191S] The Grasses of Illinois 375 



44. ELEUSINE Gaertn. 



Grasses belonging to this genus are not native to America, and 

 only one species has been introduced into Illinois. It has an inflo- 

 rescence of spikes, spreading out finger-like at the top of the culm, 

 as have common crab grass and Bermuda grass (Figs. 29 and 193). 

 The spikelets each have several flowers, arranged in two rows on each 

 side of the stem. The glumes are flattened and keeled and shorter than 

 the spikelet. The leaves are flat, the ligules practically wanting. 



Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn. 



Wire Grass. Goose Grass. Yard Grass. Crow's Foot 



(Figs. 201 and 202) 



Lapham '57, 546, 573 (Plate 2, Fig. 5); Patterson '76, 50; Flagg '78, 281. 



Culms 6 inches to 2 feet tall, in large tufts, often spreading ; sheaths 

 loose, hairy at the throat ; blades 3 to 1 2 inches long, 2 to 6 mm. wide, 

 usually smooth ; spikes 1 to 3 inches long ; spikelets 3- to 6-flowered, 4 

 to 5 mm. long. 



This grass is found as a weed in dooryards and waste places, where 

 it often spreads and forms a dense mat on the surface which is ex- 

 tremely hard to cut. The plants are annuals, introduced from the 

 warmer countries of the Old World. They may be eradicated by the 

 same method used for crab grass, SyntJierisma saJiguinalis. Dr. Bren- 

 d'el collected it in 1873 in Peoria. His record was the first for that 

 locality. 



CHAMPAIGN CO. Champaign, Seymour, July, 1880; Urbana, Kosher, July, 

 1914; Urbana, Gibls, Oct., 1898; Urbana, Gates, Oct., 1907; Urbana, Burrill, 

 Sept., 1878. CHRISTIAN CO. Taylorville, Andrews, cook CO. Chicago, Umbach, 

 Aug., 1898. EDWARDS CO. Albion, Waite, Aug., 1887. fulton co. Without lo- 

 cality, Pepoon. jo DAVIESS co. Without locality, Pepoon. Henderson co. 

 Oquawka, Patterson, Aug., 1877. kankakee CO. Kankakee, De Selm, Sept., 1913. 

 MACOUPIN CO. Carlinville, Eohertson in 1881. marion co. Without locality, M. 

 a. Bebb in 1860. peoria co. Without locality, Brendel; Peoria, McDonald, Aug., 

 1885 and 1900. pope co. Herod, Clinton, Aug., 1898, wabash co. Without lo- 

 cality, Shearer; Mt. Carmel, SchnecTc, Aug., 1879; Hurd's Ferry, Schneck, June, 

 1904; Mt. Carmel, Patterson, Sept., 1877. 



45. LEPTOCHLOA Beauv. 



The species of Leptochloa may be recognized by their peculiar 

 inflorescence consisting of a large, open panicle formed of numerous 

 very slender spikes. The spikelets are several-flowered, flattened, with 

 keeled glumes and lemmas. The leaves are flat, the ligules membra- 

 nous, 3 to 4 mm. long, irregular on the edge, and fringed. Two species, 

 both annuals, were found on the original prairie in Illinois, but they 

 are probably rare in- the state at present. 



