38 THE GRASSES OP MAINE. 



34. GLYCERIA ACUTIFLORA, Torrey. 

 Gly-ce'-ria a-cy-ti-flo'-ra. 



Common Names. Pointed Spear-Grass, Sharp-Flowered Manna- 

 Grass. 



Stems erect, somewhat compressed, about a foot and a half high ; 

 leaves from three to six inches long. Panicle long and narrow ; 

 spikelets from five to twelve-flowered, few and scattered ; flowering 

 glume oblong-lanceolate, acute, shorter than the long, tapering point 

 of the palea. 



This rare species grows in wet places, and flowers in June. 



35. GLYCERIA MARITIMA, Wahlenberg. 

 Oly-ce'-ri-a ma-rit'-i-ma. 



Common Name. Sea Spear Grass. 



Flowering stems erect, from a foot to a foot and a half high, the sterile 

 shoots runner-like ; leaves mostly folded and compressed ; branches 

 of the panicle solitary or in pairs. Spikelets oblong or linear, from 

 four to eight-flowered ; flowering glume rounded at the upper end, 

 slightly hairy at the base. 



Common on salt marshes along the coast. Flowers in July. 



Genus DISTICHLIS, Rafiuesque. 

 Dis-ticli -Us . 



Derived from the Greek, distichos, two rows, in allusion to the 

 arrangement of the flowers on the spike. Spikelets dioecious, many- 

 flowered, compressed, crowded in a dense spicate, capitate, or rather 

 open panicle ; glumes herbaceous and narrow, keeled, acute, shorter 

 than the flowers ; flowering glume herbaceous or membranaceous, 

 keeled, many-nerved, acute ; palea complicate, two-keeled, the keels 

 narrowly winged. The pistillate flowers are more rigid than the 

 staminate. 



36. DISTICHLIS MARITIMA, Rafinesque. 

 Dis-tich'-lis ma-rit'-i-ma. 



PLATE XVI. 



Common Names. Spike Grass, Salt Grass, Marsh Grass. 

 This is described as Brizopyrum spicatum, Hook, in the older 

 books. 



