GRASSES OF IOWA. 



165 



DESCRIPTION. 



Indian Reed Grass. A tali, 

 leafy grass, 3 to 7 feet (6- 



15 dm.) high, with simple 

 culms and ample, terminal 

 panicles. Nodes usually cov- 

 ered by the smooth sheaths; li- 

 gule i\ lines (5 mm.) long, 

 leaf blade spreading, 5 to 10 

 inches (10-20 cm.) long, 3 to 

 b lines (6-12 mm.) wide, 

 scabrous on the margins. Pan- 

 icles b to 15 inches (12-30 

 cm.) long, rather densely flow- 

 ered, the branches erect. spread- 

 ing. Spikelets much longer 

 than the pedicels, appressed to 

 the branches (at least in 

 fruit) ; empty glumes narrow- 

 lanceolate, very acute, un- 

 equal, the second longer than 

 the first, and 3-nerved ; flower- 

 ing glume about the length of 

 the second glume, obtuse and 

 hyaline at the tip, 3-nerved, the 

 mid-nerve excurrent just below 

 the apex into a very short awn 

 or mucro. Palca shorter than 

 its glume, 1 -nerved and keeled 



or sometimes with two closely approximate nerves. July to September. 

 Cinna arundinacea is most abundant in northern Iowa, occurring 



in woods. It grows in dense patches, and is an excellent forage plant. 



FlG. 117. Cinna arundinacea— a., b, spike- 

 lets; c, same with the empty glumes removed. 

 (Div. of Agros. U. S. Dept. Agrl. ) 



DISTRIBUTION. 



Iowa. Mason City, 3130 (Miss King and Brown) ; Woodbine 

 (Burgess) ; Steamboat Rock, 3166 and 3027 (Miss King) ; Columbus 

 Junction 15 10, Marshall town 1080 and 1097 (Pammel) ; Boone 

 (Carver) ; Creston (Harsh) ; Iowa Lake 774, Emmet County 639 

 (Pammel and Cratty) ;Ames (Crozier, Kaufman, Bessey. Fisher, Hitch- 

 cock) ; Clinton (Pammel) ; Greenfield (Stewart) ; Dallas Center, 921 



