Illustrated Descriptions of the Grasses 



Beard Grass. Little Blue-stem. Andropbgon scoparius 

 Michx. 



Perennial, usuall\' tufted. 



Stem 1-4 ft. tall, solid, slender, erect. Ligule less than i" long. Leaves 

 4'-io' long, I "-3" wide. 



Spikes numerous, I'-z' long, loosely flowered, solitary, terminal and 

 along the stem. Spikelets in pairs on a hairy rachis, hairs dull white, 

 conspicuous; i spikelet of each pair sessile, perfect, i-flowered, about 

 3" long, bearing a twisted, bent awn ^"-7" long; the other spikelet of 

 the pair sterile, borne on a hairy pedicel and reduced to an awn- 

 pointed scale. Stamens 1-3, anthers terra-cotta or yellow. 



Dry soil. July to October. 



New Brunswick to Alberta, south to Florida, Texas, and southern Cali- 

 fornia. 



Forked Beard-grass. Big Blue-stem. Andropbgon fur- 

 catus Muhl. 



Perennial. 



Stem 3-6 ft. tall, stout, erect. Ligule \" long or less. Leaves 6'-i6' lon^, 

 2"-6" wide, roughish. 



Spikes 2-5, purplish, 2'-5' long, rather thick and rigid, spreading from 

 summit of culm and lateral branches. Spikelets in pairs on hairy 

 rachis, hairs short; i spikelet of each pair sessile, perfect, i-flowered, 

 4"-5" long, bearing a loosely twisted, bent awn 5"-8" long; the other 

 spikelet staminate, awnless, consisting of 4 scales. Stamens 3, 

 anthers yellow, orange, or brownish. 



Dry or moist soil. August to September. 



Maine and Ontario to the Rocky Mountains, south to Florida and Texas. 



INDIAN GRASS 



Indian Grass can hardl\' be passed unnoticed by the wayfaring 

 man, even though he knows little of the herbage of the fields. 

 Tall stems, leaves a foot in length, and panicles painted in colours 

 of autumn are too striking to be ignored, although they are 

 "nothing but grass." 



Blooming in late summer, when the earlier grasses have faded, 

 the long, hairy panicles of Indian Grass are not uncommon in dry 

 fields and in dry places by the waysides. The stems and leaves 

 are often deeply coloured, while the fertile spikelets are brilliant 

 in chestnut-tinted scales and yellow anthers. The soft, denselv 

 flowered panicles are rather narrow, and the perfect spikelets are 

 awned, but the sterile spikelets are so reduced and altered that 

 the\' resemble tinv plumes. 



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