NATURAL HISTORY. 35 



moist grounds, and is said also to succeed on light upland soils. 

 It is somewhat coarse, and not particularly relished l)y cattle, 

 though readily eaten in winter. It would be a valuable ingredi- 

 ent in a mixture for moist pastures. It is not very common. 

 It is seen in Fig. 23, while in Fig. 23 (1) is seen a magnified 

 spikelet, and the calyx in (2.) Native of North America. 



The Pale Manna Grass, (^g-li/ceria pallida,') grows mostly in 

 shallow water, and is very common. Panicle erect with hairy 

 branches, spreading, rough ; spikelets few, linear, oblong, five 

 to nine flowered; lower palea oblong, minutely //re toothed; 

 leaves short, sharp pointed and pale green. Flowers in July. 

 Culms one to three feet long, creeping at the base. 



One or two other species are referred to this genus, glyceria, 

 as the Reflexed Meadow Grass, (^gli/ceria distans,} found 

 in salt marshes, along the coast, and closely allied to the Sea 

 Spear Grass, (/?oa maritima,^ and the Acute Fescue Grass, 

 (^glyceria acutifiora,) rarely found in low, wet places. Of no 

 value in agriculture. 



Spike Grass, (brizopyrum spicatum,') is a salt marsh grass, 

 with culms or stems in tufts from creeping root-stalks, from ten 

 to eighteen inches high. Flowers in August. 



Green Meadow Grass, June Grass, Common Spear Grass, 

 Kentucky Blue Grass, <fec., {poa pratensis.} The character- 

 istics of the genus poa, are, ovate spikelets, compressed, flowers 

 two to ten in an open panicle, glumes shorter than the flowers, 

 lower palea compressed, keeled, pointless, five nerved, stamens 

 two or three, seed oblong, free, stems tufted, leaves smooth, flat 

 and soft. 



Specific characters : Lower florets connected at the base by 

 a web of long, silky filaments, holding the calyx ; outer palea, 

 five ribbed, marginal ribs hairy, upper sheath longer than its 

 leaf; height from ten to fifteen inches, root perennial, creeping, 

 stem erect, smooth and round, leaves linear, flat, acute, rough- 

 ish on the edges and inner surface ; panicle diffuse, spreading, 

 erect. The plant is of a light green color, the spikelets fre- 

 quently variegated with brownish purple. Introduced. Flowers 

 in June. Fig. 24 represents this grass, and Fig. 25, a flower 

 magnified. 



This is an early grass, very common on the soils of New 

 England in pastures and fields, constituting a considerable por- 



