512 GRAMINE^E. (GRASS FAMILY.) 



the lateral and often the terminal concealed in the sheaths ; 

 about l/te length of the nearly equal glumes ; only one third longer tLan the linear 

 grain. (Agrostis Virginica, Mahl., not of L. Crypsis Yirg., Nutt.) Barren 

 and sandy dry fields, New England to Illinois, and common southward. Sept. 

 3. V. Yirgillica, Beauv. Root perennial ; culms tufted, slender (5'- 12 f 

 long), often procumbent, branched ; leaves convolute ; palete rather shorter than 

 the nearly equal acute gluni?s. (Agrostis Virginica,/,.) Sandy sea-shore, 

 Virginia (Clayton] and southward. Spikelets much smaller and more numer 

 ous than in the last. See Addend. 



6. SPOROBOJLUS, R. Brown. DROP-SEED GRASS. 



Spikelets 1- (rarely 2-) flowered, in a contracted or open panicle. Flower* 

 nearly as in Vilfa; the paleae longer than the unequal glumes. Stamens 2-3 

 Grain a globular utricle (hyaline or rarely coriaceous), containing a loose seed, 

 deciduous (whence the name, from crrropa, seed, and /3uXA&>, to cast forth). 

 # Glumes very unequal : panicle pyramidal t open, 



1. S. j S3 II CC11S, Kunth. Leaves in col ute, narrow, rigid, the lowest elongat- 

 ed; culm (l-2high) naked above, bearing a narrow loose panicle; glume* 

 ovate, rather obtuse, the lower one half as long as, the upper equalling, the nearly 

 equal palete. 1J. (Agrostis juncea, Michx. Vilfa juncca, Trin.) Dry soil, 

 Pennsylvania to Wisconsin, and (chiefly) southward. Aug. Spikelets l"-2 

 long, shining. 



2. S. Iicter61epis. Leaves involute-thrcad-form, rigid, the lowest as long 

 as the culm (l-2), which is naked above; panicle very loose; glumes very 

 unequal; the lower awl-shaped (or bristle-pointed from a broad base) and some- 

 what shorter, the tipper ovate-oblong and taper-minted and longer, than the equal 

 palece. 1J. (Vilfa heterolcpis, Gray.) Dry soil, Connecticut, N. New York, 

 Ohio, and Wisconsin. Aug. Plant exhaling an unpleasant scent (Suuivant), 

 stouter than the last, the spikelets thrice larger. Utricle spherical (!' in diam- 

 eter), shining, thick and Coriaceous ! 



3. S. crypH&lldrilS. Leaves flat, pale (2" wide) ; the pyramidal panicle 

 bursting from the upper sheath which usually encloses its base, its spreading 

 branches hairy in the axils ; upper glume lattceoldte, rather acute, twice the length oj 

 the lower one, as long as the nearly equal pnlcie; sheaths strongly boarded at the 

 throat, U 1 (Agr. & Vilfa cryptandra, Torr.) Sandy soil, Buffalo, New York, 

 to Illinois, and south and westward. Ipswich, Massachusetts, Oakes. Aug. 

 Culm 2 -3 high. Panicle lead-color : spikelets small. 



=H * Glumes almost equal, shorter than the broad. pale(e : panicle racemnse-elongcJfd, 

 open, thr p,'di'rf/fi capillary: sheaths naked at the throat : spikelets not Wlfreqwmtlg 

 2-Jlotcered. (Colpodium '<) 



4. S. COmpr<>SSUS, Kunth. Very smooth, leafy to the top; culms tufted, 

 stout, very Jltl ; sheaths flattened, much longer than the internoder ; leaves erect, 

 narrow, conduplicate-ehannelled ; glumes acntish, about ono third shorter than 

 the obtuse ]i;ilea\ 1J. (Agrostis comprcssa, Torr. Vilfa, Trin.) - Bogs in the 

 pine burreiis of New Jcrscv. Sej)t. Forming strong tussocks, l-2 D high. 

 r;;uid>' 8' - 12' long: spikelets 1'' long, purplish. 



