218 



ORDER CXL. GRAM1NKJS GRASS-FAMILY. 



2. T. repens. 



Couch Grass. 



Culm erect, arising from a creeping rhizoma ; leaves linear-lanceolate, some- 

 what rough or hairy above ; spike compressed ; spikelets remote, alternate, 4 8 

 flowered ; glumes 5 7-veined, lanceolate ; awn none, or not half the length of 

 the flower. A naturalized species, growing as a weed in gardens, where it pro- 

 pagates rapidly by its creeping root-stalks, and is extremely difficult to eradi- 

 cate. Culm 12 ft. high. June Aug. Per. 



21. SEClLE. 



Spikelets 2 3-flowered, spicate, each attached to a single 

 point of the rachis ; lower flowers sessile and opposite ; upper 

 often abortive. Glumes subulate, opposite, shorter than the 

 flowers. Lower palea ciliate on the keel and margin, tipped with 

 a very long awn ; upper often 2-toothed at apex. An. 



1. S. cereale. 



Eye. 



Culm tall, erect, slender, hairy below the spike ; leaves rough above and on 

 the margin, glaucous ; spike, long, compressed ; awns long and straight. A very 

 valuable grain, universally cultivated. Culm 3 6 ft. high, with a spike 3' 5' 

 long. June. 



22. L&LIUM. 



Spikelets many-flowered, sessile, solitary, placed edgewise on 

 the rachis. Glume single, except in the terminal spikelet. 

 Paleae nearly equal ; lower one awned or mucronate ; upper 

 mostly 2-toothed. 



1. L. perenne. 



Darnel. 



Culm erect, smooth; leaves linear -lanceolate, light-green; spikelets 7 9- 

 flowered, alternate, in 2 opposite rows ; lower palea usually awnless, sometimes 

 short-awned. A not uncommon grass, 1 2 ft. high, in meadows and pastures. 

 June. Per. 



23. SLYMUS. 



Spikelets 2 6-flowered, attached, 24 together at each joint 

 of the rachis. Glumes 2, side by side, and not opposite, nearly 

 equal, subulate. Lower palea convex on the back, mostly awned 

 at apex. Per. 



1. E. Virginicus. 



Wild Eye. 



Calm erect, stout, smooth ; leaves broad-linear, rough, deep green ; spike 

 erect, rigid, thick, on a short peduncle, which Is usually sheathed ; spikelets 

 mostly in pairs, 2 3-flowered, smooth; glumes rough, lanceolate, tipped 

 with a short awn, thickened at base, as long as the flowers ; lower palea with 

 a short awn. A coarse, rough grass, 2 4 ft. high, somewhat resembling Eye. 

 Very common ia damp thickets and along rivers. Aug. 



2. E. Canadensis. 



Nodding Eye-Grass. 



Culm erect, rather stout; leaves broad-linear, dark-green or glaucous; spike 

 loose, somewhat nodding above the middle, on an exserted peduncle ; spikelets 

 mostly in pairs, 2 5-flowered ; flowers hairy and rough ; glumes lance-subu- 

 late, short-awned; lower palea tipped with a long awn. Common on rich, low 

 banks of rivers. Culm 85 ft. high. July Aug. 



3. E. hystrix. Lyme Grass. 



Culm erect, smooth ; spike erect, very loose ; rachis flexuons ; spikelets 2 

 8-flowered, 2 together, in remote, diverging clusters, quickly deciduous; glume 

 none, or minute and awn -like ; lower palea tipped with along awn, twice the 

 length of the flowers. A conspicuous grass, 24 ft high, common in moist 

 and rocky woods, and at once distinguished by its remote pairs of diverging, 

 long-awned splkelets, which are almost horizontal. July. 



24 H6BDEUM. 



Spikelets 1-flowered, with an awn-like, rudiment at base on the 

 inner side, 3 at each joint of the rachis ; lateral ones often abor- 

 tive. Glumes 2, side by side, and not opposite, subulate. Lower 

 palea long-awned at apex. Grain adherent to the palese. 



I. H. vulgare. 



Barley. 



Culm erect, smooth ; leaves broad-linear, nearly smooth ; spike erect, thick ; 

 epikelets all fertile ; glumes shorter than the flowers ; lower palea very long- 

 awned ; fruit arranged in 46 rows. A grain frequently cultivated for malting. 

