G70 GRAMINE.E. (GRASS FAMILY.) 



the back or compressed-keeled, 5-9-nerved, awned or bristle-pointed from 

 below the mostly 2-cleft tip ; palet at length adhering to the groove of the 

 oblong or linear grain. Stamens 3. Styles attached below the apex of the 

 ovary. Coarse grasses, with large spikelets, at length drooping, on pedicels 

 thickened at the apex. (An ancient name for the Uat, from /3p6fi.os,food.) 



1. Flowering glume oblong, turgid, and convex on the back; the flowers imbri- 

 cated over one another before expansion ; lower empty glume distinctly 3-5- 

 nerved, the upper 5 - ^-nerved. 



* Perennial; indigenous. Lower glume strongly 3-nerved, the upper 5-nerved. 



1. B. Kalmii, Gray. (WILD CHESS.) Culm slender (H-3 high); 

 leaves and sheaths conspicuously or sparingly hairy ; panicle simple, small 

 (3-4' long) ; spikelets drooping on capillary peduncles, closely 7 - 12-flowered, 

 densely silky all over; awn only one third the length of the lance-oblong 

 flower ; flowering glume 7 - 9-nerved, much longer and larger than the palet. 

 Dry ground, N. Eng. to Penn., Mo., Minn., and northward. June, July. 



* * Annuals or biennials, introduced into grain-fields, or rarely in waste grounds. 



B. SECALINUS, L. (CHEAT or CHESS.) (PI. 10, fig. 1, 2.) Panicle spread- 

 ing, even in fruit, the drooping peduncles little branched ; spikelets oblong- 

 ovate, turgid, smooth, of 8-10 rather distant flowers; glume rather longer 

 than the palet, short-awned or awnless ; sheaths nearly glabrous. Too com- 

 mon in wheat-fields. June, July. (Adv. from Eu.) 



B. MOLLIS, L. (SOFT CHESS.) Whole plant downy; panicle more erect, 

 contracted in fruit; spikelets conical-ovate, somewhat flattened ; flowers closely 

 imbricated ; glume acute, equalling the awn. Wheat-fields, N. Y. to Va. ; 

 scarce. June. (Adv. from Eu.) 



B. RACEM6sus, L. (UPRIGHT CHESS.) Very similar to the last, but nearly 

 glabrous or the sheaths sometimes hairy ; glumes glabrous aiid shining. 

 (Adv. from Eu.) 



2. Flowering glume somewhat convex, but keeled and laterally more or less com- 

 pressed, at least above ; flowers soon separating from each other ; lower empty 

 glume l-nerved, the upper 3-nerved, or with an obscure additional pair. 

 * Perennial, tall (3-5 high) ; flowers oblong or lanceolate. 



2. B. ciliatus, L. Panicle compound, very loose, the elongated branches 

 at length divergent, drooping; spikelets 7 - 1 2-flowered ; flowering glume 

 tipped with an awn ^-f its length, silky with appressed hairs near the mar- 

 gins, at least below (or rarely naked), smooth or smoothish on the back ; 

 or, in var. PI^RGANS, Gray, clothed all over with short and fine appressed 

 hairs. River-banks and moist woodlands; common. July, Aug. Culm 

 and large leaves (3 - 6" wide) smooth or somewhat hairy ; the sheaths in the 

 larger forms often hairy or densely downy near the top.' Variable, comprising 

 several forms. 



B. ASPER, L. Culm slender and panicle smaller; spikelets 5-9-flowered; 

 glume linear-lanceolate, scarcely keeled, hairy near the margins, rather longer 

 than the awn ; sheaths and lower leaves hairy or downy. N. Brunswick to 

 Mich, and Ky. (Nat. from Eu.) 



* * Annual or biennial; flowers slender; palet pectinate-ciliate on the nerves. 



B. STERILIS, L. Culm glabrous ; leaves rather downy ; panicle open ; 

 spikelets on elongated nearly straight simple peduncles, of 5-9 rather distant 

 7-nerved roughish linear-awl-sliaped long-awned flowers (awn 1" long). 

 Waste places and river-banks, E.Liass. to Penn. ; rare. June. (Nat. from Eu.) 



