46 GRASSES AND FORAGE PLANTS. 



the margin, panicles from one to two inches long. Not a culti- 

 vated grass. 



The Strong-scented Meadow Grass, (eragrostis poceoides,') 

 is sometimes found in sandy fields, roadsides, cultivated grounds 

 and waste places. Its leaves are flat and smooth, lower sheaths 

 hairy, spikelets containing from ten to twenty florets of a lead 

 color. It flowers in August and September. Of no importance 

 in agriculture. 



A variety of this grass (the meg-astachya) is found more fre- 

 quently on similar situations ; flowering about the same time ; 

 emitting, when fresh, a sharp and disagreeable odor, by which 

 it may be known. 



The Slender Meadow Grass, (eragrostis pilosa,') the Hair- 

 panicled Meadow Grass, (^eragrostis capillaris,} the Hairy 

 Meadow Grass, (eragrostis pectinacea^^ are found in this State, 

 but they are of no special importance for cultivation. They all 

 occur on sandy, dry, waste places, the last only near the coast, 

 and all flower in August and September, 



Quaking Grass, (briza media^') is sometimes met with in the 

 eastern part of the State, as in the pastures of Dorchester. Pan- 

 icle erect, with very slender spreading branches, and large, pur- 

 plish, tremulous spikelets from five to nine flowered, inner glume 

 finely fringed, entire at the end. (Fig. 36.) In Fig. 37 is 

 shown a magnified spikelet. It is a very beautiful, light, slender 

 grass, about a foot high, perennial. Flowering in June and 

 July. There is an annual, the Large Quaking Grass, (briza 

 maxima,^ with large many-flowered spikes, cultivated in gardens 

 for ornament. 



Small Fescue Grass, (festuca tenella.') The generic char- 

 acters of this genus are oblong spikelets, somewhat compressed, 

 from three to many flowered, two very unequal glumes, pointed, 

 palese roundish on the back, from three to five nerved, awn 

 pointed or bristle shaped, stamens three, flowers harsh, often 

 purplish, panicle nearly erect, leaves narrow, rigid, of a grayish 

 green. 



The small fescue has a spike-like panicle, somewhat one-sided, 

 from seven to nine flowered, awn of the awl-shaped palea, slen- 

 der, leaves bristle-formed, stem slender, six to twelve inches 

 high. It flourishes on dry and sterile soils, and is common. 

 Flowers in July. 



