Illustrated Descriptions of the Grasses 



grass, recognized by the long, narrow spikelets which protrude 

 through the enclosing sheaths as the plant begins to bloom. This 

 grass has a slight resemblance to Floating 

 Manna-grass, but is much smaller, though the 

 spikelets are longer, being from one to one 

 and three quarters inches in 

 length. The panicles are long 

 and narrow, with short, erect 

 branches, and the acute flower- 

 ing scales are shorter than the 

 long-pointed palets. 



Rattlesnake Grass. Gly- 

 ceria canadensis (Michx.) Trin. 



Perennial. 

 Stem 2-3 ft. tall, erect. Ligule about 

 I " long. Leaves 6'- 1 5' long, 2"-4"wide, rough, 

 flat, spreading at right angles to stem. 

 Panicle 5'- 10' long, nodding, branches rough, spread- 

 ing or drooping, lower branches 2'-6' long. Spike- 

 lets 5-12-flowered, 25"-4" long, broad, inflated, 

 flattened, green tinged with purple. Outer scales 

 acute, unequal, shorter than flowering scales; 

 flowering scales broad, obtuse or acute, ob- 

 scurely 7-nerved; palets broad, slightly shorter 

 than flowering scales. Stamens commonly 2. 

 Wet meadows, brooksides, marshes, and swamps, 



June to August. 

 Newfoundland to Ontario and Minnesota, south 

 to New Jersey and Kansas. 



Densely flowered Manna-grass. Gly- 

 ceria obtusa (Muhl.) Trin. 



Perennial. 



Stem 1-3 ft. tall, stout, erect. Ligule very short. 

 Leaves 6'-i5' long, 2"-4'' wide, flat, dark green. 



Panicle 3'-8' long, densely flowered, contracted, 

 branches erect. Spikelets 3-7-flowered, 2"-3" 

 long, somewhat inflated. Outer scales acute, 

 unequal, shorter than flowering scales; flowering 

 scales broad, obtuse, obscurely 7-nerved; palets 

 slightly shorter than flowering scales. Stamens 

 2 or 3. 



Swamps and wet places. July to September. 



New Brunswick to New York,southtoNorthCarolina. 



213 



Floating 

 Glyceria 



Manna-grass 

 septentrionalis 



