GRAMINE^. (grass FAMILY.) 643 



rootstock creeping. (Holcus odoratus, L.) — Moist meadows, chiefly northward 

 near the coast and along the Great Lakes. May. — Culm l°-2° high, with 

 short, lanceolate leaves. Spikelets chestnut-color ; the staminate flowers strongly 

 hairy-fringed on the margins, and the tortile one at the tip. (Ku.) 



2. H. alpina, Kocm. & Scluiltes. Panicle contracted (l'-2' long); one 

 of the staininatc flowers barely pointed or short-awned near the tip, the othei 

 long-awned from below the middle ; lowest leaves very narrow. — Alpine moun- 

 tain-tops. New England, New York, and northward. July. (Eu.) 



55. ANTHOXANTHUM, L. Sweet Veunal-Grass. (PI. 13.) 



Spikelcts spiked-panicled, really 3-flowercd ; but the lateral flowers neutral, 

 consisting merely of one palet which is hairy on the outside and awned on the 

 back : the central (terminal) flower perfect, small, of 2 awnless chartaceous 

 palets, 2-androus. Glumes very thin, acute, keeled ; the upper about as long 

 as the flowers, twice the length of the lower. Squamula; none. Grain ovate, 

 adherent. (Name compounded oi "ivBos, flower, and livdcov, offloweis. L.) 



1. A. odorXtu.m, L. Spikelcts (brownish or tinged with green) spreading 

 at flowering-time ; one of the neutral flowers bearing a bent awn from near its 

 base, the other short-awned below the tip. — Meadows, pastures, &c. Perennial : 

 very sweet-scented in drying. May -July. (Nat. from Eu.) 



56. PHALARIS, L. Canary-Grass. (PL 13.) 



Spikelcts crowded in a clustered or spiked panicle, with 2 neutral mere rudi- 

 ments (a scale or a pedicel) in place of lateral flowers, one on each side, at the 

 base of the perfect one, which is flattish, awnless, of 2 shining palets, shorter 

 than the equal boat-shaped and keeled glumes, finally coriaceous or cartilagi- 

 nous, and closely enclosing the flattened free and smooth grain. — Stamens 3. — 

 Leaves broad, mostly flat. (The ancient name, from (f>a\6s, shinbvj, alluding 

 either to the palets or the grain.) 



§ 1. PHALARIS proper. Panicle i-ery dense, spikc-lilc: glumes icing-keeled. 



1. P. Canariensis, L. (Canary-Grass.) Annual, l°-2° high; spike 

 oval; rudimentary flower a small lanceolate scale. — "Waste places and road- 

 sides, IMassachusctts to Pennsylvania : rare. July- Sept. (Adv. from Eu.) 

 §2. DiGRAPIIIS, Trill. Panicle hmncJud, the daslers ojirn in cnthesis : f/luincs 



not icinged on the back. 



2. P. arundinkcea, L. '(Keed C.) Perennial, 2° -4° high; Ic.-xves flat 

 (3" -5" wide; glumes open at flowering, 3-ncrved, thrice the length of the fertile 

 flower; rudimentary flowers reduced to a minute hairy scale or pedicel. — AVet 

 grounds : common, especially northward. June, July. — Var. rfcxA, the leaves 

 striped with white, is tlio familiar PiIIU!0\-Grass of llie gardens. (Eu.) 



57 MILIUM, !iriLLKT-GuAss. (PI. 13.) 



Spikelcts diil'usely panickd, nut jointed with their jK'dicels, apparently con- 

 sisting of 2 equal membranaceous convex and awnless glumes, including a single 

 s.oriaceous awnless flower: but theoretically the lower glume U wanting, while 



