1394 



GRASS 



GRASSES 



A grass extends its domain by running rootstocks, by 

 liberating seeds inclosed in the glumes which are 

 caught by the breeze, by some passing animal, or the 

 nearest stream; the twisting and untwisting of awns 

 bury some of them in cracks, crevices or soft earth. 

 In case a growing stem is thrown down for any reason, 

 several of the lower nodes promptly elongate on the 

 lower side and thus bring the top into an erect position. 

 Each sheath supports and holds erect the tender lower 

 portion of the internode, where it is soft and weak; it 

 also protects the young branches or panicles. Thrifty 

 blades of grasses suitable for pasture and lawn elongate 

 from the lower end, so that when the tips are cut off 

 the leaves do not cease to elongate, but renew their 

 length. When exposed to sun or dry air, the blades 

 develop a thicker epidermis, and, by shrinking of some 

 of the delicate buUiform cells of the upper epidermis, 

 they diminish their surface as they roll their edges 

 inward or bring them together, like closing an open 

 book. When the plant is in flower the minute and 

 delicate lodicules become distended just in time to 

 spread the glumes and liberate the stamens. 



Grasses are not so much employed for ornamenting 

 homes as their merits warrant. By selecting, some can 

 be found suited to every week of the growing season, 

 though many of them are in their prime during June, 

 the month of roses. Wild rice (Zizania) is fine for rich 

 soil in the margins of ponds, and masses of reed grass 

 for deep beds of moist muck. For massing or for bor- 

 ders the following and others are stately: Anindo 

 Donax, A. conspicua, maize, pampas-grass, Eulalia, 

 ribbon-grass, Andropogon fonnosus, A. halepensis, 

 Hystrix, Tripsacum. For glaucous blue-green, use 

 Elymus arenarius, Fcstuca glauca, and Poa cassia. For 

 potting and borders, there are striped varieties of 

 Dactylis, Anthoxanthum, Holcus lanatus, H. mollis, Poa 

 trwialis, Phleum. pralense, and others may soon be pro- 

 duced. For table decoration nothing is better than the 

 elegant, airy panicles of large numbers of wild grasses, 

 Buch as species of Poa, Kccleria, Sphenophohs, Panicum, 

 Paspalum, Eragrostis, Muhlenbergia, Bromus, Festuca, 

 Agrostis, Deschampsia, Uniola, Briza, Cinna latifolia. 

 For large halls and exhibitions, nothing surpasses sheaves 

 of wheat, barley, rice, oats or any of the wild grasses. 

 For decoration, grasses should be cut before ripe, dried 

 in the dark in an upright position, and may be used in 

 that condition or dyed or bleached. For paths, noth- 

 ing is more pleasing than strips of well-mown lawn. 



Drainage keeps out sedges and encourages the better 

 grasses; manure and irrigation help the best grasses to 

 choke and diminish most weeds. Enough has already 

 been done to show that rich rewards are sure for him 

 who patiently and intelligently attempts to improve 

 grasses for any purpose whatever by selection and 

 crossing. Quack-grass is excellent for holding embank- 

 ments; Ammophila arenaria for holding drifting sands. 

 The grass family furnishes its fuU quota of weeds, 

 among them quack-grass, crab-grass, chess, June-grass, 

 sand-bur, stink-grass. 



Turf-forming grasses are those that spread freely by 

 creeping rootstocks, such as June-grass, quack-grass, 

 Bermuda-grass, Rhode Island bent and redtop, while 

 most others are more or less bunchy. For northern 

 regions not subject to severe droughts, sow Rhode 

 Island bent and June-grass both, or either one alone; 

 for certain regions, which are hable to suffer from 

 dry weather, sow June-grass and plant Bermuda-grass. 

 These two on the same ground supplement each other 

 in different kinds of weather, securing a green carpet dur- 

 ing every part of each growing season. \y j Beal. 



GRASSES, POPULAR NAMES OF. Few grasses 

 hold commanfling ])ositions as specimen plants, although 

 the agricultural values of grasses are transcendent. 

 Some of the commoner vernacular grass names (not all 

 of true grasses) are given with references to the proper 



genera: Animated Oats, Avena. Artificial-G., some- 

 times used for certain forage plants, as sorghum, but 

 also leguminous plants, as clover, lucerne, sainfoin. 

 Awnless Brome-G., Bromus inermis. Beach-G., Am- 

 mophila arenaria. Bear-G., unusual name for Yucca 

 fdamenlosa. Beard-G., Andropogon; also Folypogon 

 monspeliensis. Bengal-G., Setaria italica. Bent-G., 

 Agrostis. Bermuda-G., Cynodon Dactylon. Blue-eyed- 

 G., Sisyrinchium. Blue-G., Poa. Bluejoint-G., Blue- 

 stem-G., Calamagrostis canadensis, Andropogon furcatiis, 

 Agropyron Smithii. Bog-G., Carex. Bristly Foxtail-G., 

 Setaria magna. Brome-G., Bromus. Canada Blue-G., 

 Poa compressa. Canary-G., Phalaris canariensis. 

