No. 14.] FLOWERING PLANTS AND FERNS. 59 



The seeds are used as food for cage birds, and mixed with 

 wheat or rye are also used in some countries for bread making. 



Phalaris arundinacea L. (reed-like). 



Reed Canary Grass. Sword Grass. Spires Grass. 



In swamps and along streams. Rare or occasional in the 

 western part of the state ; becoming frequent eastward. June 

 —July. 



The var. picta L. (painted), Ribbon Grass, is a horti- 

 cultural form often cultivated for ornament, and it sometimes 

 escapes to roadsides and waste places. The variety is intro- 

 duced from Europe. 



A striking grass adapted for planting in wet ground. 



ANTHOXANTHUM L. Sweet \'ernal Grass. 



Anthoxanthum odoratum L. (fragrant). 

 Sweet Vernal Grass. 



Common. Roadsides, fields, meadows, borders of woods 

 and in waste places. May — June. Native of Europe. 



Very fragrant in drying. Used in basket making. 



HIEROCHLOE R. Br. Holy Grass. 

 Hierochloe odorata (L.) Wahlenb. (fragrant). 

 Hierocliloe borealis R. & S. 

 Savastana odorata Scribn. 

 Savastana Nashii Bicknell. 

 Vanilla or Seneca Grass. 



Rare or occasional inland: Franklin (R. W. Woodward), 

 Southington (Andrews), Southbury (Eames & Harger), 

 Sherman (Eames & E. H. Austin), Salisbury (Mrs. C. S. 

 Phelps). Becoming frequent about the borders of salt and 

 brackish marshes along the coast. May — June. 



A very fragrant grass, used by the Indians in basket mak- 

 ing. In northern Europe this and other sweet-scented grasses 

 are strewn before the church doors on Saints' days. 



ORYZOPSIS Michx. ^vlountain Rice. 

 Oryzopsis pungens (Torr.) Hitchc. (sharp-pointed). 

 Oryzopsis canadensis of Gray's Manual ed. 6. 

 Oryzopsis jnncea BSP. 



Rare. Dry woodlands: Voluntown (R. W. Woodwar^), 



