43 



2. A. smitbii Rydb. Western Wheatgrass 



This western species is adventive eastward along railroads. Rare and 

 perhaps not persisting in the state. Reported by Pease (1964) on 

 railroad ballast, Milan in 1920 (Pease 17826, GH!). 



3. A. repens (L.) Beauv. Quack Grass, Witchgrass 



Weedy in cultivated lands, waste places, roadsides, and old fields. 

 Common throughout. Introduced from Europe. Two varieties and 

 several forms have been given nomenclatural recognition. However, 

 intergradation is great and these entities are difficult to discern. 



Agropyron pungens (Pers.) R. & S., an introduced species from 

 Europe, has been collected along the coast in Maine at Cape Elizabeth, 

 Cumberland Co. and Old Orchard Beach, York Co. and in Massa- 

 chusetts at Cape Ann, Essex Co., and Cape Cod, Barnstable Co. 

 Although this species has not, as yet, been reported from the coast of 

 N.H. it might be expected to spread here. 



4. TRITICUM Wheat 



Dense erect spikes; spikelets in 2 rows, plump; glumes 3-nerved; lemmas 



long awned (erect) or awnless. 



1. Triticum aestivum L. Wheat 



Cultivated annual. Formerly much cultivated in the state. Now rare, 

 occurring sporadically in cultivated areas and waste places. Both 

 long-awned (bearded wheat) and awnless strains may be found. 



5. SECALE Rye 



Dense, erect spikes; spikelets in 2 rows, glumes distinctly 1-nerved, 

 keeled; lemmas sharply keeled, tapering to long coarse awn. 

 1. Secale cereale L. Rye 



Cultivated annual. Widely planted as soil stabilizer along 



roadbanks, persisting for a short time. 



6. HORDEUM Barley 



Tufted grasses with dense, terminal spikes; spikelets 3 at each rachis 

 node; lateral spikelets (in ours) sterile, with glumes setaceous. 

 1. Hordeum jubatum L. (figure 41) Squirrel-tail Grass 



Distinctive due to its dense spike and long awns and bristle-like 

 glumes (4-7 cm) of lateral spikelets giving a "squirrel's tail" appearance. 

 An infrequent grass, mostly occurring in coastal saltmarshes, where it is 

 presumably native; rarer inland, as an adventive weed in open ground 

 and cultivated fields. It may be expected to spread along highways. This 

 species is considered a troublesome weed in many parts of the country 

 as the mature, long-bristled, sharp spikelets readily disarticulate, 

 becoming lodged in nostrils and injure mouths of livestock and work 

 their way into ears of dogs. 



A Hordeum with shorter setaceous glumes (less than 2 cm) has 

 been reported from two localities in the state, Gorham, Coos Co. 

 (Pease, 1964) and Madbury, Strafford Co. This taxon is referable to H. 

 jubatum subsp. breviaristatum Bowden (treated by some authors as H. 



