73 



BROMUS. 

 (BROME GRASS.) 



Spikelets five to many-flowered, in a dense, or lax, or diffuse panicle ; the rhachis 

 between the flowers glabrous; outer glumes more or less unequal, shorter than the 

 lowest flower, membranaceous, acute, awnless, or short mucronate, one to nine- 

 nerved; flowering glume from membranaceous to rigid, and subcoriaceous, roundel 

 on the back or compressed and keeled, five to nine-nerved, acute, and awned from 

 below the mostly two-cleft apex ; palet rather shorter than the glumes, two-keeled 

 the keels rigid and ciliate; grain adhering to the palet. 



Bromus secalinus (Chess; Cheat). 



It is an old tradition which some farmers still cling to that chess is a 

 degenerated wheat; that the action of frost and other causes occasion 

 the deterioration, whereas the truth undoubtedly is that chess seed was 

 either in the land or in the seed sown, and, being more hardy than 

 wheat, it survived the frost and took possession of the ground. Some 

 years ago this grass had a temporary popularity under the name of 

 Willard's brome grass, but it was soon abandoned when brought into 

 competition with better grasses. 



In the South it would perhaps be a good winter grass, like its relative 

 Bromus unioloides, but it is not as vigorous a grass as that species, 

 and does not produce such an abundance of foliage. (Plate 84.) 



Bromus umoloides (Schrader's Grass; Rescue Grass). 



In its early growth it spreads and produces a large amount of leaves; early in the 

 spring it sends up its flower stalks, which grow about 3 feet high, with a large, open, 

 spreading panicle, the ends of the branchlets bearing the large, flattened spike- 

 lets, which, when mature, hang gracefully upon their stems, giving them quite an 

 ornamental appearance. These spikelets are from 1 inch to 1| inches in length, and 

 composed of two acute, lanceolate glumes at the base, and from seven to ten flowers, 

 arranged in two rows alternate on each side of the axis. The flowers are lanceolate, 

 or ovate-lanceolate, the flowering glume extending into a fine point or short awn. 



This is one of the so-called winter grasses ; that is, it makes, in the 

 South, a large share of its growth during the winter mouths. 



During several years past this grass has been sent to the Depart- 

 ment, chiefly from Louisiana and Texas, and has been much com- 

 mended. Many years since the same grass was distributed and experi- 

 mented with under the name of Australian oats, or Bromus Schraderi. 

 It is not adapted to use in a country with severe winters, and hence 

 did not give satisfaction in all places. 



Mr. C. Mohr, of Mobile, says of it : 



Only of late years found spreading in different parts of this State; makes its ap- 

 pearance in February, grows in tufts, its numerous leafy stems growing from 2 to 

 3 feet high; it ripens the seed in May; affords in the earlier months of spring a 

 much-relished, nutritious food, as well as good hay. 



It is said to have been introduced into Georgia by General Iverson, of 

 Columbus, and by him called rescue grass. The favorable opinion which 

 it at first received does not seem to have been well sustained in that 

 State. 



