

GRAMINEAE (GRASS FAMILY) 151 



the florets less densely imbricated, the bases or rhachilla-joints 

 visible ; lemmas nearly smooth. (E. Eragrostis Karst.) Waste 

 ground, not common, N. E. to Va., and southw. (Nat. from Eu.) 

 FIG. 151. 



7. E. trichbdes (Nutt.) Nash. Erect, 6-15 dm. high ; sheaths 

 overlapping, smooth, pilose at the throat ; blades 1-7 dm. long, 

 2-6 mm. wide, rather rigid, involute-taper-pointed ; panicles pale, 

 oblong, the lower axils sparingly pilose ; spikelets 

 3-10-flowered, 5-10 mm. long, on capillary flexu- 151 E minor> 

 ous usually long pedicels ; glumes and lemmas snikeitx2* 

 acute, scabrous. (E. tennis Gray, not Steud.) 

 Sandy soil, O. to 111., Kan., and southw. Aug. -Oct. FIG. 152. 

 8. E. pectinacea (Michx.) Steud. Erect or ascending, 3-8 

 dm. high; culms rigid, from short stout rootstocks ; sheaths over- 

 lapping, sparingly pilose, densely bearded at the throat; blades 

 152. E trichodes ^~^ ^ m> ^ on ' ^-8 mm. wide, often involute in drying ; panicles 

 Spikelet x^2 purple, included at base or exserted after the upper spikelets 

 have fallen, branches pilose in the axils ; spikelets 5-W-flowered, 

 3-8 mm. long, on stiff pedicels ; glumes and lemmas acute, minutely scabrous. 

 Sandy dry ground, Me. to S. Dak., and southw. July-Oct. FIG. 153. Var. 

 SPECTABILIS Gray. Sheaths glabrous or nearly so ; panicles 

 rather more exserted than in the species ; spikelets 8-15-flow- 

 ered. Range of the species, but the commoner form toward 

 the west. 



9. E. refracta (Muhl.) Scribn. Erect; culms less stout than 

 in the last, 3-9 dm. high ; sheaths overlapping, glabrous, spar- 

 ingly villous at the throat; blades 1-3 dm. long, 2-4 mm. wide, 

 nearly smooth ; panicle usually included at the base, the slender 153. E. pectinacea. 

 remote branches sparsely pilose in the axils and bearing few Spikelet x 2. 

 short-pediceled appressed spikelets 6-25-flowered, 6-12 mm. 

 long; glumes and lemmas acuminate. (E. campestris Trin. ; E. pectinacea, 

 var. refracta Chapm. ; Poa refracta Muhl.) Sandy open ground, Del. 'and 

 Md. to Fla. and Ala. 



64. CATABRdSA Beauv. 



Spikelets usually 2-flowered ; glumes unequal, shorter than the lemmas, erose 

 at the broad summit ; lemmas subcoriaceous, erose-truncate, strongly 3-nerved ; 

 palea as long as the lemma, the strong nerves near the margin. A creeping 

 perennial aquatic with flat leaves and open panicles of small spikelets. (Name 

 from KaTdppaHTis, an eating, referring to the eroded glumes.) 



1. C. aquatica (L.) Beauv. Smooth throughout, decumbent and rooting at 

 the lower nodes, the ascending culms 1-6 dm. high ; the loose sheaths overlap- 

 ping ; blades soft, 2-12 cm. long, 2-6 mm. wide; panicle 0.5-2 dm. long, the 

 whorled branches spreading; spikelets 3-4 mm. long. In water or wet places, 

 coast of N. B., Nfd., and north w. (Eurasia.) 



65. MELICA L. MELIC GRASS 



Spikelets 2-several -flowered; rhachilla prolonged beyond the fertile florets, 

 and bearing 2 or 3 gradually smaller empty lemmas, convolute together or 

 inclosing one another at the apex ; glumes large, unequal, membranaceous, or 

 papery, scarious-margined, 3-5-nerved, little shorter than the florets ; lemmas 

 convex, 7-13-nerved, firm, with scarious margins, awnless or awned below the 

 bifid apex ; paleas shorter than their lemmas, the strong nerves nearly marginal. 

 Perennials with simple culms, closed sheaths, usually soft flat leaves and 

 rather large spikelets in usually narrow panicles. (An old Italian name for 

 Sorghum, from mel, honey.) 



