618 GRAMINE.E. (GRASS FAMILY.) 



67. PHRAGMITES, Triu. KEED. 



Large perennial marsh grasses, with broad flat leaves, and a large terminal 

 diffuse panicle. Spikelets 3 - 6-flowered, with the rachis bearded with long 

 silky hairs. Lowest floret with a single stamen and imperfect ovary, naked ; 

 the others triaudrous and perfect, villous at the base. Glumes unequal, 

 pointed. Flowering glume narrowly awl-shaped, 23 times as long as the 

 2-cleft palea. Stigmas 2. Grain free. 



1. P. COmmunis, Trin. Culms 5-8 high; leaves numerous, l'-2' 

 wide ; panicle diffuse, nodding ; spikelets 3 - 5-flowered, about as long as the 

 white hairs of the rachis. Deep river marshes near the coast. Sept. 



68. DISTICHLIS, Raf. SPIKE GRASS. 



A low and rigid perennial dioecious grass, growing in saline marshes, with 

 linear-subulate involute distichous leaves, and many-flowered compressed spike- 

 lets, crowded in a nearly simple spike. Glumes smooth, somewhat coriaceous, 

 obtuse, compressed, not keeled ; the flowering ones many-nerved. Stamens 3. 

 Stigmas 2. Grain oblong, free. 



1. D. maritima, Raf. Rootstocks long and creeping; culms lhigh; 

 leaves spreading, rigid, 2' -4' long, smooth, like the imbricated sheaths; 

 spikelets oblong, 7 - 1 5-flowered. Low sandy shores and marshes. August - 

 Sept. 



69. MONANTHOCHLOE, Engelm. 



A low maritime perennial grass, with very short and rigid crowded leaves, 

 and dioecious flowers. Spikelets terminal, sessile, 3 -5-flowered. Empty 

 glumes like the leaves, the flowering ones membranaceous, enclosing the 

 palet and stamens or pistils, the uppermost flower abortive. Stamens 3. 

 Styles 2, shorter than the plumose stigmas. Grain free. 



1. M. littoralis, Engelm. Low sandy shores, South Florida. Culms 

 much branched, 5' -8' high, smooth and rigid, erect, or at length prostrate 

 and rooting ; leaves 3" long, obtuse, many-nerved, mostly crowded at the 

 summit of the short branches, and enclosing the short (3"- 4") sessile spikes. 



70. LOLIUM, L. DARNEL. 



Spikelets many-flowered, sessile, compressed, the edge applied to the con- 

 tinuous rachis. Glumes 2 in the terminal spikelet, in the others only one, and 

 bract-like. Flowering glumes rigid, concave, awned below the apex. Sta- 

 mens 3. Grain adherent. 



1. L. temulentum, L. Culm stout (2 high) ; rachis (1 long) flexu- 

 ous; glume rigid, many-nerved, longer than the 5-flowered spikelet; flowering 

 glume awned under the scarious obtuse apex. Grain fields, North Carolina. 

 Introduced. (T). 



2. L. perenne,L. Culms slender (J-H); rachis (6' -8' long) straight; 

 glume rigid, many-nerved, shorter than the 8- 10-flowered spikelet; flower- 

 ing glume awnless or short-awned at the scarious emargiuate apex. Waste 

 ground. Introduced. July. (l). 



