GRAMINH^. (grass FAMILY.) 875 



along tlie branches of the panicle; flowerets perfect; axis jointed. 

 Glumes unequal. Lower pale keeled, acute, bidenticulate at tip, and 

 the keel produced into a straight mucro; upper pale 2-keelcd, bifid at 

 tip — Tall herbs with aspect of the Haifa (Eragrostis cynosuroides), but 

 with a branching panicle. 



I>. fusca, L. If Abu-er-Rulcbeh. Abu-en-NcCjeh. Seif{in. Khirs. 

 .6 to 1; root-stock creeping; culms prostrate at base, geniculate-as- 

 cending, then erect, leafy to near base of panicle. Leaves linear, acu- 

 minate, scabrous. Panicle oblong, .15 to .2 long, .05 to .06 broad, 

 branches somewhat remote, ascending, bearing spikelets from base; 

 pedicels almost ; spikelets brownish-green, oblong-linear, 5-9-flower- 

 ed; glumes lanceolate-linear, scabrous at keel, the lower half as long 

 as upper; lower pale linear-lanceolate, bidentate a little below tip) 

 mucronulate in sinus — Wet meadows; Syrian coast to Egypt. 



54. ARUNDO, L. Reed, qa.ah. 

 Spikelets 2-7-flowered, laterally compressed, the flowerets perfect, 

 the uppermost tabescent or reduced to a stalk. Glumes 2, membranous, 

 concave, nearly equal. Axis glabrous. Pales membranous, the lower 

 silky-hairy, (ours) bifid at tip with a short awn at sinus ; upper pale 

 much shorter and narrower, 2-keeled, truncate and sometimes 2-toothed 

 at tip — Tall grasses, growing in swamps, and by streams. 



A, Doiiax, L. 11 Persian Reed. Bus Fdrisi. Bus Hejni. Qa- 

 sah Fdrisi. 5 to 6; root-stock creeping, tuber-bearing; culms .02 or 

 inore thick at base, woody. Leaves lanceolate-linear, .5 to 1 long, .02 

 to .08 broad at base, smooth at margins. Panicle thyrsoid, .4 long, .05 

 to .08 broad, ichite, spreading in flower; spikelets 3-4-flowered ; gkimes 

 oblong-lanceolate, with scabrous keel; lower pale somewhat longer 

 than glumes, the hairs as long as glumes — July to December — Com- 

 mon throughout. Probably the '' reed shaken by the wind." (Mt. xi, 7.) 



55. PHRAGMITES, Trin. Reed. 



Spikelets 3-7-flowered, laterally compressed, the lower floweret of 

 the spikelet staminate, the others perfect. Axis bearded with long 

 hairs. Glumes unequal, keeled, acute, shorter than flowerets. Pales 

 membranous, glabrous, the lower lanceolate, long-acuminate, the upper 

 one-third as long, 2-keeled — Tall grasses growing in stagnant waters 

 and marshes. 



FIi. communis, Trin. 2£ Olidh. Ilejii. Bus. 

 Teneimi. T dghdmineh. 1 to 4; root-stock long, creep- 

 ing; culms .01 or more thick at base, woody, leafy. 

 Leaves firm, 2-ranked, lanceolate, .01 to .03 broad at 

 base, rough at margins. Panicle .2 to .3 long, .05 to 

 .08 broad, hroion or yellowish ; glumes lanceolate, the 

 lower halj as long as the upper — September to 

 December. 



Var. I§iacus, Coss. Taller. Leaves often very 

 broad. Panicle broader — - Common in marshes, even pi"ay,niter7om!nu-^ 



in oases of deserts. ni's. 2 diameters. 



Var. stciiopliyllus, Boiss. Leaves slunter, narrower, linear, 

 often convolute and pungent — Sands, especially along coast, and in 

 salt marshes ^ common. 



