POACEAE. 



21 



2. Echinochloa colonum (L.) Link. 

 Jungle Rice. (Fig. 26.) Culms tufted smooth 

 and glabrous, 6-2° tall, often decumbent and 

 rooting at the lower nodes. Sheaths compressed, 

 usually crowded; leaves flat, l'-8' long; inflo- 

 rescence composed of 3-18, 1-sided more or less 

 spreading, dense racemes, disposed along a 3- 

 angled rachis; spikelets single, in pairs, or in 

 3 's in 2 rows on one side of the hispidulous, 

 triangular rachis, obovate, pointed, the first 

 scale about one half as long as* the spikelet, 

 3-nerved, the second and third scales a little 

 more than 1" long, awnless, 5-nerved, hispid 

 on the nerves, the fourth scale cuspidate. 

 [Panicum colonum L.] 



Frequent in waste grounds. Naturalized. 

 Southeastern United States ; tropical regions of 

 both the New World and the Old. Flowers from 

 spring until autumn. 



8. OPLISMENUS Beauv. 

 Perennial grasses, often decumbent and branched at the base, with broad 

 flat leaf -blades and inflorescence composed of spikes, bearing on the lower side 

 scattered clusters of a few spikelets. Spikelets 1-flowered. Scales 4, the 3 

 outer membranous, the first and second empty, awned, the first equalling or 

 somewhat shorter than the spikelet, the third scale usually awned, empty, or 

 enclosing a small palet, the fourth one shorter than the others, obtuse, awnless. 

 chartaceous, finally indurated, enclosing a shorter palet of similar texture and 

 a perfect flower. Stamens 3. Styles distinct to the base. Stigmas plumose. 



[Greek, armed, presumably referring 

 to the awns.] About 4 species, natives 

 of warm regions. Type species: Oplis- 

 menus africanus Beauv. 



1. Oplismenus hirteUus (L.) R. 

 &S. Wood Grass. (Fig. 27.) Culms 

 prostrate or nearly so, rooting at the 

 nodes, very slender, 2° long or less. 

 Leaves ovate to ovate-lanceolate, acu- 

 minate, Y-2Y long, Y wide or less, 

 their sheaths often pubescent ; panicle 

 3^' long or less, its filiform short 

 branches erect or spreading; spike- 

 lets H" long, the awns up to 4" long. 

 [Pamcum hirteUiim L. ; P. Oplismenus 

 of Lefroy ; Oplismenus ^(ndulntifolius 

 of Moore; O. setarrus R. & S.] 



Frequent on shaded hillsides and in 

 wooded marshes. Native. Southern 

 United States and tropical America. 

 Flowers in summer and autumn. Its 

 seeds transported by birds. 



Oplismenus Burmannii Pal., Variegated Oplismenus, Asiatic, commonly 

 planted for ornament in garden borders, has lanceolate leaves l'-2' long, striped 

 with white and pink. 



