356 GRASS FAMILY. 



viz. HIEROCHLOA RORE\Lis, SENECA or HOLY-GRASS, bein^ rare) : low, 

 slender, soft and smooth ; the pale brown or greenish spikelets crowded in an 

 evident spike-like panicle ; each composed of a pair of thin very unequal plumes, 

 above and within these a pair of obcordate or 2-lobed hairy empty palets, one 

 with a bent awn from near its base, the other with a shorter awn higher up; 

 above and within these a pair of very small smooth and roundish palets, of 

 parchment-like texture, enclosing 2 stamens and the 2-stylcd pistil, finally in- 

 vesting the grain. 11 



Alopectirus prat6nsis, MEADOW FOXTAIL. Introduced from Europe 

 abundantly into meadows E. : flowering in spring; stem about 2 high, bearing 

 few pale soft leaves, terminated bv a cylindrical soft and dense spike, or what 

 seems to be so, for the spikelets are really borne on short side branches, not on 

 the main axis ; these spikelets very flat contrary to the glumes, which are con- 

 duplicate, united by their edges towards the base, keeled, fringed-ciliatc on the 

 keel; these enclose a single conduplicate lower palct (the upper one whollv 

 wanting) which bears a long awn from below the middle of the back, and sur- 

 rounds 3 stamens and the pistil. 



* * Awn, ifany,fiom the apex of the glumes or palets. 



- Spikelets densely crowded in a tony perfectly cylindrical apparent spike, each spike- 

 let strictly \-flowered: (//times 2, keeled and nearly ronduplicate, atcn-puintrd, 

 much larger and oj firmer texture than the thin and truncate awn/ess paid*. 



Phteum prat6nse, CAT-TAIL GRASS, TIMOTHY, or HERD'S GRASS; 

 introduced from Eu. ; a coarse hut most valuable meadow grass, 2 -4 high, 

 with green rough ish spike 3' -8' long; the small spikelets are crowded on very 

 short branches, and therefore the seeming spike is not a true one. ^ 



- - Spikeleti strictly spiked all on one side of a flattened jointless rhachis, much 

 crowd* d: tlv. 2-5 spikes digitate, i. c. all on the a/>c.c afilx- flowering stem : 

 palets awnliss. Finger-grass might be sought here ; see Panieum below. 



+ Flower only one to each spikelel, and a mere rudiment beyond it, awnless. 



Ctynodon Dactylon, BERMUDA or SCUTCH GRASS. An introduced weed 

 chiefly S., where it is useful in sandy soil, where a better grass is not to 

 be had ; creeping extensively, the rigid creeping stems with short flatfish 

 leaves and sending up flowering shoots a few inches high, bearing the 3-5 slender 

 spikes. ^ 



** ++ Flowers 3-5 or more in each spikelet, the uppermost gtnrrully imperfect .- 

 seed loose, proportionally large, rough-wrinkled. 



Eleusine Indica, CRAB-GRASS, YARD-GRASS, DOG'S-TAIL, or WIRE- 

 GRASS. Introduced only in yards or lawns N., more abundant S., where it is 

 valuable for cattle ; low, spreading over the ground, pale ; glumes and palets 

 pointless. 



Dactyloct6nium ^Igyptlacum, EGYPTIAN- GRASS. Yards and lields, 

 chiefly a weed, S. : creeping over the ground, low ; spikes dense and thickish ; 

 glumes flattened laterally and keeled, one of them awn-pointed, the strongly 

 keeled boat-shaped lower "palet also pointed. 



*!'*<- SpiM-ts spiked alternately on opposite sid<s of a rigzag jointed rhachis. 

 - (tlutnt only one to the solitary spiM-t, which stands t dye wise. 



L61ium per6nne, DARNEL, RYE-GRASS, or RAY GRASS. Introduced 

 from Europe: a good pasture-gra^s, l-2 high, with loose spike 5'-G' long. 

 of 12 or more a'tout 7-flowered spikelets placed edgewise, so that one row ot 

 !!<>wers is next the glume, the other next the rhachis ; lower palet short-award 

 or awnless. 



*-* Glumes a pair to the siny/e spikelet, right and left at each joint of the rhachis. 



Triticum r6pens, COI-C-II-GKASB, QUITCH or QUICK-GRASS, &c., belongs 

 to the sertion with perennial roots; this spreads atna/.ingly by its vigorous 

 long running rootatwks, is a pott in cultivated fields, and is too course and 



