37 



13. CYNOSURUS Dogtail 



Small genus of tufted grasses with two kinds of spikelets, fertile and 

 sterile, in dense clusters. 

 1. Cynosurus cristatus L. 



Perennial. Old fields. Rare, known from only two stations 



(Randolph, Coos Co.; Peterborough, Hillsboro Co.). Introduced from 



Europe; sometimes used in pasture grass mixtures. 



14. DISTICHLIS Spike Grass 



A small genus of halophytes with rather large, spike-like panicles; leaves 

 2-ranked, stems mostly hidden by overlapping leaf sheaths. 



Gould (1968) places the genus in the tribe Aeluropodeae, subfamily 

 Eragrostoideae. 

 1. Disticblis spicata (L.) Greene (figures 36 and 37) 



Perennial. Saltmarshes. Coastal N.H.; frequent. 

 Our plants belong to var. spicata. 



15. PHRAGMITES Reed 



A large rhizomatous grass, 2-6 meters tall, leaves broad; inflorescence 

 large, plume-like; rachis bearded with long silky hairs. 



The genus Phragmites is placed in the tribe Arundineae, subfamily 

 Arundinoideae by Gould (1968). 

 1. Phragmites australis (Cav.) Steudel (figure 38) 



Perennial. Brackish swampy areas, edges of saltmarshes and 



occasionally in freshwater marshes. Frequently in coastal areas, 



occasional inland in southern New Hampshire. Tending to spread along 



new highways. 



Although long known as P. communis, Clayton (1967), 1968) has 



shown that P. communis and P. australis are conspecific and that P. 



australis is the earliest correct name. 



