62 THE GRASSES OP MAINE. 



Very common everywhere in moist, rich lands. Flowers in 

 August and September. 



This grass is regarded as a mere weed in this State, but in the 

 South it is cultivated to sorne extent for fodder. Specimens from 

 Pennsylvania were analyzed in Washington, and gave ash 11.82, 

 fat 2.49, nitrogen-free extract 47.77, crude fiber 25.32, albumi- 

 noids 12.60. 



Genus SETARIA, Beauvois. 



Se-ta-ri-a. 



From the Latin seta, a bristle, in allusion to the bristly spikes. 



Spikelets in a cylindrical spike-like, or sometimes interrupted 

 panicle. Below the spikelets there are several bristles, which remain 

 after the spikelets fall off. The spikelets contain two flowers (ap- 

 parently only one), the upper one perfect, the lower one male or 

 sterile ; glumes nearly equal in length, much shorter than the flowers. 

 Three species occur in Maine, and. may be separated as follows : 



f Spike (or panicle) nodding from four to six inches long, 

 1 1 S. Italica. 

 ( Spike erect, from two to three inches long 2 



~ f Spike tawny yellow S. glauca. 



\ Spike green S. viridis. 



77. SETARIA GLAUCA. Beauvois. 

 Se-ta-ri-a glau'-ca. 



PLATE XXXTX. 



Common Names. Foxtail, Botlle Grass, Pigeon Grass. 



Annual. Sterns erect, from one to three feet high ; leaves hairy 

 at the base ; sheaths smooth ; ligule bearded. Spike cylindrical, 

 simple, tawny, from two to three inches long; from six to ten bris- 

 tles arise from the base of each spikelet, two or three times as long 

 as the spikelets, which are rough upwards and of a tawny or dull 

 orange yellow color when old. Fields and cultivated grounds. 

 Flowers in August. 



This grass has been regarded as a worthless weed, but Dr. Warder 

 stated that he had a luxuriant growth of it in one of his corn fields ; 

 that he mowed it and made it into hay. To his great surprise, he 

 found that in the winter season his cattle ate it voraciously ; they 



