GRAMINEAE (GRASS FAMILY) 



165 



lemma 10-12 mm. long, acnminate, i'^-net'ved, evenly scahrons-puhescent on back ; 

 awn 5-6 mm. long. — Fields, .Me. o Out., local. (Adv. from Eu.) 



77. LOLIUM L. Darnel 



Spikelets several-flowered, solitarj' in alternate notches of the continuous 

 rhachis, one edge of each spikelet placed against the rhachis, the glume on that 

 edge wanting ; second glume rigid, 5-7-nerved, exceeding 

 the lowest floret ; rhachilla flattened ; lemmas convex, 

 5-7-nerved, nerves converging above, awned or awnless ; 

 grain adherent to the palea. — Annuals or perennials with 

 simple erect culms, flat leaves and terminal spikes. (Ancient 

 Latin name.) 



1. L. PERENXE L. (CoMMOx D., Perenxial Ray or 

 Kye Grass.) Short-lived perennial; culms 3-6 dm. high, 

 glabrous ; the axis of inflorescence glabrous except the 

 angles ; leaves usually not over 4 mm. wide, folded in the 

 bud ; glume shorter than the S-10-Jioice7'ed spikelet ; lemma 



about 6-^ mm. lung, awnless. — Fields and 

 roadsides, chiefly eastw. June. — This and 

 the following are cultivated as meadow 

 grasses. (Nat. from Eu.) Fig. 182. 



2. L. multiflurum Lam. (Italian 

 Rye Grass.) Differs from the preceding 

 in having the upper portion of the culm 

 and the convex side of the axis of inflorescence roughened ; 

 leaves convolute in the bud ; spikelets \0-20-floicered ; lemmas 

 7-8 mm. long, iisually at least the upper awned. (L. italicum 

 R-. Br.) — Fields and roadsides. Jitne. (Nat. from Eu.) 



3. L. TEMULENTUM L. (Beardei) D.) Aunual ; culms 

 taller; glume fully equaling the b-", -floirered spikelets; awn 

 longer or shorter than the lemma. — Grain fields and waste 



places, rare. (Adv. from Eu.) Fig. 183. 



L. festucXceum Link, a glabrous perennial with approximate spikelets, or the 

 lower remote, the glume shorter than the awnless florets, occurs occasionally on 

 ballast and waste grounds in N. J. and Wilmington, Del. (Adv. from Eu.) 



1S2. L. perenne. 

 Two spikelets x 1^4. 



183. L. temulentum. 

 Spikelets x i,^. 

 Floret X 11/4. 



78. LEPTtRUS R. Br. 



Spikelets 1-2-flowered, awnless, solitary, alternate in ex- 

 cavations of the articulate rhachis ; glumes equal, placed edge 

 to edge in front of the florets, except in the terminal spikelet, 

 coriaceous, rigid, 5-nerved, acute ; lemma much smaller than 

 the glumes, hyaline, keeled. — Our species a low branching 

 annual, with slender cylindrical straight or curved terminal 

 spikes which disarticulate at maturity, the joints falling with 

 the appressed spikelets attached. (Name from XeTrros, nar- 

 roio, and ovpd, tail, or spike.) 



1. L. FiLiFORMis (Roth) Trin. Tufted. 1-2 dm. high, 

 decumbent at base, glabrous ; leaves short and narrow ; spikes 

 3-10 dm. long, included at the base in the sheath, joints and 

 spikelets 5 mm. long. — Borders of brackish marshes, Md. 

 and Va. ; and on ballast northw. (Adv. from Eu.) Fig. 184. 



79. AGROPYRON Gaertn. 



Isl. L. filitormis x3. 



Part of inflorescence 



and spikelet. 



Spikelets 3-many-flowered, solitary (rarely in pairs) in alternate notches of 

 the continuous (rarely articulate) rhachis, the side of the spikelet placed against 

 the rhachis; glumes equal, opposite or placed edge to edge on the outer side 



