POACEAE. 37 



Phalaris canariensis L. Canary-grass. Annual, -pale green, erect, 30-70 

 cm. high; inflorescence ovoid or oblong-ovoid, 2-3 cm. long; spikelets ovate, 

 5-6 mm. long; glumes white with green veins, the keel not toothed. 



Introduced in waste places. 



Phalaris minor Retz. Annual; stems erect, 30-80 cm. high; inflorescence 

 oblong to oblong-ovoid, 2-5 cm. long; glumes oblong, pale, a green stripe on 

 each side of the toothed keel. 



On ballast, Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, Macoun. 



53. ANTHOXANTHUM. 



Aromatic annuals or perennials with narrow spike-like pan- 

 icles; spikelets 1-flowered, narrow, somewhat compressed; glumes 

 2, unequal, awnless or mucronate-pointed ; lemmas shorter than 

 the glumes, the first and second empty, 2-lobed, clothed with 

 brown hairs and awned below the back; the third lemma fertile, 

 shorter, hyaline, broadly obtuse, awnless; grain free. 



Anthoxanthum odoratum L. Sweet Vernal-grass. Spikelets crowded, 

 8 mm. long, usually brownish; first sterile lemma hairy, long-awned; second 

 sterile lemma short-awned. 



In pastures. Introduced from Europe. Sweet-scented on drying. 



54. HIEROCHLOE. VANILLA-GRASS. 



Fragrant perennial grasses with flat leaves and usually rather 

 small and pyramidal terminal panicles; spikelets 3-flowered, 

 the terminal flower perfect, the others staminate; rachilla jointed 

 above the empty glumes; glumes 2, nearly equal, about as long 

 as the spikelet, acute, smooth; the first and second lemmas 

 awnless or short-awned; the third lemma enclosing the perfect 

 flower, becoming somewhat indurated in fruit; stamens in the 

 staminate flowers 3, in the perfect flower 2; styles distinct; 

 stigmas plumose; grain free. 



Panicle and spikelets greenish ; glumes and lemmas obtuse H. macrophylla. 



Panicle and spikelets brownish; glumes and lemmas acute. H. odorata. 



Hierochloe macrophylla Thurb. Stems 1 m. or less tail; leaves 30- 

 40 cm. long, 10-15 mm. broad, rough; panicle greenish, loose, the branches 

 in pairs; glumes obtuse; fertile lemma obtuse, ciliate-margined, pubescent at 

 the apex. 



From the Columbia River southward. 



Hierochloe odorata (L.) Wahlenb. Stems 30H50 cm. high; leaves 10-20 cm. 

 long, 2-6 mm. broad; panicle brownish, pyramidal, usually compact; glumes 

 acute; fertile lemma acute. 



Near Comox, Vancouver Island, Macoun. Reported from Nootka Sound 

 by Hooker. A widespread northern grass. 



55. MUHLENBERGIA. 



Perennial grasses with small 1-flowered spikelets; glumes 

 usually unequal and shorter than the lemma, acute or sometimes 

 awned; lemma narrow, 3-5-nerved, with a straight awn from 

 the apex or from between the teeth. 



