GRAMINAOF^F. 419 



branous ; albumen farinaceous. Stem (culm) cylindric, usually 

 hollow and closed at the joints, sometimes solid. Leaves nar- 

 row and undivided, alternate, with a split sheath, and a mem- 

 branous expansion (ligule) at the junction of the stalk and blade. 

 Flowers green, in small spikelets, arranged in a spiked racemed 

 or panicled manner. 



I. ORYZEJE. Spikelets either one-floicered, with the glumes mostly 

 abortive, or 2 3-flowered, one or loth of the lower flowers with a single 

 palea and neutral, the terminal one fertile. Palea somewhat coriaceous. 

 Stamens 1 6. 



1. LEERSIA. Swartz. White Grass. 

 (Named in honor of J. D. Leers, a German botanist.) 

 Spikelets 1 -flowered, compressed. Glumes none> Palese 2, 

 compressed-carinate, awnless ; lower one much broader. Sta- 

 mens 3 6, rarely solitary. Panicle simple or branched. 



1. L. Viginica Willd. : panicle simple, the lower branches spreading ; 

 flowers appressed, monandrous, sparingly ciliate on the keel, 



Wet woods. Can. to Car. W. to Ohio. Aug. Vl.Culm 2 i feet high, 

 slender, branched, geniculate, erect or decumbent. Leaves linear-lanceolate, 

 rough. Panicle terminal, at length much exserted ; branches few and solitary. 



Virginian White-grass. 



2. L. oryzoides Swartz : panicle branched, diffuse, often sheathed at base ; 

 spikelets rather spreading ; flowers triandrous ; palese strongly ciliate on the 

 keel. 



Ditches and swamps. Throughout the U. S. Aug. Sept. 1\ . Root creep- 

 ing. Culm 3 5 feet high, geniculate, rough. Leaves lanceolate, acuminate, 

 very rough, with hooked prickles. Panicle with many widely spreading and 

 flexuous branches. A worthless grass. Cut-grass. 



2. ZIZANIA. Linn.^ Wild Rice. 

 (A Greek name, supposed to have been originally applied to Lolium perenne.) 



Monoecious. Spikelets one-flowered. STERILE. FL. Glumes 

 none, or only rudimentary. Palese 2, herbaceous, concave, 

 nearly equal, awnless. Stamens 6. PERFECT. FL. Glumes none. 

 Paleee 2, herbaceous ; lower one longer, oblong, keeled, termi- 

 nating in a straight awn. Styles 2, short. Pnnicle large, ter- 

 minal. 



1. Z. aquafica Linn.: panicle pyramidal; lower branches spreading, 

 sterile; upper branches nearly erect, fertile; spikelets on clavate pedicels ; 

 awns long ; caryopsis slender, linear. Z. clavidosa Micfi. 



Swamps and overflowed banks. Can. to Flor. W. to Miss. Aug. % 

 Culm 4 8 feet high, stout, terete, smooth. Leaves very long, broad-linear. 

 Panicle terminal, a foot or more long, with verticillate branches. 



Wild Rice. Water Oat*. 



