Illustrated Descriptions of the Grasses 



Crested Dog's-tail. Dog's-tail Grass. Cynosurus cristdius L. 



Perennial. Introduced from Europe. 

 Stem 1-2^ ft. tall, slender, erect. Ligule very short. Leaves I'-s' long 



h"-2" wide, flat. 

 Spike-like Panicle 2'-4' long, narrow. Spikelets of two kinds in small 



clusters; lower spikelets of the clusters larger, consisting of several 



or many rough, narrow, empty scales; upper spikelets consisting of a 



few sharp-pointed, broader scales enclosing perfect flowers; flowering 



scales about i^" long. Stamens 3. 

 Fields, waysides, and waste places. June to August. 

 Newfoundland to Ontario, south to New Jersey. 



THE POAS 



LOW SPEAR-GRASS, KENTUCKY BLUE-GRASS, ROUGH-STALKED 

 MEADOW-GRASS, WOOD SPEAR-GRASS, CANADA BLUE- 

 GRASS, AND FALSE RED-TOP 



These meadow grasses should be listed among the plants that 

 give us 



"The flower of every valley, the flower of all the year;" 



since from early spring until late autumn some representative 

 of the genus may be found in bloom, and in the most Southern 

 States there is rarely a month when Low Spear-Grass is not in 

 flower. In the Northern States this species is one of the earliest 

 plants to change the brown hillsides to living green, and on lawns 

 and by waysides small tufts of this modest little grass are common 

 throughout nearly the whole country. Even between the flag- 

 stones of the city, Low Spear-grass tries to obtain foothold, often 

 succeeding and blossoming, though choked by dust and daily 

 trodden under foot. The flattened stems, usually but six or eight 

 inches in height, bear short, yellowish green panicles which, un- 

 like the flowers of other early grasses, are sent up during the 

 entire summer. 



Closely following the blossoming of Sweet Vernal-grass the 

 famous Kentucky Blue-grass adds the delicacy of its graceful 

 panicles to the common garden of the wayside. Although well 

 known, by name at least, few seem acquainted with the fact that 

 this is one of our most common grasses from the Atlantic to the 

 Pacific. Its most luxuriant growth is attained in the far-noted 

 blue-grass region of Kentucky, on limestone soils in the counties 



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