A SYNOPSIS OF THE PLANT KINGDOM 



15 



The grasses are among the most useful of plants. 

 The following, among others, are, or have been, used 

 as medicine: Rhizome of Agropyron repens (quick- or 

 quack-grass) is emollient, and aperient (several other 

 grasses have the same properties) . Root of Arundo Donax 

 (reed) is diuretic and sudorific. Phragmiles communis 

 was formerly considered depurative and anti-syphilitic. 

 Calamagrostis was used by the French peasants as a 

 diuretic. Perotis latifolia is used in India for the same 

 purpose, as are also the seeds of Coix Lacryma-Jobi in 

 China. The roots of Manisuris granularis are used in 

 India for intestinal troubles. The aromatic, fragrant 

 roots of various Andropogons (or Cymbopogons) are 

 used for medicine and for perfume in India and else- 

 where, e. g., A. Nardus (false spikenard, citronella), A. 

 citratus (lemon-grass). A. lanier and A. Schoenanthus 

 (sweet rush, ginger-grass, geranium-grass) are used in 

 Africa and Arabia as a stimulant, antispasmodic and 

 diaphoretic, and for perfume. 



The following are used for food: Seeds of wheat, 

 barley, rye, oats, rice, Indian corn and millet; also seeds 

 of Andropogon arundinaceus vxr.vulgare (sorghum), and 

 var. Durra (durra). Pennisetum americanum (pearl 

 millet) is an important food of the negro races, and Poa 

 abyssinica and Eleusine are important in East Africa. 

 Sugar is obtained from the stems of several species, 

 most important of which are Saccharum officinarum 

 (sugar-cane), and Andropogon arundinaceus var. sac- 

 charalus or A. Sorghum (sugar sorghum). 



Many grasses are used as fodder for cattle, as, for 

 instance, our pasture and hay grasses: Poa pratensis 

 (June grass, Kentucky blue grass), Phleum pratense 

 (timothy), Festuca ovina, etc. (fescue), Agroslis alba 

 (red-top), Dactylis glomerata (orchard-grass), Cynodon 

 Dactylon (Bermuda-grass). Some grasses are poisonous 

 to stock, e.g., Lolium temulentum (darnel), and the 

 Peruvian Festuca quadridentata. 



Straw from cereals is used for matting, upholstery, 

 bedding, hats and for making paper. 



The bamboos yield very important building material 

 in the East. Like the palms, the bamboos are used for 

 almost every conceivable purpose, and are among the 

 most useful of plants. 



Several grasses, ether than those above mentioned, 

 contain a fragrant principle, e. g., roots of Vetiveria 

 zizanioides (vetiver or kus-kus of India) used to 

 perfume rooms, and to keep insects out of clothing. 

 Hierochloe odorata (vanilla- or holy-grass) is used in 

 Europe in religious ceremonies, and by the American 

 Indians for making baskets. Anlhoxanthum odoralum is 

 the European sweet-grass, now introduced into America. 



The most important ornamental species are Phalaris 

 arundinacea, Slipa pennala, Cortaderia argentea, Lagurus 

 ovalus, Hordeum jubatum. Miscanthus sinensis, Briza, 

 Arundo, Phragmites, Erianthus, Pennisetum, Thysa- 

 nolsena, and Bamboos. 



In America 70-80 genera are cultivated, or are 

 important as natural fodder plants or weeds. Among 

 these are: Agropyron (Quack-Grass, Couch-G., Quick- 

 G.); Agrostis (Bent-G., Red-Top, Cloud-G., Tickle-G., 

 Fly-away-G.); Aira (Hair-G.); Andropogon (Silver- 

 beard-G., Johnson-G., Lemon-G.); Anthoxanthum 

 (Sweet Vernal-G.) ; Ammophila (Beach-G., Marram-G.) ; 

 Arundinaria (Large Cane, Switch Cane, Scotch Cane) ; 

 Arundo (Giant Reed); Avena (Oats); Bamboo; Briza 

 (Quaking-G.); Bromus (Brome-G., Rescue-G.); Cala- 

 magrostis (Reed Bent-G., Blue-joint-G., Pony-G.); 