 Culm 28 ft. high. May. An. 



2. H. distichum. Two-rowed Barley. 



Culm erect ; leaves broad-linear.rough above ; spike linear, compressed, lateral 



spikelets abortive, destitute of awns ; lower palea long-awned ; fruit in 2 rows. 

 Another species cultivated for the same purposes as the last, distinguished by 

 its 2-rowed spikes of fruit. Culm 23 ft. high. June. An. 



25. AlRA. 



Spikelets 2-flowered, in an open panicle, both flowers perfect. 

 Glumes 2, nearly equal, longer than the flowers. Palese nearly 

 equal, hairy at base ; lower palea nerved, awned on the back 

 below the middle. 



1. A. flexuosa. ' Hair Grass. 



Culm erect, slender, smooth, nearly naked ; leaves mostly radical and tufted 

 at base, setaceous, involute; panicle open, loose, with spreading, capillary 

 branches, which are mostly in pairs ; glumes no longer than the flowers; awn 

 geniculate, longer than the glumes. An elegant grass, growing in tufts, on dry 

 hill-sides, 1 3 ft high. Very common. June, Per. 



26. DANTII6NIA. 



Spikelets 3 8-flowered, in a spicate panicle. Glumes 2, longer 

 than the flowers. Lower palea nerved, 2-toothed at apex, with a 

 twisted awn arising from between the teeth ; upper palea obtuse, 

 entire. Per. 



1. D. spicata. 



Oat Grass. 



Culms slender, erect, ascending, tufted ; leaves mostly radical, setaceous, 

 somewhat involute ; cauline leaves much shorter than the radical ones, erect, 

 with sheaths hairy at the throat; panicle slender, contracted, like a raceme, 

 somewhat secund, with simple branches, bearing a few, appressed, 7-flowered 

 apikelets; lower palea hairy, with a twisted awn twice its length. A common 

 grass, growing in tufts in dry fields and open woods. Culm 1 2 ft high. June 

 July. 



27. A VENA. 



Spikelets 2 7-flowered in panicles ; uppermost flower im- 

 perfect. Glumes 2, large and somewhat unequal. Lower palea 

 rounded on the back, nerved, 2-toothed at apex, with a twisted or 

 bent awn on the back. 



1. A. sativa. Oat. 



Culm erect, smooth ; leaves broad-linear, rough above ; panicle loose, with 

 slender, drooping branchlets ; spikelets 2 4-flowered, on slender, drooping pe- 

 duncles; lower flower awned, rarely both awnless ; upper palea closely invest- 

 ing the grain. A very valuable grain, universally cultivated. Culm 2 3 ft 

 high. It varies with awnless flowers, and blackish grains. June. An. 



28. H6LCUS. 



Spikelets 2 3-flowered, in a contracted panicle. Flowers 

 pedicellate, shorter than the glume ; lowest flower neutral, often 

 wanting; middle flower perfect, awnless; upper staminate, with 

 its lower palea awned on the back. Per. 



1. H. lanatus. 



Velvet Grass. 



Culm and broad-linear leaves pale green, covered with soft, velvety down ; 

 panicle oblong, dense-flowered, whitish, tinged with purple ; staminate upper 

 flower with a recurved, short awn. A quite common grass, in wet meadows, 

 distinguished by the soft pubescence of its culm and leaves ; 10' 20' high. 

 June July. 



29. AKTHOXANTHUM. 



Spikelets 3-flowered, in a spicate panicle; lateral flowers neu- 

 tral, consisting of 1 hairy palea, awned on the back ; central 

 flower perfect, with 2 short, awnless palese, and 2 stamens. 

 Glumes 2, very unequal, the upper one larger and equaling the 

 flowers. Per. 



1. A. odoratum. Sweet-vernal Grass. 



Culm erect, slender; leaves short, pale-green ; panicle spicate, oblong, with 

 short, nearly simple branches ; spikelets pubescent, green, mostly tinged with 

 brown ; palcte of the lateral flowers ciliate on the margin, one with a bent awn 

 near the base ; the other with a short, straight awn below the tip. A common, 

 early grass, very fragrant when drying ; found in fields and meadows. Culm 

 8' 15' high. May June. 



80. PHALAKIS. 



Spikelets in dense panicles, with 1 perfect flower, antf 2 

 neutral, abortive rudiments at base. Glumes 2, equal, lonj- r 



