Illustrated Descriptions of the Grasses 



Salt meadow Lep. 

 tochloa. Leptochloa 

 fasciculdris ( Lam. ) 

 Gray. 



Annual, tufted. 

 Stem 1-2^ ft. tall, erect 



or spreading, usually 



much branched. 



Sheaths loose, upper 



one enclosing the base 



of the panicle. Ligule 



I "-2" long. Leaves 



3'- 1 2' long, I "-3" 



wide, flat. 

 Panicle 4'- 12' long, 



composed of nu- 

 merous slender spikeson which 



are borne the nearly sessile, 



erect spikelets. Spikelets 5- 



lo-flowered, 3"-5"long. Outer 



scales unequal, acute, rough 



on keels; flowering scales hairy 



on margins near base, 2-tooth- 



ed at apex and bearing a short 



awn between the teeth. Stamens 3 

 Salt marshes. July to September. 

 Southern New England to Florida and Texas, 



also in saline soil from western New York to 



Nevada and Mexico. 



REED 



This is one of the largest of our native 

 grasses. On the borders of ponds and in 

 marshes it forms tropic-like jungles of stout, 

 leafy stems that at last bear panicles of violet 

 and purple which change to plumes of silvery 

 white as the blossoms fade. 



To brackish marshes along the coast the 

 Reed adds a wonderful beauty as in early 

 autumn the warm light of sunset steals over 



"A league and a league of marsh-grass." 



Tones of deep rose, lavender, and brown, that were unthought of 

 in the light of noontime, are brought out, and panicles of Reed, 



169 



Reed 

 Phragmites communis 