 Calamovilfa (Purple Bent-G.); Cenchrus (Sand-bur, 

 Bur-G.); Chloris (Finger-G.) ; Cinna; Coix (Job's Tears, 

 Tear-G., Corn Beads); Cortaderia (Pampas-G.); Cynp- 

 dpn (Bermuda-G.); Cynosurus (Crested Dog's-tail, 

 Silky-awned Dog's-tail); Dactylis (Cock's-foot, Or- 

 chard-G.); Dactyloctenium (Crowfoot-G.) ; Desmazeria 

 (Spike-G.); Deschampsia (Hair-G., Hassock-G.); Dig- 

 itaria (Crab-G., Finger-G.); Distichlis (Salt-G., Marsh 

 Spike-G.); Echinochloa (Barnyard-G.); Eleusine (Crab- 



G., Yard-G., Dog's-tail, Wire-G., African Millet); Ely- 

 mus (Lyme-G., Wild Rye, Terrel-G.); Eragrostis; Eri- 

 anthus (WooUy Beard-G., Plume-G., VVool-G., Ra- 

 venna-G.); Euchlaena (Teosinte); Festuca (Fescue-G.); 

 Glyceria or Panicularia (Reed Meadow-G., Manna-G.); 

 Cortaderia; Hierochloe (Vanil!a-G., Holy-G., Seneca-G., 

 Sweet-scented-G.); Holcus (Meadow Soft-G.); Hordeum 

 (Squirrel-tail-G., Wild Barley, Barley); Hystrix or 



8. GRAMINE.E: 1. a, part of a grass panicle; b, apikelet. 

 2. Avena, a, portion of panicle; 6, spikelet ;e.ff., empty glume; fl.g., 

 flowering glume or lemma; pal., palet or palea; c, ground-plan of 

 spikelet. 3. Phleum, spikelet. 4. Phalaris, sheath and ligule. 



Asprella (Bottle-G.) ; Lolium (Darnel, Rye-G.) ; Milium 

 (Wild Millet-G.); Miscanthus (Eulalia, Himalaya 

 Fairy-G.) ; Oplismenus; Oryza (Rice) ; Oryzopsis (Moun- 

 tain Rice); Panicum (Panic-G., Old-Witch-G., Millet, 

 Broom Corn Millet) ; Pennisetum (Pearl Millet) ; Pha- 

 laris (Canary-G., Gardener's Garters) ; Phleum (Timothy- 

 G., Herd's-G.); Phragmites (Common Reed); Phyllos- 

 tachys (Bamboo, in part); Poa (Blue-G., Kentucky 

 Blue-G., Meadow-G.) ; Saccharum (Sugar-cane) ; Secale 

 (Rye) jSetaria (Millet, Hungarian-G., Foxtail-G., Pigeon- 

 G.); Spartina (Cord-G.); Sphenopholis; Stenotaphrum 

 (St. Augustine-G.); Stipa (Feathered-G., Esparto-G., 

 Porcupine-G.) ; Tripsacum (Gama-G., Sesame-G.); 

 Triticum (Wheat, Spelt). 



28. Cyperaceae (from the genus Cypcrus, the ancient 

 Greek name). SEDGE FAMILY. Fig. 9. Herbaceous plants 

 with grass-like habit and solid stems: leaves alternate, 

 in 3, rarely 2, vertical rows, linear; sheaths closed: 

 flowers bisexual or unisexual, regular, hypogynous, 

 borne in variously disposed spikelets, subtended and 

 hidden by overlapping scales none of which are regu- 

 larly empty as in the grasses; no true palets; perianth 

 reduced to bristles, scales, or 0; stamens 2-3; 

 carpels 2-3; ovary 1-celled, 1-ovuled; style 1; stig- 

 mas 2-3: fruit an achene; seeds basal, anatropous, 

 albuminous. 



There are 65 genera and about 3,000 species, inhabit- 

 ing the whole earth. More than 500 species belong to 

 the genus Carex, 400 to Cyperus, and 200 to Scirpus. 

 They are abundant in swampy regions. The family 

 is closely related to the Graminea 1 , from which it differs 

 in the often 3-ranked leaves, solid stem, the absence of 

 palets and of regular empty glumes, and the presence, 

 in most cases, of a perianth and 3 carpels. Most 

 divergent from the ordinary is Carex, the flowers of 

 which are monoecious, and the pistillate, though naked, 

 are inclosed in a flask-shaped structure called a peri- 



