30 GRASSES AND FORAGE PLANTS. 



Mountain Rice, (onjzopsis melanocarpa.^ is a grass common 

 in rocky woods ; the large white grained mountain rice, (pry- 

 zopsis asperifolia.') common on steep and rocky hill-sides and 

 dry woods, and the Smallest Oryzopsis, (onjzopsis canaden- 

 sis,^ are sometimes found. These grasses are easily distinguished 

 from each other. The first has an awn thrice the bngth of the 

 blackisli palea ; the second, an awn two or three times the length 

 of the whitish palea ; the third, an awn short, deciduous or 

 wanting. The first grows from two to three feet high, the sec- 

 ond from ten to eighteen inches. 



Feather Grass, or Black Oat Grass, Qstipa avenacea,') is 

 soni3tim3s m3t with in dry, sandy woods, and is collected for 

 vases and ornaments, but is of no agricultural value. It rises 

 from one to two feet : its panicle is open, leaves almost bristle 

 form, palea blackish, nearly as long as the almost equal glumes, 

 awn bent above, twisted below. Flowers in July. 



Poverty Grass, or Three Awned Grass, (^aristida dicho- 

 toma,') and Slender Three Awxed Grass, (aristida gracilis,') 

 are found in old, sandy fields, dry, sterile hill-sides and pine 

 barrens, but are of no value for cultivation. One or two other 

 species of three awned plants also occur on similar soils, as the 

 aristida purpurascens and the aristida tuberculosa. None of 

 these species are of importance in agriculture. 



Fre-h Water Cord Grass, (^spartina cynosuroides.') This is 

 found on the banks of streams and lakes, rising to the height 

 of from two to four feet, with slender culm, narrow leaves two 

 to four feet long, tapering to a point, and spikes of a straw 

 color. Flowers in August. 



The Salt Reed Grass, {spartina pohjstacliya^ has a stout 

 culm from four to nine feet high, broad leaves, roughish under- 

 neath and on the margins ; spikes 20 to 50 in number, forming 

 a dense, oblong, purplish cluster. It is found on the salt 

 marshes. 



Ru.?h Salt Grass, (spartina juncea,') grows from one to two 

 feet high, stems slender, leaves narrow, rush-like, and very 

 smooth. It is common on salt marshes and sandy sea beaches, 

 and flowers in August. 



Salt Marsh Grass, (^spartina stricta, var. glabra,') grows 

 from two to four feet high, has from five to twelve spikes from 



