24 



GRASSES OP IOWA. 



Rather tall, usually showy grasses with the numerous slender racemes 

 of the terminal panicle more or less spreading. 



Species 8. South Africa, eastern Asia and Japan. One species, 

 Miscanthus Japonicus occasionally cultivated under the name of 

 Eulalia Japotiica. 



2. ERIANTHUS. 



Erianthus. Michx. Flor. Bor. Am. 1: 54. 1803. Hackel in Engler & 

 Prantl Nat. Pflariz. Fam. II. 2:24. /. 14. Endlicher. Gen. PI. 107. Ben- 

 tham & Hooker. Gen. PI. 3: 11:16. Scribner. Bull. U. S. Dept. Agrl. Div. 

 Agros. 20: 19 /. 8. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Plume Grass. Spike- 

 lets in pairs, one sessile, the 

 other pedicellate, along the 

 articulate and readily dis- 

 jointed panicle-branches, 

 both alike, hermaphrodite. 

 Glumes 4, the outer ones 

 subequal, firm-membrana- 

 ceous, the first flattened on 

 the back and more or less 

 bicarinate and two-toothed 

 at the narrowed apex; the 

 second somewhat rounded 

 on the back, sharply acu- 

 minate-pointed, and more or 

 less ke&led above; the third 

 empty and usually hyaline, 

 awnless; the fourth awned 

 and enclosing a hermaphro- 

 dite flower. Palea usually 

 much shorter than its glume, 

 nerveless; lodicules cune- 

 ate, ciliate, or naked. Tall, 

 . Nash. Densely- reed-like, perennials, with 



flowered Plume Grass, -a, A spikelet; b. first glume; c, t y. p cnilrplpf-^ in manv- 

 Becond glume; d. third glume; e, fourth or flowering Ule ^PI^cicl;. " m "J 



glume; /, lodicules. (Div. Agros. U. 8 Dept. Agrl.) j ; nt:ec [ racemes, which are 



sessile along the main axis, forming an ample terminal and usually 

 woolly panicle. 



