2^ GRASSES AND FORAGE PLANTS. 



It is a simple, slender grass, two or three feet high; flowers few, 

 root perennial, creeping, sheaths downy, leaves broad and flat, 

 lanceolate, pointed. Flowers in June. 



The Mexican Muhlenbergia, {Muhlenhergia Mexicana,') 

 another species of this genus, has been mistaken by some for 

 our fowl meadow. It has an erect stem, two to three feet 

 high, much branched ; panicles lateral and contracted, branches 

 densely spiked and clustered, green or purplish ; glumes pointed, 

 awnless and unequal. It is perennial. Flowers in August. 

 Frequently regarded as a troublesome weed in low grounds ; 

 somewhat common at the West and frequent here in low grounds, 

 the borders of fields, and even in gardens, where its spreading 

 roots are difficult to eradicate. Cattle eat it very readily, and 

 as it blossoms late in the season, it is of some value. 



The Sylvan Muhlenbergia, {Muhlenbergia si/Ivatica,} is 

 also rather common in low, rocky woods. Its stem is ascend- 

 ing, branched, spreading diffusely ; panicles contracted, densely 

 flowered ; glumes nearly equal, bristle pointed, lower palea one 

 awned, twice or three times the length of the spikelets. Flow- 

 ers in August and September. 



The Awnless Muhlenbergia, (^Muhlenbergia sobolif era, ^ is 

 sometimes found in open, rocky woods, from New England to 

 Michigan, and farther south. It grows from one to two feet 

 high, witli a simple contracted panicle, very slender ; glumes 

 long, pointed, nearly equal, root perennial, creeping, woody, 

 leaves pale green, sheaths open, ligule wanting. Flowers in 

 August and September. 



Still another species, sometimes called Hair Grass, (^Muhlen- 

 bergia capillaris,') is sometimes, though not often found on 

 sandy soils. 



WiLLDENOw's Muhlenbergia, (Muhlenbergia JVilldenovii,') 

 is also not uncommon in rocky woods, growing about three feet 

 high, with a slender, simple stem, contracted panicle, loosely 

 flowered, glumes sharp pointed, half as long as the lower palea, 

 which has an awn from three to four times the length of the 

 spikelct. 



None of the grasses of this American genus are of great 

 value as agricultural grasses, except as they add considerably 

 to the mass of living verdure which clothes our low laiids in 



