34 GRASSES OF IOWA. 



5. ANDROPOGON NUTANS. 



Andropogon nutans L. Larason-Scribner. Grasses of Term. Bull. 

 Univ. Term. Agrl. Exp Sta. 7: 26. /. 12. 1894. 



Andropogon nutans avenaceus (Michx. ) Hack. Beal. Grasses of N. Am. 

 2: 59 1896. Lamson-Scribner. Am. Grasses. Bull. U. S. Dept. Agrl. Div. 

 Agros. 7: 21. /. 15, 1900. (3 ed.) 



Chrysopogon avenaceus (Michx.) Benth. Nash in Britton and Brown, 

 111. Fl. N. States and Can. 1: 104. /. 224. 1896. 



Chrysopogon avenaceus Benth. Jour. Linn. Soc. 19: 73. 1881. 



Chrysopogon nutans Benth. Watson and Coulter in Gray Man. Bot. 

 638. 1890 (6ed.) 



Andropogon avenaceus Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. 1:58. 1803. 



Sorghum, avenaceus Chap . Fl. Southern States. . c 83. 1860. 



Sorghum nutans A. Gray. Man. 617. 1848. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Indian Grass. Culms simple, 3 to 5 feet (7-12 dm.) high, 

 terete, smooth, often bearded at the nodes. Sheaths smooth, extend- 

 ing into a rigid ligule 1 to 3 lines (2-0 mm.) long; leaf-blade nar- 

 rowly lanceolate, 3 to 8 lines wide, 10 inches to 2 feet (2-5 dm.) 

 long, narrowed at the base and tapering into a long, slender apex. 

 Panicle 6 to 12 lines (1-2^ cm.) long, lax, or sometimes rather 

 densely flowered, nodding at the apex ; primary branches solitary, 

 straight ascending, repeatedly branching from the base; ultimate 

 branches filiform, and a little pilose below the spikelets, straight, or 

 somewhat flexuose. Racemes short, 1 to 4-jointed, bearing one to four 

 spikelets, joints filiform, flexuose, shorter than the spikelets, ciliate. 

 Spikelets 3 to 4 lines (6-8 mm.) long, shining, usually pale reddish 

 brown (sometimes very dark brown) lanceolate; first glume coriaceous, 

 more or less pilose, broadly lanceolate or narrowly oblong, apex trun- 

 cate, flat or slightly convex on the back, 5 to Q-nerved, margins subinvo- 

 lute; callus short, obtuse, white-barbate; second glume similar in tex- 

 ture, narrower, fewer nerved and a little longer than the first, obtuse 

 or with a depressed triangular apex; third glume as long as the first, 

 hyaline, nerveless, obtuse, ciliate on the margins; fourth glume a little 

 shorter than the third, ovate-lanceolate, three-nerved, ciliate, apex biden- 

 tate or bifid, awned between the divisions. Palea small, fringed at the 

 broad apex, sometimes wanting. Pedicel very slender, plumose, 

 shorter than the sessile spikelet, to which it is appressed. Dry fields, 



