184 POACE.E. 



is thought to injure liorses. Of some promise for meadow and 

 pastures. Grain good for fishes. Var. picta is known as '' Kibbon- 

 GKASs" or " Striped Grass." " Ladies' Traces." 



Eeed canary-grass is very widely distributed north in tlie tem- 

 perate and arctic regions, extending into three continents. 



43. (103). Anthoxanthum L. Sp. PI. 28 (1753). Xanthonan- 

 tlios St. Lag. Ann, Soc. Bot. Lyon, 7: 119 (1880). Xanthanthos 

 1. c. 8:189 (1881). 



Spikelets 1 -flowered, narrow, slightly compressed, pedicellate, 

 crowded into a cylindrical spikelike panicle; rachilla articulate 

 above the 2 lower glumes. Glumes 6, 2 outer persistent below the 

 joint, acute, keeled, mucronate, or veiy short awued, second longer 

 than the others; third and fourth much shorter, empty, narrow, 

 keeled, with an awn on the back or near the base, fifth broad, 

 obtuse, hyaline, awnless with three very fine nerves, enveloping 

 the sixth, which is narrower, with a very fine central nerve or 

 keel, enclosing the flower. Stamens 2, Styles distinct with long 

 plumose stigmas. Grain oblong, enclosed in the two upper 

 glumes, but not adherent. 



Aromatic or sweet-scented annuals or perennials with flat leaf- 

 blades. The terminal panicle spikelike, pedunculate, dense, or 

 rather loose. 



Four or five species found in Europe. Introduced into culti- 

 vation. 



In this genus at least one of the glumes of the lowest pair is the 

 largest of the spikelet; those of the second pair, though small and 

 without flowers, have dorsal awns. 



1. A. ODORATUM L. 1. c. SwEET Vernal Grass. A. alpiiium 

 Schur., Enum. PI. Transs. 725 (1866). A rather slender erect 

 perennial, 30-70 cm. high. Sheaths slightly inflated; ligule 

 oblong, o])tuse; blades slightly hairy, the upper ones about 2.5 cm. 

 long. Spikelike panicle 3-8 cm. long. Spikelets 7-0 mm. long, 

 linear-oblong, first lower glume ovate-acute, 1-nerved, as long as the 

 second, which is elliptical when spread, third and fourth emarginate, 

 obscurely 5-nerved below the apex ; the straight awn of the former 

 above the middle projecting half its length, tlie twisted awn of 