 Cat-tail-G., Phleum pralense. China-G., Boelimcria 

 nivea. Citronella-G., Cymbopogon. Cocksfoot-G., 

 Dactylis glomerata. Cotton-G., Eriophorum. Couch-G., 

 Agropyron repens. Crab-G., Elcusine and Digitaria 

 sanguinalis. Crested Dog's-tail G., Cynosurus 

 crislatus. Deer-G., Rkexia virginica. Dog's-tail-G., 

 Cynosurus. Eel-G., Valli-^neria spiralis. English 

 Rye-G., Lolium perenne. Esparto-G., .S7ipa tenacissima. 

 Feather-G., Slipa pennata. Feather Sedge-G., Andro- 

 pogon saccharoides. Fescue-G., Festuca. Finger-comb- 

 G., Dactyloctenium. Finger-G., Chloris. Fly Away-G., 

 Agrostis hiemalis. Four-leaved-G., Paris quadrifolia. 

 Fowl Meadow-G.,Poa triflora. Golden-Top G.,Lamarckia 

 aurea. Guinea-G., Panicum maxim urn; also erroneously 

 used for Holcus halepensis. Hair-G., Agrostis hiemalis. 

 Hare's-tail G., Lagurus oratus. Hassock-G., Deschamp- 

 sia csespilosa. Herd's-G., in New England is timothy 

 (Phleum pralense) ; in Pennsj'lvania, florin (Agrostis 

 alba). Holy-G., Hierochloa borealis. Hungarian-G., 

 Setaria italica. Italian Rye-G., Lolium muUiJlorum. 

 Japanese Lawn-G., Zoysia pungent. Job's-tears, 

 Coix. Johnson-G., Holcus halepensis. June-G., Poa 

 pratensis. Kentucky Blue-G., Poa pratensis. Large 

 Quaking-G., Briza maxima. Little Quaking-G., Briza 

 minor. Love-G., Eragrostis elegans. Ljrme-G., of up- 

 holstery is Deschampsia csespitosa. Marram-G., Am- 

 mophila arenaria. M.yTtle-G., Acortis Calamus. Oat-G., 

 Arrhenatherum elatius; also various species of Avena. 

 Orchard-G., Dactylis glomerata. Palm-leaved G., Pani- 

 cum sulcatum. Pampas-G., Cortaderia. Pepper-G., 

 Lepidium; also Pilularia globulifera. Plume-G., Erian- 

 thus Ravennse. Pony-G., Calamagrostis stricta. Purple 

 Bent-G., Calamovilfa brevipilis. Quack-, Quick-, or 

 Quitch-G., Agropyron repens. Quaking-G., Briza. Rat- 

 tlesnake-G., Briza maxima; also Glyceria canadensis. 

 Ray-G., Lolium perenne. Redtop G., Agrostis alba. 

 'Reed-O., Arundo, Bamboo. Reed Bent-G., Ca/awaj/rosfe. 

 Reed Canary-G., Phalaris arundinacea. Rescue-G., 

 Bromus unioloides. Rhode Island Bent-G., Agrostis 

 canina. Ribbon-G., Phalaris orundinacea var. picta. 

 Rough Bent-G., Agrostis hiemalis. Roughish Meadow- 

 G., Poa trii'ialis. Roughstalked Meadow-G., Poa 

 irivialis. Rye-G., Lolium perenne. Sand-G., Calor- 

 movilja longifolia. Scxirvy-G., Cochharia officinalis. 

 Scutch -G., Cynodon Dactylon. Seacoast Bent-G., 

 Agrostis alba var. maritima. Seneca-G., Hierochloa 

 borealis. Sesame-G., Tripsacum. Sheep's Fescue- 

 G., Festuca ovina. Silk-G., Agrostis hiemalis. Sil- 

 ver Beard-G., Andropogon argenteus. Soui-G., local 

 name for Rumex Acetosella. Squirrel-tail-G., Hordeum. 

 Star-G., Callitriche; also locally for Hypoxis and Aletris. 

 Striped -G., Phalaris arundinacea var. picta. Sweet- 

 scented Vemal-G., Anthoxanthum odoratum. Tall 

 Meadow Oat-G., Arrhenatherum elatius. Tickle-G., 

 Agrostis hiemalis. Teax-G., Coix Lachryma-Jobi. Texas 

 Blue-G., Poa arachnifera. Timothy, Phleum. Tufted 

 Hair-G., Deschampsia c^spiiosa. Vanilla-G., Hierochloa 

 borealis. Viper's-G., Scorzonera. White Bent-G., Agros- 

 tis alba. Whitlow-G., Draba, especially D. verna, and 

 Saxifraga tridactylites. Wood Meadow-G., Poa neniora- 

 lis. Woolly Beard-G., £'/-io/((/n(.s. Worm-G., Spigelia; 

 also Sedum album. Yellow-eyed-G., Xyris. Zebra-G., 

 Miscanthus sinensis. 



