Ehjmm. GRAMINE.E. 325 



60. HOBDEUM, Linn. BAIILEY. 



Inflorescence a dense spike, with three spikelets at each joint of the notched 

 rhachis. Spikelets 1-flowered, usually with an awl-shaped rudiment of a second 

 floret ; the central spikelet of the cluster perfect and sessile, the lateral ones short- 

 stalked and male or neater. Glumes slender and awned or setiform, all placed in 

 front of the spikelets, forming a kind of involucre of 6 bristles. Lower palet herba- 

 ceous, convolute about the other and long-awned. Stamens 3. Scales 2, hairy and 

 ciliate. Ovary hairy at top. Stigmas subsessile, distant. Grain oblong, furrowed, 

 usually adherent to the palet. 



A genus of about 10 species, belonging to warm and temperate countries. Ours are biennials, 

 with one introduced annual. 



* Glumes setaceous from a broader base. 



1. H. nodosum, Linn. Root perennial or probably biennial; culms 6 inches 

 to 3 feet high, often geniculate below : leaves flat or convolute, and with the sheaths 

 varying from nearly smooth to hairy : spike 1 to 3 inches long, narrow and readily 

 separating into joints ; the lateral neutral spikelets merely awn-pointed : glumes all 

 setaceous : perfect floret cylindrical, 8 lines long including the awn. Benth. Fl. 

 Austral, vii. 669. H. pratense, Huds. ; Gray, Man. 638. H. secalinum, Trin. Icon, 

 i. 3. H. pusillum, Nutt. Gen. i. 87. 



San Diego (Parry, Cooper) ; Monterey (Brewer) ; Oakland (Bolander) ; Oregon (UowclT) ; 

 Nevada and Utah ( Watson) ; southward to Texas and eastward to Ohio. Introduced on the 

 Atlantic coast. Very variable as to size, pubescence, etc., the specimens from San Diego being 

 short, pale and pubescent, while those from Oregon are slender, tall, dark green arid smooth. 

 Watson states that in water, or in moist places, it reaches 3 feet in height. 



2. H. murinum, Linn. Annual, with stems 1 to 2 feet high, smooth leaves and 

 inflated sheaths : spike 2 or 3 inches long, inclined, compressed, usually included 

 at base by the upper sheath ; spikelets, including awns, 2 inches long : glumes of 

 the middle spikelet lanceolate, long-awned, and conspicuously ciliate on the margins ; 

 outer glume of the lateral spikelet setaceous, the other similar to those of the cen- 

 tral one : lateral florets longer than the central, attenuate into a long awn, scabrous 

 above, and the inner surface covered with long weak hairs : palet of perfect floret 

 flattened, scabrous above, its awn about three times as long and flattened below. 

 Reichenb. Icon. Fl. Germ. t. 117. 



San Diego (Cooper) ; San Francisco, Bolander. Native of Europe, where it is known as 

 "Way-bent" and "Wall Barley." Introduced in Africa and Australia. 



* * Glumes capillary throughout, very long. 



3. H. jubatum. Linn. Biennial, culms 1 to 2 feet high, usually smooth through- 

 out, the margins of the leaves sometimes scabrous : spike 2 to 4 inches long, and 

 about half as broad, the very slender rhachis readily separating ; lateral florets "short- 

 awned, placed somewhat behind the perfect one, whose awn is longer than those of 

 the glumes (about 2 inches long), spreading ; spike very pale green or straw-color, 

 shining, sometimes purplish : perfect floret 3 lines long, 'barely scabrous above. 



Rhett's Lake (Ncwbcrrt/), and a common grass in the northern part of the State, and 

 throughout most of the United States and northward. This is the "Squirrel Tail-grass " of the 

 Eastern Stntes, and would be prized as an ornamental grass did not its spike break up so readily. 



61. ELYMUS, Linn. LYMF.-GRASS. 



Inflorescence in a more or less dense spike, with 2 to 4 spikelets at each joint of 

 the rhachis. Spikelets 1 - 7-flowered, all alike and fertile, and placed sidewise to 

 the rhachis. Glumes mostly conspicuous, nearly equal, placed side by side, 2 in 



