AGRIMOXIA 



AILANTHUS 



37 



odorata, ^^ill. Lfts. narrower than in A. Hujuitoi-i 

 f'jttifts piilicscent ; lobes more deeply crenate-dentat 

 M'tals iiiui-f than twice as long as the calyx. Italy 

 asioually cult, in Am. j, {5 Kem.eu and W, 



51. Aeeratu 



AGBOP'?KnM( Greek for /■(>?(/ and ic;ifnn. Graminea 

 Perennials or annuals, with leaf-blades tiat or convo 

 lute : spike terminal, usually stiff ; spikelets large, 3-8 

 fid., compressed, sessile at each joint of the simplt 

 spike, the side of the spikelet placed next the axis 

 Species about 30. Temperate regions of Amer. and Eu 



ripens, Beauv. Quack Grass. Couch Grass. 

 QuickGrass. QuitchGrass. A smooth, pale green 

 or glaucous perennial, very variable, with the in- 

 ternodes of the rootstock long. In many places it 

 has become one of the worst weeds, spreading in- 

 veterately by its underground stems. Fig 53. It 

 may be destroyed by constant and thorough tillage. 

 Often valuable to hold loose lands. Considered by 

 some stock raisers as a valuable hay grass. 



AGKOSTfiMMA. See Lychnis. 



AGBOSTIS {(igros, field ; the place of growth). 

 Gruinlneif. Bent Grass. A genus containing many 

 useful grasses for lawns, pastures and bouquets. Pani- 

 cles variable, usually spreading ; 

 spikelets very small, awnless or oc- 

 casionally a short awn present. 

 Species about 100, distributed over 

 the entire globe ; about 9 useful in 

 cult. Some species are much con- 

 fused with Aira. In Agrostis the 

 ■-pikelets are 1-fld.; in Aira 2- to 

 several-fld. 



Spikelets about 1 line long : panicle-hranrhes short. 

 Perennial lawn and pasture ijrasses. 

 ^^'' B. Atvnless spikelets. 



'• 41ba, Linn. CREEriNO Bent Grass. A well known per- 



ennial, creeping or stoloniferous, 1-.3 ft. ; sheaths 

 siiioiith ; leaf-blade linear or narrowly lanceolate, 4-8 in. 

 long, scabrous: panicle open, 4-10 in. long, the branches 

 sometimes widely spreading ; spikelets about 1 line 

 long: ligulal^ lines long. — Suitable for meadows, pas- 

 ture mixtures, or exclusively for lawn-making. 



Var. vulgaris, Thurb. {A.vulridris, With.). Red-top. 

 Fine Bent Grass. Distinguished from the type by 

 the smaller ligule, which is truncate, and less than 1 

 line long. — Counnoner in cult, than the type. 



Var. stolonifera, Linn. (A. stolonifera, Linn.l. Panicle 

 contracted linear; culms extensively creeping or stolo- 

 niferous : ligule 1—4 lines long. 



BB. Au-ned spikelets. 

 canlna, Linn. Brown or Dog's Bent Grass. Rhode 

 Island Bent Grass. Slender, creeping, 1-2 ft. : panicle 

 pyramidal, 4-6 in. long : spikelets near the ends of the 

 branches, very small, l-9of an in. long: small bent awn 

 on back of flowering glume. Int. from Eu.— Makes a 

 close sod. 



A a. Spikelets about % line long; panicle-branches long 

 and hair-like. Annual ornamental grasses. 

 B. i'ltlms, Ivs. and panicle-branches smooth. 



nebuldsa, Boiss & Reut. (A.capillAris,HoTt.). Cloud 

 Grass. Fig. 54. A low grass, with extremely delicate, 

 feathery-like panicle and small spikelets: Ivs. few and 

 very small. Spain. — Very usefill for vases and bouquets, 



minutifldTa, Hort. Very similar to A. nebulosa, but 

 smaller, with fewer Ivs. and shorter panicles. — Useful 

 for vases and bouquets. 



f^ BB. Culms, Irs. and panicle-branches scabrous. 



scabra, Willd. Rough-bent. Tickle Grass. Fly- 

 away Grass. Hair Grass. Silk Grass. Hair-like, deli- 

 cate, with widely spreading, capillary panicles, which 

 at maturity break away from the culm and fly about in 

 the wind: spikelets very small, clustered at the ends of 



the branches. — Before panicle expands it is often sold in 

 the vicinity of large towns for dry bouquets. 

 A. Heaans, Hort., not There, and A . pulchella, Hort. These 

 i applied by florists to Aira elegans and Aira earyo- 



phylle 



vhieh s 



P. B. Kennedy. 



52. AErimonia Eupatoria (X 3). Flower and bur. 



AGUACATE, ALLIGATOR PEAE, AVOCADO. See 



Persta. 



AILANTHUS (from its native name Ailanto, meaning 

 Tree of Heaven). Simarubdcece. Large trees : Ivs. al- 

 ternate, large, pinnate, deciduous : fls. small, in large 

 terminal panicles, polygamous ; petals 5 ; stamens 10 ; 

 fr. consisting of 1-5 distinct samaras. Five species in 

 Cent, and S. Asia and N. Austral. — Large, ornamental 

 trees of loose and somewhat spreading habit, with ele- 

 gant, feathery foliage. Very rapid growers. Good for 

 smoky cities. Suckers from the roots. Prop, by seeds 

 and root cuttings. 



glanduldsa, Desf. (A. Japinica, Hort.). Tree of 

 Hf w FN Tree. 60 ft. : Ivs. odd-pinnate, \yi-2 ft. long ; 

 Ii itl(ts H-25, petiolulate, ovate-lanceolate, nearly gla- 

 brous near the base, with 2-4 coarse teeth, each with a 

 large gland beneath: fls. greenish : samaras IHin. long. 

 .June. China, cult, in Japan. — Valuable tree for street 

 planting, much used in the temperate regions and nat- 

 uralized in some localities ; somewhat tender north in 



