194 A TEXT-BOOK OF GRASSES 
mostly basal, one about the middle of the culm, the upper portion 
of the culm naked; panicle dense, spike-like, bronze-green, 1 to 3 
inches long, narrowed above and below, the short branches spread- 
ing in flower; spikelets 8 to 10 mm. long, lanceolate, acuminate, 
the glumes sparsely pilose, acuminate, the first membranaceous, 
about half as long as the somewhat indurated second glume, the 
first sterile lemma short-awned below the apex, the second bearing 
Fig. 34. Phalaris canari- 
ensis. Inflorescence, xX %; 
glumes and fertile floret 
with the pair of sterile 
lemmas, X5. 
a strong bent scarcely exserted awn near 
its base, both exceeding the chestnut- 
brown, smooth and shining fertile lemma 
and palea. Common in grassland in the 
northeastern states. 
228. Phalaris 1 —Inflorescence a 
short or long usually dense spike- 
like panicle. The spike is often 
white or variegated with green from 
the green nerves of the spikelets, and 
is usually papery at maturity. One 
of our native species, P. arundinacea 
L. (Fig. 33), reed canary-grass, is a 
perennial found in the northern 
portion of the United States, where 
it furnishes an excellent quality of 
wild hay. In this species the sterile 
lemmas are much reduced and are 
closely appressed to the fertile 
lemma and palea. A variety of this 
(var. picta L.) with leaves striped 
with white is cultivated for ornament 
under the name of ribbon-grass or 
gardener’s garters. P. carolinianus 
Walt., a perennial of the southern 
United States, is cultivated to a 
limited extent for winter forage. 
Another species, P. canariensis L., 
