800 ORDER 156. GRAMItfE^E. 



44. UNTOLA, L. UNION GRASS. (Diminutive from Lat. unus, one ; 

 many flowers in one spikelet.) Spikelets compressed, 2-edged, 3 to 

 JO-flowered : lower flower or fls. neutral, of one pale ; glumes 2, cari- 

 nate ; lower pale flattened and wing-keeled, the upper double wing- 

 keeled, both awnless ; stam. 1 or 3 ; caryopsis free. 2 Smooth, erect, 

 Hat-leaved grasses. 



Spikelets on slender pedicels, Irirsc, elliptic. Pales unequal. Stamen 1 Xo. 1 



Spikelets subsessile, large (6 to 16" long). Pales about equal Nos. 2, '4 



small (2 to 3" long). Pales very unequal No. 4 



1 IT. latifolia MX. Culm 2 to 4f, smooth, subsimple ; Ivs. 8 to 18' by G to 12'', 

 lance-linear, glabrous, rough-edged ; sheaths longer than the internodes : panicle 

 loose, 8 12' long, nodding; Spikelets all on long peduncles, about 10" long, 

 ovate, flat, about 10-flowered ; glumes unequal, near twice shorter than the fls. 

 Dry woods, middle and "Western States. Singularly elegant and showy. Aug. 



2 IT. paniculata L. SEA-SIDE OATS. Culm 4 to 8f; Ivs. narrow, convolute, 

 very long ; sheaths fringed at the throat ; pan. large and spreading ; spikelets ovate, 

 short-pediceled, 12 to 10-flowered, several of the lower fls. neutral; pales about 

 equal; the lower 9-veined, obtuse; stam. 3. Sand hills along the coast, Va. to 

 Fla. A tall rank grass. JL, Aug. 



3 U. nitida Baldw. Culm very slender, wiry, branched below, 2 to 5f; Ivs. 

 narrow, 2 to 4" wide ; pan. slender and spike-like or with several spike-liko 

 spreading branches; spikelets subsessile, broader than long, about 1 -flowered, the 2 

 or 3 lower and the 1 highest abortive ; pales about equal, long-pointed, the upper 

 re-incurved at base-; stam. 1. Ga. to La. Whole plant very smooth and shining. 

 Jn., JL 



4 U. gracilis MX. Culm slender, leafy, 3 to 4f; Ivs. broadly-linear, tapering to 

 a slender point, flat, 12 to 18' long; sheaths shorter than the joints; pan. long 

 racemous, branches solitary, short, remote, erect ; spikelets with about 3 fertile 

 Us.; lower pale spreading, longer than the upper; glumes rigid, acute. Sea- 

 coasts, N. Y. to Ga. and La. Aug. 



45. PHRAG'MITES Trin. REED. Spikelets 3 to 6-flowered, the 

 lowest flower sterile and monandrous ; rachis beset with long, silky 

 hairs ; glumes 2, acute, keeled, very unequal ; lower pale subulate, 

 silky-villous at base (except in the lowest flower) ; stam. 3 ; style 2 ; 

 caryopsis free. 2 Grasses tall, with broad, flat Ivs. and a large, diffuse 

 panicle. 



P. communis Trin. Culm smooth, stout, erect, G 12f high, often an inch in 

 diameter at base; Ivs. lanceolate, 1 2f by 1 2', rough-edged, smooth and glau- 

 cous ; panicle large and loosely branched, branches in half whorls, rather erect, 

 slender; spikelets 3 5-flowered, very slender, erect; glumes shorter than the 

 flowers which are of a dark hue, with tufts of white, silky hairs, about as long as 

 the paleas. If Swamps and about ponds, Mass, to 111. and Con. July. (Arundo 

 Phragmites L., ed. 2.) 



46. ARUNDINA'RIA Rich. CANE. Spikelets compressed, 5 to 12- 

 flowered; flowers imbricated, distant; glumes 2, small, awnless ; lower 

 pale ovate, acuminate-mucronate, not carinate ; stamens 3 ; stigmas 3 ; 

 plumous ; scales 3, entire ; caryopsis free, deciduous. If! Grasses shrubby 

 or arborescent, often branched, the branches verticillate-fascicled. Fls. 

 both perfect and staminate. 



A. macrosperma MX. Culm woody, from strong, running rhizomes; Ivs. 

 linear-lanceolate, smooth, glaucous, all dimensions from 1' by 3" to If by 2' ; 

 sheaths fringed at throat ; flowering branches mostly arising from the rootstocks, 

 6 to 12' or 18' high, with sheaths only, bearing 1 to several large (1 to 2-J') spike- 

 lets; pales herbaceous, 8" long. In swampy soils, throughout the S. States. The 

 fertile plants are small and inconspicuous, while the barren arise 15 to 2 5f in th 



