IDIS] The Grasses of Illinois 407 



CHAMPAIGN CO. Without locality, Burrill, June, 1878; IJrbaua, Seymour, July, 

 1880. CHRISTIAN CO. Tayloiville, Andrews, cook co. Chicago, Miller, June, 

 191-1. PEORIA CO. Peoria, Brcndel. 



Lolium temulentum L. 

 Darnel (Fig. 265) 



Culms 2 to 4 feet tall, smooth ; sheaths smooth ; blades 4 to 10 inches 

 long, 2 to 6 mm. Avide, rough on the upper surface ; spikelcts 4- to 8- 

 iiowercd, 10 to 18 mm. long, the glumes longer than the spikclets; 

 lemmas sometimes awned. 



This species is found in waste places and often becomes a trouble- 

 some weed. It was formerly supposed to be poisonous. Now it#s said 

 that the poison is due to the presence of a fungus in the fruit. 



CHAMPAIGN CO. Urbana, Seymour, June, 1878, menard CO, Athens, Hall in 

 1861. 



59. AGROPYRON Gacrtn. 

 Wheat Grass 



These grasses are characterized by the spiked type of infloi-escence, 

 as in Lolium, from which they differ in having the spikelets placed 

 flat against the axis. The spikelets are 3- to many-flowered. The 

 leaves are usually flat wdth short, thick li gules. Most of the species 

 have long, running rootstocks. All the species are perennials, and 

 all but one, A. repens, are native to this country. 



a. Lemmas densely hairy, A. dasysiachyum 



aa. Lemmas not hairy. 



b. Glumes scabrous on the nerves and margins; leaves rough on Ijoth sur- 

 faces, never pubescent; creeping rootstocks wanting, 

 c. Lemmas awned, the awns about twice the length of the lemmas; 

 leaves flat, usually not more than 4 mm. wide: spike very narrow 

 and slender, spikelets not crowded. A. canimim 



cc. Lemmas awnless; leaves less than 4 mm. broad and usually rolled; 

 spike rather broad, spikelets crov.ded. A. ienerum 



bb. Glumes smooth, except on the midnerve; leaves never rough on both 

 surfaces ; creeping rootstocks present. 

 c. Glumes strongly nerved; leaves broad, flat, finely nerved, pubescent 

 on the nerves above, smooth beneath. A. repens 



cc. Glumes faintly nerved; leaves narrow, involute, very coarsely nerved, 

 rough above, smooth beneath. A. sviithii 



AgTopyron caninum (L.) Bcauv. 

 Awned Wheat Grass (Fig. 266) 



TriUcum caninum, Vasey '61, 671; Patterson '76, 51; Flagg '78, 282; Bren- 

 del '87, 88. Agropyron caninum, Higley and Eaddin '91, 147; Sherff '12, 420; 

 Sherff '13, 595. 



Culms erect, 1 to 3.5 feet tall ; sheaths smooth ; blades flat, rather 

 thin, rough; spike slightly nodding; spikclets 3- to 6-flowcred, 12 to 15 

 mm. long, exclusive of awns ; lemmas 8 to 10 mm. long. 



