150 



THE TRUE GRASSES. 



with a magnificent silvery-white or rose-red sheen. 

 Showy, decorative plants for the garden. The panicles 

 are used for dry bouquets. [Growiug Pampas-plumes 

 is an important industry in California. The plumes are 

 cut when exposed only a few inches from the leaf-sheath.] 

 In its native habitat the leaves are used for paper-mak- 

 ing, and a decoction of the rhizome is employed as a 

 diuretic. 



215. (210) Ampelodesmos Beauv. Spikelets crowded, 

 2-co -flowered ; flowering glumes and the short joints of 

 rachilla clothed with short, woolly hairs ; flowering- 

 glumes with two short teeth between which is a cuspi- 

 date point ; ovary hairy above. 



Species one (A. tenax Link). A low, cane-like grass 

 with nodding panicles and rush-like leaves, in the regions 

 of the Mediterranean, and especially abundant in Al- 

 giers. The young leaves are used for fodder, and the 

 very tough old ones are employed like Esparto ; in Italy 



hats are woven from them, 

 and in Sicily they are used 

 to tie up grapes. 



216. (211) Arundo L. 

 [Donax ~Betmx.,Amphidonax 

 Nees, ScolocMoa Mert. & 

 Koch). Spikelets crowded 

 with many flowers ; rachilla 

 naked ; flowering glumes 

 with long hairs, 2-toothed 

 and a cuspidate point be- 

 tween the teeth ; ovary 

 naked. Tall reed-like 

 grusses with almost woody 

 stems and broad flat leaves. 

 Species six, distributed 

 throughout the w a r m e r 

 countries of the world. A. 

 Donax L. (Fig. 76) has a 

 culm 2-4 m. high and fully 



Fis.76.-4r«nd 0( ^onaxL. 6 (After Nees, 2 cm thi(jk bek)W> Q xoyfB 



wild in wet places in the Mediterranean region, and is 



