POACEAE. 41 



and is the only valuable cereal crop of the colony. Verrill records that it was 

 introduced in 1610. 



Zea japonica Van Houtte, recorded by Jones, is a low race of the preced- 

 ing, with small ears of corn, its leaves white-striped, said to have originated in 

 Japan. 



Triticum vulgare L., Wheat, was formerly grown but with indifferent 

 success, and its cultivation ceased many years ago. 



Bambos vulgaris Schrad., Chinese Bamboo, a giant of the Grass Family, 

 its jointed culms reaching forty feet or more in height, is planted for ornament 

 and thrives luxuriantly. 



Bambos glaucescens Merrill, Low Pole Bamboo, East Indian, seen at 

 Paget Rectory in 1914, is a small species, with upright branches, und lanceo- 

 late leaves only about 1' long. I am indebted to the Kew botanists for the 

 determination of this plant. 



Another species of Barnbos, with slender culms about 15° high, and 

 leaves about 8' long by i' wide, has been planted at the Agricultural Station, 

 and several other kinds of Bamboos have been planted experimentally. 



Cortaderia argentea (Nees) Stapf, Pampas Gr.vss, a large South Ameri- 

 can species, is grown for ornament on lawns, and is a highly decorative plant, 

 the culms up to 6° high, the numerous, elongated leaves linear, the large 

 plume-like panicles white and shining. [Gynerium argenteum Nees.] 



Pennisetum macrostachyum (Brongn.) Trin., Purple Pennisetum, of 

 the Molucca Islands, grown for ornament, is a grass 6°-8° high, with purple 

 leaves 1° long or more, about 1' wide, the narrow purple spikes 8'-12' long, 

 the flowers subtended by tufts of long, roughened bristles. 



Pennisetum Ruppellil Steud., Ruppell's Pennisetum, Abyssinian, also 

 grown for ornament, is similar to the preceding with a purple spike up to 12' 

 long, but its involute leaves are only l"-2" wide and the bristles are plumose. 

 It has also been observed on a roadside near Salt Kettle. 



Family 2. CYPERACEAE J. St. Hilaire. 



Sedge Family. 



Grass-like or rush-like herbs. Stems (culms) slender, solid (rarely 

 hollow), triangular, quadrangular, terete or flattened. Roots fibrous 

 (many species perennial by long- rootstocks). Leaves narrow, with closed 

 sheaths. Flowers perfect or imperfect, arranged in spikelets, one (rarely 

 2) in the axil of each scale (ghime, bract), the spikelets solitarj^ or clus- 

 tered, l-many-flowered. Scales 2-ranked or spirally imbricated, persistent 

 or deciduous. Perianth hypogynous, composed of bristles, or interior 

 scales, rarely calyx-like, or sometimes wanting. Stamens 1-3, rarely more. 

 Filaments slender or filiform. Anthers 2-celled. Ovary 1-celled, Ovule 1, 



