ORDER CXL. GRAMINE^: GRASS-FAMILY. 



215 



lower one larger, mostly longer than the palese. Paleas 1 2 ; 

 lower one larger, often awned; upper one often wanting, or 

 minute. Stamens 3. Caryopsis free. Per. 



* Upper palea minute or wanting. 



1. A. scabra. Hair Grass. 



Culm erect, very slender ; leaves narrow, short, somewhat rough ; lower 

 ones involute; upper shorter and very narrow; panicle large, very loose, with 

 capillary diverging branches, which bear the purplish flowers near the ex- 

 tremities ; lower palese mostly awnless, or with a very short awn. A delicate 

 grass in fields and wet places that have become dry, distinguished by its large, 

 capillary, very delicate panicle, with its branches whorled. Culm 1 2 ft. high. 

 June. 



2. A. canina. Dog's Bent-Grass. 



Culms slender, mostly decumbent ; radical leaves setaceous, involute ; those 

 of the culm flat, linear ; panicle short and loose, somewhat spreading, with slen- 

 der branches ; lower palea awned on the back ; awn long, and at length bent ; 

 upper palea minute. An introduced species, common In the meadows of N. 

 England, distinguished by its long awn. The spikelets at first green, become 

 purplish. Culm 12 ft. high. July Aug. 



* * Upper palea present. 



3. A. yulgaris. Red-top. Herd's Grass in Penn. 



Culm mostly erect, slender ; leaves linear, with smooth sheaths ; ligule short, 

 truncate; panicle spreading, with slender, purplish branches; lower palea 8- 

 veined, twice as long as the upper, equaling the glumes, rarely awned. A valu- 

 able grass, introduced and thoroughly naturalized, distinguished by its cylindri- 

 cal, purplish panicle, with slender, spreading branches. Culm 12 ft. high. 

 July. 



4. A. alba. White-top. 



Culm erect, or ascending above, decumbent, or rooting at base ; leaves lin- 

 ear ; sheaths smooth ; ligule narrow-oblong ; panicle narrow, at length con- 

 tracted, with slender, roughish branches; lower palea 5-veined, rarely awned, 

 shorter than the glumes. Another introduced species, equally common with 

 the last, distinguished by the narrow, whitish panicle, and decumbent stem. 



Culm 12 ft. high. July. 



6. ClNNA. 



Spikelets 1-flowered, crowded in an open panicle. Glumes 2, 

 cariuate ; lower one smaller. Flower pedicellate within the 

 glumes, Palere 2, the lower longest, with a short awn on the 

 back. Stamen 1. Per. 



1. C. arundinacea. 



Heed Grass. 



Culm tall, erect, smooth ; leaves linear-lanceolate, flat, rough on the margin ; 

 ligule long, lacerated ; panicle large, compound, spreading, at length contracted ; 

 lower glume considerably shorter than the lower palea, and about equal to the 

 upper palea; spikelets green, rarely purplish; awn scarcely, if at all exceeding 

 the palea. A tall, rank grass, not uncommon in wet grounds. Culm 2 5 ft. 



high. Aug. 



6. MUHLENBERGIA. 



Spikelets 1-flowered, in more or less contracted, often spicate 

 panicles. Glumes acute, mucronate, persistent ; lower one smaller, 

 often minute. Palea; 2, usually bearded at base, inclosing the 

 grain, and deciduous with it ; lower more or less mucronate or 

 awned at apex. Stamens 3. Per. 



* Lower palea more or less mucronate, not awned. 



1. M. sobolifera. Drop-seed Grass. 



Culm slender, ascending, slightly branched ; leaves linear, short; panicles 

 much contracted, terminal and axillary, with simple, filiform branches ; glumes 

 acute, somewhat shorter than the equal palese ; lower palea short, mucronate. 

 A slender species, common in rocky woods, distinguished by its simple panicles 

 with filiform branches. Culm 12 ft high. Aug. 



2. M. Mexicana. 



Mexican Drop-seed. 



Culm erect, ascending, very branching, and very leafy above ; leaves linear, 

 short; panicles numerous, terminal and axillary, contracted, densely flowered; 

 branches somewhat spicato ; glumes acute, unequal ; upper glume as long as the 

 very acute, lower palea. A common grass in damp grounds, distinguished by 

 Its numerous, densely flowered, contracted panicles. Culm 1 3 ft. high. Aug. 



3. M glomerata. 



Clustered Drop-seed. 



