216 



ORDER CXL. GRAMINEJ5 GRASS-FAMILY. 



2. 0. melanocarpa. 



Black Millet. 



Culm erect, simple, leafy ; leaves lanceolate, acuminate, flat, with sheaths 

 bearded at the throat; panicle mostly simple, consisting of loose racemes ; 

 glumes acuminate, mucronate : pale.-B somewhat hairy, nearly black when ma- 

 ture ; lower one tipped with a long, straight awn, nearly an inch long; fruit 

 black. A leafy species, remarkably distinguished by its black fruit, rather com- 

 mon in rocky woods. Culm 2 3 ft. high. July Aug. 



10. AElSTIDA. 



Spikelets 1-flowered. Glumes 2, unequal, often mucronate; 

 palese pedicellate ; lower tipped with 3 awns ; upper palea much 

 smaller, minute. Stamens 8. Stigmas plumose. 



1. A. dichotoma. Poverty Grass. 



Culms tufted, dichotomously and very branching; leaves very narrow, more 

 or less revolute; spikelets on clavate pedicels, in short, appressed racemes; la- 

 teral ones minute, middle one as long or longer than the palea, bent or twisted. 

 A common grass in sandy fields, distinguished by its very dichotomons culm, 

 which is 6' 12' high. Aug. Sep. 



11. SPARTlNA. 



Spikelets 1-flowered, much compressed, arranged in two rows 

 on a triangular axis, forming dense racemose spikes. Glumes 2, 

 compressed, very much carinate, acute or mucronate, rough or 

 bristly on the keel ; upper one the largest, longer than the awn- 

 less palese. Stamens 3. Styles distinct, long. 



L S. polystachya. 



Marsh Reed-Grass. 



Culm erect, rigid, tall and stout; leaves broad, rough on the margin and 

 somewhat beneath, very long, involute toward the extremity ; spikes purplish, 

 very numerous, in a dense raceme ; glumes mucronate ; pale* equal, twice as 

 long as the lower glume. A tall, rank grass, growing in salt marshes. Culm 

 88 ft. high. Aug. 



2. S. jiincea. 



Salt Rush-Grass. 



Culm erect, slender ; leaves very narrow, involute the whole length ; spike- 

 lets few, 2 5, on short, smooth peduncles; uppermost sometimes sessile; 

 glumes acute, lower one much shorter than the lower palea. A much slenderer 

 species than the last, with very fine, almost capillary, involute leaves, growing 

 on the sea-beach and in salt marshes. Culm 12 ft. high. Aug. 



3. S. glabra. Smooth Marsh-Grass. 



Culm tall, erect, very smooth and somewhat succulent; leaves flattery 

 smooth, very long, tapering to a very long, fine point, which soon becomes in- 

 volute, smooth on the margin ; spikes several, 5 15, erect, sessile; upper glume 

 scarcely exceeding the equal palea. A rank species, distinguished by the 

 smoothness of all its parts, and the comparatively few sessile spikes. Culms 

 26 ft high. Aug. 



12. DACTYLIS. 



Spikelets 2 3-flowered, aggregated in dense clusters, forming 

 a dense, branching, 1-sided panicle. Glumes unequal, carinate, 

 mucronate. Stamens 3. Per. 



1. D. glomerata. 



Orchard Grass. 



Culm erect, somewhat rough ; leaves linear-lanceolate, rough, somewhat 

 glaucous, carinate; panicle dense, secund, with remote branches; glumes very 

 unequal ; anthers large, yellow. A common grass, introduced and naturalized 

 in shaded fields, especially orchards. Culm 2 8 ft. high. June. 



13. GLYCfcRIA. 



Spikelets several-flowered, mostly cylindrical and not flat, 

 flowers sessile, deciduous by separation of the joints of the 

 rachis, leaving the membranous, somewhat unequal glumes. 

 Palese nearly equal ; lower one 5 7, mostly 7 -nerved. Stamens 

 23. Per. 



* Spikes rather dense, ovate or oblong. 



1. Gr. Canadensis. Rattlesnake Grass. 



Culm erect, smooth ; leaves rough, somewhat glaucous ; panicle very large, 

 somewhat pyramidal, with long, capillary, spreading branches, which at length 

 are drooping ; spikelets rather large, ovate, short, tumid, 6 8-flowered, droop- 

 ing ; lower palea acute, longer than the obtuse, entire upper one ; stamens 2. 

 A stout, showy rase, 28 ft. high, distinguished by its large, swelling, drooping 

 epikelets. July. 



2. Gr. elongata. 



Manna-Grass. 



