GRAMINE^. (GKASS FAMILY.) 623 



1. E. Indica, 'Grertn. (Dog's-tail or Wire Grass.) Culms ascending, 

 flattened; spikes 2-5 (about 2' long, greenish). — Yards, &c., chiefly soutli- 

 ward. (Nat. from Ind. ?) 



24. LEPTOCHLOA, Beauv. (Oxydkxi.v, Nuti.) (PI. 9.) 



Spikelcts 3 - many-flowered (the uppermost flower imperfect), loosely spiked 

 on one side of a long filiform riiachis : the s])ikes racemed. Glumes membra- 

 naceous, keeled, often awl-jjointed, the upper one somewhat larger. Lower 

 palet 3-nervcd, with the lateral nerves next the ciliate or hairy margins awn- 

 less, or bristle-awned at the entire or 2-toothed tip, larger than the ujipcr. 

 Stamens 2 or 3. Seed sometimes loose in the pericarp. — Ours annuals. 

 Leaves flat. (Name composed of Aenrds, slender, and x^"''' .'/''«sn, from the 

 long attenuated spikes.) 



§1. LEPTOCHLOA proper. Lower palet awnless or simply awned. 



1. L. mueronata, Kuuth. Sheaths hairy; spikes numerous (20-40, 

 2' -4' in length), in a long panicle-like raceme ; spikelcts small ; glumes more 

 or less mucronate, nearly equalling or exceeding the 3-4 awnless flowers. — 

 Fields, Virginia to Illinois, and southward. August. 



§2. DIPLACHNE, Beauv. Lower palet hrislle-nioiud frotii the 2-tootlicd apex ; 

 the marfp'iial nerves often excurrent into lateral teeth or fwints. 



2. L. fascicularis, Gray. Smooth ; leaves longer than the geniculate- 

 decumbent and branching culms, the upper sheathing the base of the crowded 

 panicle-like raceme, which is composed of many strict spikes (3'- 5' long) ; spike- 

 lets slightly pcdicelled, 7 - II -flowered, much longer than the lanceolate glumes; 

 palets hairy-margined towards the base ; the lower one with 2 small lateral 

 teeth and a short awn in the cleft of the apex. (Festuca fa.scicularis. Lam. 

 F. polystachya, Michx. Diplachne fa.scicularis, Beauv., Torr.) — Brackish 

 meadows, from Rhode Island southward along the coast, and from Illinois 

 southward on the Mississippi. Aug. -Sept. — Makes a direct transition to the 

 next genus. 



25. TRICtrSPIS, Beauv. (PI. 10.) 



Spikelcts 3- 12-flowcred, somewhat terete; the terminal flower abortive. 

 Glumes unequal. Rhachis of the spikelct bearded below each flower. Palets 

 membranaceous or somewhat chartaccous ; the lower much larger than the 2- 

 toothed upper one, convex, 2-3-toothcd or cleft at the apex, conspicuously 

 hairy-bearded or villous on the 3 strong nerves, of which the lateral are mar- 

 ginal or nearly so and usually excurrent, as is the mid nerve especially, into a 

 short cusj) or awn. Stamens 3. Stigmas dark purple, plumose. Grain ob- 

 long, nearly gibbous. — Leaves taper-pointed: sheaths bearded at the throat 

 Panicle simple or compound ; the spikelcts often racemose, purplish. (Name 

 from the Latin tricuspis, three-pointed, alluding to the lower palet.) 

 § 1. TRICLTSPIS proper. (Windsoria, iV««.) Glumes shorter than the crowded 

 flowers : lower pnlet S-cuspidate bi/ the projection of the nerves, and usually with 

 intamediaie membranaceous teeth ; the. upper palet naked. 



