368 Bulletin No. 205 [March, 



This species was iiitrodnced from Europe as a meadow grass. It 



often escapes from cultivation. So far as known it has never been 



extensively cultivated in Illinois. 



CHAMPAIGN CO. Urbana, Burrill, July 1878. cook co. Hyde Park, Hill 217 

 in 189-t. PEORIA CO. Peoria, McDonald, July, 1903. 



38. DANTHONIA DC. 



This genus is distinguished by its narrow, spike-like panicles which 

 consist of very few spikelets. The leaves are mostlj^ clustered at the 

 base, very short, narrow, and usually involute. The spikelets are 3- to 

 8-floAvered, the florets usually all perfect. The glumes are much longer 

 than the lemmas, usually extending beyond all the florets. The lem- 

 mas are toothed at the end with a flat, twisted awn between the teeth. 

 Only one species is found in Illinois. 



Danthonia spicata (L.) Beau v. 

 Wild Oat Grass (Figs. 191 and 192) 



Lapham '57, 547, 589 (Plate 4, Fig. 1); Patterson '76, 52; Flagg '78, 283; 

 Brendel '87,. 64; Higlev and Eaddin '91, 143; Huctt '97, 130; Sherff '12, 420; 

 Sherff '13, 595. 



Culms smooth, 8 to 28 inches tall ; sheaths usually j)ubescent espe- 

 cially at the throat ; ligule very short, mostly a fringe of hairs, 1 to 2 

 mm. long; blades narrow, somewhat curled, usually involute, 1 to 6 

 inches long, 1 to 2 mm. wide; spikelets 10 to 12 mm. long, 3- to 8-flow- 

 ei'ed, the glumes smooth, the lemmas pubescent, 4 to 5 nun. long ; awn 

 longer than the lemma. 



This species grows in small tufts. It is found in dry, usually sterile 



soil. 



ILLINOIS SPECIMENS : "Without locality, Vasey. champaign co. Urbana, 

 Seymour and Waite, July, 1886. christian co. Taylorville, Andrews. cooK co. 

 West Chicago, JJmhach, June, 1897; Evanston, Gates, June, 1900; Beverly Hills, 

 E. Behh, June, 1902. fulton CO. Without locality, Fepoon. hancock CO. Au- 

 gusta, Mead in 1845. jackson CO. Without locality, French, May, 1905; Ma- 

 kanda, Gleason, June, 1903. jo daviess co. Without locality, Pepoon. macou- 

 PiN CO. Carlinville, Hoherison in 1881. marion co. Without locality, M. S. Behh 

 in 1860. MARSHALL CO. Steuben township, V. E. Chase 1789. peoria co. Peo- 

 ria, McDonald 28; Peoria, McDonald, .Tune, 1887; Peoria, Brendel. ST. clair co. 

 Mascoutah, Welsch. union co. Cobdcn, Waite, June, 1885. vermilion co. Mun- 

 cie, Mosher, Sept., 1914. will co. Joliet, Sleels, July, 1904, Mokena, A. Chase, 

 June, 1897. 



39. SPARTINA Sclircb. 

 Cord or Marsh Grass 



These grasses are tall, coarse perennials with stout, creeping root- 

 stocks, found in marshes and sloughs and along the borders of streams 

 and lakes. The inflorescence consists of spikes formed of 1-flowered, 

 flattened spikelets Avhich closely overlap each other on one side of the 

 rachis. 