Culm erect, smooth, simple, or with a few appressed branches ; leaves erect 



flat, rough ; panicle narrow-oblong, contracted into a kind of interrupted, clus- 

 tered spike, on a long peduncle ; glumes nearly equal, awned, with the awns 

 twice as long as the very acute or mncronate palea. A species rather common 

 in bogs, distinguished by its nearly simple spicate panicle. Culm 12 ft high. 

 Aiig. 



* * Lower palea owned. 



4. M. sylvatica. 



Wood Drop-seed. 



Culm ascending, very branching; branches diffusely spreading ; leaves lan- 

 ceolate, with smooth sheaths ; panicles contracted, densely flowered ; glumes 

 subequal, mucronate, nearly equaling the long-awned, lower palea. A rather 

 common species, in rocky woods, distinguished by the very branching culm 

 and dense panicles. 2 3 ft. high. Sept. 



5. M. Wildendvii. 



Slender Drop-seed. 



Culm slender, erect, nearly or quite simple ; leaves lanceolate, with pubescent 

 sheaths ; panicle slender, contracted, loosely flowered, with remote, filiform 

 branches ; glumes rather unequal, acute, half as long as the long.awned palea. 

 A slender species, common in rocky woods, distinguished by its nearly simple 

 stem and contracted panicle, with its filiform branches. Culm 2 8 ft high. 



7. BRACHYELYTBUM. 



Spikelets 1-flowered, with a filiform pedicel of a second abor- 

 tive flower, arranged in a simple, appressed, racemose panicle. 

 Lower glume wanting ; upper minute, persistent. Palese 2, in- 

 closing the grain ; lower tipped with a long, straight awn. Sta- 

 mens 2. Per. 



1. B. aristatum. Bearded Drop-seed. 



Culm erect, simple, slender ; leaves lanceolate, flat, with somewhat pubes- 

 cent sheaths; flowers large, nerved, in a slender panicle, consisting of simple, 

 appressed branches, resembling a spike or raceme ; awn as long as the flower ; 

 abortive flower lodged in the groove in the back of the upper palea. A slender 

 grass, rather common in rocky woods. Culm 1 3 ft high. June. 



8. CALAMAGR<5STI9. 



Spikelets 1-flowered, often with a minute, rudimentary pedi- 

 cel of an abortive flower, in a loose panicle, varying to a spicate 

 one. Glumes 2, carinate, nearly equal in length, longer than the 

 palese, which are surrounded by a tuft of white bristles. Lower 

 palea awned on the back, below the tip, or awnless, mostly longer 

 than the upper one. Stamens 3. 



1. C. Canadensis. Blue-joint. 



Culm simple, tall, stout, rigid ; leaves with smooth sheaths, linear-lanceolate ; 

 panicle oblong, loose ; lower palea 8 5-nerved, nearly as long as the lanceolate 

 glumes, equaling the tuft of hairs surrounding it, and with a very fine awn on 

 the back below the tip, scarcely exceeding it. A rank, reedy grass, 25 ft. high, 

 with somewhat glaucous foliage, rather common in wet grounds. July Aug. 



2. C. arenaria. Sea-sand Reed. 



Culm stout and rigid, erect, arising from stout, creeping rhizomas ; leaves 

 smooth and glaucous, very acute and involute at extremity ; panicle contracted 

 into a dense, thick spike, with short, appressed branches ; glumes nearly equal, 

 somewhat longer than the equal palea, compressed, carinate ; lower palea some- 

 what mucronate or awned ; tuft of hairs much shorter than the palea; ovary 

 with lanceolate scales at base tnnch longer than itself. A stout grass 2 8 ft 

 high, common on sandy beaches. Aug. 



9. ORYZ6PSIS. 



Spikelets 1-flowered. Glumes nearly equal, mostly longer than 

 the flower. Lower palea coriaceous, at length involute, and in- 

 closing the upper equal palea and the grain, tipped with a 

 straight, deciduous awn. Stamens 8. Scales at the base of the 

 ovary mostly 2, manifest. Per. 



1.0. asperifolia. 



Mountain Rice. 



Culm nearly naked, clothed with mere sheaths of leaves, erect, simple ; 

 leaves few, long, erect, radical, narrow-linear, rough on the margin ; panicle re- 

 duced to a nearly simple, racemose, few-flowered spike, the lower branches 

 bearing only 1 3-flowers; palese whitish, somewhat pubescent; lower one with 

 a long, straight awn at least twice its own length ; caryopsis white, as large as a 

 rice grain, farinaceous. A common inhabitant of rich, wooded hill-sides, where 

 its long, rigid leaves remain green through the winter. Culm 6' 15' high. 

 May. 