Culm erect, smooth ; leaves very long, rough ; panicle contracted, narrow, 

 very long, with racemose, somewhat seeund, nodding, appressed branches; 

 spikelets 3 5-flowered, erect, tumid, ovoid ; lower palea obtuse, somewhat 

 longer than the very obtuse upper palea. A common species in wet meadows 

 and woods, distinguished by its short, ovoid spikelets, arranged in a very limp;, 

 racemose panicle. Culm 23 ft high. June July. 



3. Gr. nervata, 



Nerved Manna-Grass. 



Culm erect, smooth: leaves long, rough above, with roughish sheaths; 

 panicle large, broad, diffuse, with capillary, at length drooping branches ; spike- 

 lets small, very numerous, oblong-ovate, 3 4-flowered, purplish ; paleee obtuse, 

 nearly equal, conspicuously veined ; upper one 2-toothed; stamens 3. A com- 

 mon meadow grass, 18 ft. high. June. 



4. Gr. pallida. 



Pale Manna-Grass. 



Culm smooth, creeping at base and then ascending; leaves flat, somewhat 

 glaucous beneath, pale green above ; panicle rather large, nearly simple, very 

 loose, with capillary, erect, spreading, roughish, few-flowered branches ; spike- 

 lets lanceolate, about 5-flowered, 5-veined, truncate at apex, minutely 5-tooth- 

 ed ; upper one 2-toothed. Common in shallow water and very wet swamps. 

 Culm 13 ft high. July. 



5. Gr. aquatica. Water Manna-Grass. 



Culm erect, smooth, stout, leafy ; leaves broadly linear, thin ; panicle large 

 and long, very much and diffusely branched ; branches somewhat erect, at 

 length spreading; spikelets narrow-oblong, 5 8-flowered, mostly purplish 

 lower palea truncate; upper one shorter, 2-toothed. A stout, showy species, 

 common, especially in Northern districts. Culm 3 5 ft high. July. 

 * * Spikelets linear, loosely flowered. 



6. Gr. fliiitans. Floating Manna-Grass. 



Culm compressed, ascending from a creeping, rooting base ; leaves broad- 

 linear, short, very smooth ; panicle very long, contracted, with nearly simple, 

 racemose branches ; spikelets 7 11-flowered, an inch or more long, appressed ; 

 lower palea obtuse, mostly somewhat longer than the upper one. An aquatic 

 species, distinguished from the preceding by its long spikelets, and from the 

 following by its obtuse flowers. Culm 2 4 ft long. Rather common in shal- 

 low waters. June. 



7. Gr. acutiflora. 



Pointed Manna-Grass. 



Culm smooth, compressed, ascending from a creeping, rooting base; leaves 

 narrow, small, shorter than in the last; panicle very long, much contracted, 

 with nearly simple, racemose branches; spikelets very long, from 1' 1J', 5 

 10-flowered ; lower palea acute, shorter than the upper one, which tapers to a 

 long, acuminate point A species much resembling the last It is found in 

 similar situations, but is distinguished by its much longer and very acute 

 flowers. Culm 2 3 ft long. June. 



14. BRIZOPYRUM. 



Spikelets 5 12-flowered, compressed, arranged in a very 

 dense, spicate or some'what capitate panicle. Glumes 2, carinate ; 

 lower ones nerved. Palese 2 ; lower palea somewhat coriaceous, 

 and obscurely nerved, acute. Ovary pedicellate. Flowers often 

 polygamously dioecious. Per. 



1. B. spicatuin. 



Quaking-Grass. 



Culms smooth, tufted, rigidly erect, very leafy above ; leaves long, rigid, 

 involute, acnte ; panicle densely spicate, with short branches, crowded with 

 sessile spikelets; flowers smooth, dioecious; stigmas of the pistillate flowers 

 very long, plumose. A common grass of the salt marshes, growing in tufts, 



6' 15' high. Aug. 



15. P6A. 



Spikelets compressed, ovate or oblong, few-flowered, in loose, 

 open panicles. Glumes usually shorter than the flowers; the 

 lower one smaller. Lower palea scarious on the margin, 5-nerved, 

 mostly clothed at base with a soft, web-like down. Upper palea 

 smaller, 2-toothed, deciduous with the rest of the flower. Sta- 

 mens 2 3. Per., except No. 1. 



1. P. annua. Low Meadow-Grass. 



Culms low, mostly decumbent or spreading, somewhat compressed ; leaves 

 short, smooth, with smooth sheaths ; panicle nearly as long as broad, with 

 mostly solitary, at length horizontal branches; spikelets 8 6-flowered, on very 



