194 MILIUM.— AMPHICARPUM. 



its coarseness, cattle in general refuse to eat it, but 

 are said to eat it if cut into chaff and mixed with 

 other food. It yields a vast bulk of hay, which in 

 some parts is found very convenient for littering 

 cattle. 



The common Gardener's Gaiter is a variety of this 

 grass. 



57. MILIUM. Millet Grass. 



GENERIC CHARACTER. 



Spikelets diffusely panicled, not jointed with their 

 jjedicels, apparently consisting of 2 equal membran- 

 aceous convex and awnless glumes, including a single 

 coriaceous awnless flower, but theoretically the lower 

 glume is wanting, while an empty single palet of the 

 lower (neutral) flower, resembling the upper glume, 

 fulfils its office, and stands opposite the narrow up- 

 per palet of the terete fertile flower ; stamens 3 ; stig- 

 mas branched, plumose ; grain not grooved, enclosed 

 in the palets, all deciduous together. 



The ancient Latin name of the Millet, which — how- 

 ever, belongs • to a different genus — probably from 

 Qnille, a thousand, because of its fertility. 



Gray. 



1. M. Effusium (Millet grass). Of very little agri- 

 cultural value. 



m. AMPHICARPUM. 



GEN"ERIC CHARACTER. 



Spikelets joined with the apex of the pedicels, ap- 

 parently 1-flowered, of two kinds ; one kind in a ter- 



