224 



A TEXT-BOOK OF GRASSES 



RR. Lemmas bifid 

 at apex, often 

 awned from 

 between the 

 teeth ; spikelets 

 large, some- 

 times com- 

 pressed and 



(Par. 258). 



keeled Bromus 



246. Cortaderia Stapf. — Pampas-grass. The orna- 

 mental species, C. argentea (Nees) Stapf (Fig. 50), is a 

 large reed growing in clumps, the blades numerous, long 

 and narrow, drooping, the flower-stalk tall and slender, 

 bearing a large silvery white or rosy plume 1 to 2 feet 

 long. A native of Argentina, cultivated for ornament 

 and, in California, on a commercial scale for the plumes. 



Another species, C. jubata (Lem.) Stapf, with smaller and more 

 lax lavender-colored plume, is occasionally cultivated, A related 

 plant, the uva-grass Gynerium sagittatum (Aubl.) Beauv. (G. sac- 

 char aides Humb. & Bonpl.), sometimes 

 cultivated, is a tall coarse leafy reed, 

 12 to 30 feet high, with creeping root- 

 stocks, the lower leaves soon dropping, 

 leaving the stem naked below. Tropi- 

 cal America; not hardy. 



247. Arundo L. — Giant-reed. 

 The species found in the United 

 States, A. Donax L., is a tall 

 stout reed, 5 to 10 feet high, with 

 somewhat woody finally much- 

 branched stem, broad clasping 

 blades and large plumes or pani- 

 cles. A native of the Mediter- 

 ranean region, cultivated in the 

 southern states for ornament. It 

 has escaped along irrigation 



Fig. 50. Cortaderia argen- 

 tea. A group of inflorescences 

 greatly reduced; glumes of 

 pistillate spikelet (a), florets 

 of pistillate spikelet (b), glumes 

 (c), and florets (d) of staminate 

 spikelet, XL (U. S. Dept. Agr., 

 Div. Agrost., Bull. 20.) 



