240 



AGLAONEMA 



AGROSTIS 



nebuldsum, N. E. Br. Somewhat larger: Ivs. narrower 

 (5-8 in. long, 1J^ in. or less wide), more acuminate, the 

 markings rather more broken and not so continuous 

 along the midrib. I.H. 34:24. A.G. 16:361, and 



146. Aglaonema costatum. ( X 



F.E. 7:961 (as A. pictum). This and A. pictum are con- 

 fused in the trade. Both species deserve more attention 

 than they have received in this country. 



costatum, Veitch. Fig. 146. Very dwarf and com- 

 pact: Ivs. heart-shaped, thick, 3 in. wide, one-third 

 longer than wide, seldom exceeding 5 in. long, dark 

 shining green, with midrib ivory-white and scatter- 

 ing blotches of white. Holds its tufted Ivs. through 

 the winter. Moluccas. J.H. III. 63:225. 



A. commut&tum, Schott. Lvs. oblong-lanceolate, obtuse at 

 the base, the apex long-acuminate, intense green, marked with 

 spots of a paler green and of white. E. Indies. A. Rcsblinii, 

 Hort., is "a fine decorative plant, with thick, leathery foliage" 

 (Manda). A. ver&icolor, Hort. Lvs. obliquely oblong, about 4 

 in. long by half as wide, rounded at the base, the apex acute, 

 irregularly marked with patches of dark velvety green inter- 

 persed with paler green and milky blotches. E. Indies. 



GEORGE V. NASH.f 



AGNUS-CASTUS: Vilex. 



AGRIMONIA (old name, perhaps a corruption of 

 Argemone). Rosdcese. AGRIMONY. Hardy perennial 

 herbs, natives of the north temperate zone, with alter- 

 nate odd-pinnate, aromatic and astringent Ivs.: fls. 

 yellow, racemose, with 5 small petals and 5-15 stamens: 

 fr. armed with hooked bristles. Sometimes cult, as 

 woodland or shrubbery plants. Not showy. Prop, by 

 division of rootstocks in spring. 



Eupatoria, Linn. (A. officinalis, Lam.). COMMON 

 AGRIMONY. Fig. 147. Petals twice as long as calyx, 

 latter making a small, lightly adhering bur. Cult, in 

 herb gardens to make a tonic tea, also in wild borders. 

 Native to Eu. Grows 2-3 ft. high, in little clumps, from 

 a short rootstock. Has been confused with our native 

 A. hirsuta, Bicknell, which is not in the trade. 



odorata, Mill. Lfts. narrower 

 than in A. Eupatoria, pubescent; 

 lobes more deeply crenate-den- 

 tate: petals more than twice as 

 long as the calyx. Italy. Oc-,. 

 casionally cult, in Amer. 



N. TAYLOR.t 



AGROPtRON (Greek, agros, 

 field, and puros, wheat). Grami- 

 nese. WHEAT-GRASSES. Perennial 

 grasses, often producing creeping 

 rootstocks. 



Spikelets 3- to many-fld., sessile, 14 7. Agrimonia Eupa- 

 placed sidewise, singly and alter- toria. Flower and bud. 



nately on the opposite sides of a continuous rachis, 

 forming stiff terminal spikes; glumes equal, usually 

 firm, many-nerved, acute or awned, sometimes nearly 

 as long as the spikelet; lemmas 5 7 -nerved, usually 

 more or less awned, the palea ciliate on the keels. 

 Species 30 to 40 in the temperate regions of both 

 hemispheres. The genus differs from Triticum chiefly 

 in being perennial, and in the entire apex of the 

 glumes. 



Many of the native species of the western states are 

 important range grasses or furnish nutritious wild hay. 

 One of these, western wheat-grass (A. tenerum, Vasey) 

 (Dept. of Agric. Div. of Agrost. 17 : 297) has been recently 

 introduced into cultivation and is sold by seedsmen of 

 the northwestern states. One species, introduced from 

 Europe, the familiar quack-grass (A. repens, Beauv., 

 Fig. 148, also known as couch-grass, quick-grass and 

 quitch-grass), is a troublesome weed in cultivated land, 

 because of jts long, creeping rootstocks. Though diffi- 

 cult to eradicate, it has value as a forage plant. 



A. S. HITCHCOCK. 



AGROSTfiMMA: Lychnis. 



AGROSTIS (an ancient Greek name for a forage 

 grass, from agros, a field). Graminex. BENT-GRASS. 

 Annual or usually perennial grasses with erect or creep- 

 ing stems and open panicles of small flowers. 



Spikelets 1-fld.; glumes about equal, acute; lemma 

 shorter and more delicate than the glumes, sometimes 

 awned from the back, palea usually shorter than the 

 lemma, often small or wanting. Species about 100, 

 distributed over the entire world, especially in the north 

 temperate zone. The genus comprises several forage 



148. Creeping stem or "root" or quack-grass. 

 CXM) 



and lawn grasses and a few ornamental, the panicles 

 being used for bouquets. A nebulosa is excellent for dry 

 bouquets. A. elegans of gardens is an Aira. 



A. Panicle open but not diffuse: perennial lawn and 

 pasture grasses. 



B. Palm present. 



alba, Linn. RED-TOP. HERD'S-GRASS (locally). 

 Culms erect, 2-3 ft., from a usually decumbent base, 

 producing short rootstocks; sheaths smooth; ligule 

 membranaceous, 2-3 lines long; blades flat, scabrous, 

 rather strongly nerved, acuminate-pointed; panicle 

 oblong or pyramidal, several inches or even a foot in 

 length; spikelets 1-1 J^ lines long; the glumes scabrous 

 on the keels; lemma awnless; palea one half to two- 

 thirds as long as the lemma. Dept. of Agric., Div. 

 of Agrost, 17:187. Ibid. B.P.I. Bull. 68, pi. 2. A 

 common meadow and pasture grass, native of Eu., 

 but abundantly escaped in the northern and central 

 portions of the U. S. along roadsides and in waste 

 places. Var. vulgaris, Thurb. FINE BENT-GRASS. 

 RED-TOP. A more delicate grass, about 1 ft. high: 

 panicles 1-3 in.; ligule usually 1 line or less. Dept. of 

 Agric. B.P.I. Bull. 68, pi. 3. This form is commonly 

 used as a lawn grass. Var. aristata, Gray. Similar to 

 var. vulgaris but the lemmas bearing an exserted awn 

 from near the base. Infrequent. Var. maritima, Mey. 

 Producing long stolons; panicles narrow, contracted. 

 Dept. of Agric. B.P.I. Bull. 68: pi. 4. A native of the 

 sea-coast of N. Amer. and Eu. A form of this is cult, as 

 a lawn grass under the name of creeping bent and has 

 received the horticultural name Agrdstis alba var. 

 stolonifera, but is not A. stolonlfera, Linn. 



