4 8 



Annual and Perennial Grasses. 



In many cases, it is important to be able, from 

 direct examination of a species, to determine whether 

 it is annual or not. When a grass, pulled up by the 

 roots, shows a creeping underground stem, that is a 

 certain indication of a perennial plant. Again, when 

 relics of the preceding year's vegetation still persist in 

 connection with the parent, a persistent plant is before 

 us. Perhaps the most satisfactory procedure, is to 

 tease asunder the leaves of the component shoots. If 

 the grass is an annual, flowers will be found in all the 

 shoots, i.e., all the shoots are fertile. If the plant is 

 destined to persist for a longer period than a year, 

 shoots will be found with no flowers laid down in their 

 interior ; these barren shoots, as they are called, are 

 another certain sign of a persistent grass ; if all the 

 shoots are barren, the grass is biennial, and in the first 

 year of its growth ; in the second year, all the shoots 

 are fertile. See Stebler's "Best Forage Plants." 



