POACEAE 113 



2. Homalocenchrus Virginfcus (Willd.) Britton. Stems 6-13 dm. tall, slender, 

 pubescent at the nodes, finally much branched : leaves rough ; blades erect or ascending, 3- 

 20 cm. long, 2-11 mm. wide : panicle 6-20 cm. long, its branches finally spreading, slender, 

 4-9 cm. long, single at the nodes: spikelets 2.5-3.5 mm. long, 1-1.3 mm. broad, aculeate 

 on the keels, hispidulous on the surface : stamens 2. 



In moist places and low woods, Maine and Ontario to Dakota, Florida and Texas. Spring to fall. 

 WHITE GRASS. 



3. Homalocenchrus hexandrus (Sw. ) Kuntze. Stems slender, weak, 6-10 dm. long, 

 rooting at the lower nodes : leaves exceedingly rough ; blades flat, erect, 3-15 cm. long, 

 3-6 mm. wide : panicle 4-8 cm. long, its branches ascending, 1.5-4 cm. long : spikelets 

 4-4.5 mm. long, 1.25-1.5 mm. broad, the keels strongly aculeate, the hairs increasing in 

 length toward the apex, the surface of the scales hispidulous : stamens 6. 



In water, North Carolina to Florida and Texas. Also in tropical America. Spring and summer. 



4. Homalocenchrus oryzoides (L. ) Poll. Stems 8-15 dm. tall, often rooting at the 

 lower nodes : leaves very rough ; blades 6-20 cm. long, 5-13 mm. wide, ascending: panicle 

 1-2 dm. long, often partially included at the base, its branches ascending or spreading, the 

 longer 6-10 cm. long : spikelets 4-4.5 mm. long, about 1.5 mm. broad, the keels aculeate, 

 the surface hispidulous : stamens 3. 



In wet places and swamps, Nova Scotia and Ontario to Washington, Florida, Texas and California. 

 Also in Europe and Asia. Summer and fall. RICE CUT GRASS. 



5. Homalocenchrus lenticularis (Michx. ) Scribn. Stems 2-12 dm. tall: leaves 

 rough ; blades 8-30 cm. long, 8-20 mm. wide : panicle 6-20 cm. long, its branches spread- 

 ing, 2-8 cm. long : spikelets 4.5-5 mm. long, 3-3.5 mm. broad, keels strongly aculeate, the 

 surface glabrous or sparingly hispidulous : stamens 2. 



In marshes and wet places, Virginia to Florida, and from Illinois and Missouri to Louisiana. 

 Summer and fall. CATCH-FLY GRASS. 



49. PHALARIS L. 



Annual or perennial grasses, with flat leaf -blades and terminal panicles which are cylin- 

 dric and spike-like, capitate, or densely thyrsoid and somewhat interrupted. Spikelets 

 articulated above the empty scales, compressed, 1-flowered, crowded. Scales 5, the 2 lower 

 persistent, larger than the rest, thin-paleaceous, compressed-keeled, the keel usually more 

 or less winged, sometimes wingless, awnless, third and fourth scales shorter, very thin and 

 narrowly lanceolate, sometimes reduced to bristles, or rarely one of them wanting ; a fifth 

 scale chartaceous, at length indurated, awnless, sometimes pointed, obscurely 3-5-nerved, 

 the midnerve sometimes obsolete, enclosing a faintly 2-nerved palet of similar texture and 

 a perfect flower. Stamens 3. Styles distinct. Stigmas plumose. 



Outer scales of the spikelet not winged. 1. P. arundinacea. 



Outer scales of the spikelet manifestly winged. 



Third and fourth scales of the spikelet very small, the blade barely if at all 



manifest. 



Spikelets about 4 mm. long : panicle ovoid or oval to oblong, if the latter ex- 

 ceeding 1 cm. in diameter. 2. P. Caroliniana. 

 Spikelets 5-6 mm. long : panicle linear, cylindric, less than 1 cm. in diameter. 3. P. angusta. 

 Third and fourth scales large, the blade broad and manifest. 4. P. Canariensis. 



1. Fhalaris arundinacea L. Stems erect, 6-15 dm. tall : leaf-blades 1-2.5 dm. long, 

 6-14 mm. wide, smooth or rough : panicle 7-20 cm. long, its branches erect or ascending : 

 spikelets 5-6 mm. long. 



In moist or wet soil, Nova Scotia and British Columbia to Maryland, Tennessee, Kansas, Arizona 

 and California. Summer and fall. 



2. Phalaris Caroliniana Walt. Stems 3-12 dm. tall, erect, or sometimes decumbent 

 at the base : leaf-blades 5-15 cm. long, 4-10 mm. wide, smooth or rough : panicle 1-10 

 cm. long, ovoid, oval to oblong : spikelets 5-6 mm. long. 



In moist soil, South Carolina, Missouri and southern California to Florida and Texas. Summer. 



3. Phalaris angusta Nees. Stems erect, 8-14 dm. tall : leaf-blades rough, 2 dm. 

 long or less, 5-10 mm. wide, acuminate : panicle 6-10 cm. long, cylindric, less than 1 cm. 

 in diameter : spikelets about 4 mm. long. 



In moist soil, South Carolina and Louisiana. Spring and summer. 



4. Phalaris Canariensis L. Stems 3-9 dm. tall, erect : leaf-blades 5-30 cm. long, 

 4-12 mm. wide, very rough : panicle ovoid or oblong, 1.5-4 cm. long, 1-2 cm. in diam- 

 eter : spikelets 6-8 mm. long. 



In waste places, Nova Scotia and Ontario to Georgia and Nebraska. Naturalized from Europe. 

 Summer. CANARY GRASS. 



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