG'MITES Trin. Reed. Spikelets 3 to G-flowercd, the 

 lowest flower sterile and monandrous ; rachis beset with long, silky 

 hairs ; glumes 2, acute, keeled, very unequal ; lower pale subulate, 

 silky-villous at base (except in the lowest flower) ; stam. 3 ; style 2 ; 

 caryopsis free.- — 21 Grasses tall, with broad, flat lvs. and a large, diffuse 

 panicle. 



P. communis Trin. Culm smooth, stout, erect, G — 12f high, often an inch in 

 diameter at base; lvs. lanceolate, 1 — 2f by 1 — 2', rough-edged, smooth and glau- 

 cous; panicle large and loosely branched, branches in half whorls, rather erect, 

 slender; spikelets 3 — 5-flowered, very slender, erect; glumes shorter than the 

 flowers which are of a dark hue, with tufts of white, silky hairs, about as long as 

 the paleas. — !(. Swamps and about ponds, Mass. to 111. and Con. July. (Arundo 

 Phragmitcs L., ed. 2.) 



46. ARUNDINA'RIA Rich. Cane. Spikelets compressed, 5 to 12- 

 flowered ; flowers imbricated, distant; glumes 2, small, awnless ; lower 

 pale ovate, acuminate-mucronate, not carinate ; stamens 3 ; stigmas 3 ; 

 plumous ; scales 3, entire ; caryopsis free, deciduous. — 2£ Grasses shrubby 

 or arborescent, often branched, the branches verticillate-fascicled. Fls. 

 both perfect and staminate. 



A. macrosperma Mx. Culm woody, from strong, running rhizomes ; lvs. 

 linear-lanceolate, smooth, glaucous, all dimensions from l' by 3" to If by 2' ; 

 sheaths fringed at throat ; flowering branches mostly arising from the rootstocks, 



• 6 to 12' or 18' high, with sheaths only, bearing 1 to several large (1 to 2£') spike- 

 lets; pales herbaceous, 8" long. — In swampy soils, throughout the S. States. The 

 .fertile plants are small and inconspicuous, while the barren arise 15 to 25f in the 



