48 



Ammophila arundinacea (Beach Grass; Sand Grass). 



This is Calamagrostis arenaria of the older books. The entire plant 

 is of a whitish, or pale green color. It grows on sanely beaches of the 

 Atlantic, at least as far south as North Carolina, and on the shores of 

 the Great Lakes, bnt has not, so far, been recorded from the Pacific 

 coast. It also grows on the sea-coast of the British Isles and of Europe. 

 It forms tufts of greater or less extent, " its long, creeping roots extend- 

 ing sometimes to the extent of 40 feet, and bearing tubers the size of a 

 pea, interlaced with death-like tenacity of grasp, and form a net-work 

 beneath the sand which resists the most vehement assault of the ocean 

 waves." The culms are from 2 to 3 feet high, rigid and solid ; the leaves 

 long, involute, smooth, stiff, and slender-pointed ; the panicle is dense, 

 6 to 10 inches long, close and spike-like; the spikelets are about half 

 an inch long, compressed, crowded on very short branchlets. 



This grass has no agricultural value, but from time immemorial its 

 utility in binding together the loose sands of the beach, and restrain- 

 ing the inroads of the ocean, has been recognized and provided for in 

 some places by law. Mr. Flint, in his work on grasses, sa^s that the 

 town and harbor of Provincetowu, once called Cape Cod, where the 

 Pilgrims first landed, one of the largest and most important harbors of 

 the United States, sufficient in depth for ships of largest size, and in 

 extent to anchor three thousand vessels at once, owe their preservation 

 to this grass. The usual way of propagating the grass is by transplant- 

 ing the roots. It is pulled up by hand and placed in a hole about a 

 foot deep and the sand pressed around it by the foot. There are un- 

 doubtedly many places on the sea-coast where this grass would be of 

 inestimable value in restraining the encroachment of the ocean. It 

 would also be useful in forming a dense turf for the protection of dikes 

 and banks subject to water-washing, 



CALAMAGROSTIS. 



This genus is characterized by having one-flowered spikelets, with the addition 

 at the base of the flowering glume of a small hairy appendage or pedicel, which is s 

 considered to be the rudiment of a second flower. In addition to this tlie flower is 

 also generally surrounded at the base with a ring of soft hairs, and the flowering 

 glumo usually bears an awn on its back, which is generally bent and twisted. 



In this genus there are two sections, viz : 1st, Deyeuxia, in which there is a small 

 hairy pedicel in front of the palet of the single perfect flower; the glumes thin and 

 membranaceoos. In this section are most of our North American species. 2d, Calarno- 

 vilfa, in which the glumes and palet are thicker and more compressed, and the sterile 

 pedicel or rudiment is wanting. 



Calamagrostis (Deyeuxia) Canadensis (Blue-joint; Small Reed Grass). 



A stout, erect, tall perennial grass, growing chiefly in wet, boggy 

 ground or in low, moist meadows. Its favorite situation is in cool, ele- 

 vated regions. It prevails in all the northern portions of the United 

 States, in the Rocky Mountains, and in British America. In those dis- 

 tricts it is one of the best and most productive of the indigenous grasses. 



