184 



A TEXT-BOOK OF GRASSES 



X^ 



closely allied species, E. frumentacea (Roxb.) Link (Fig. 

 22), is cultivated for forage under the name billion-dollar- 

 grass. This and E. colonum (L.) Link are cultivated in 

 India for the seed, which is used for food. 



219. Tricholaena Schrad. — A small genus 

 of African grasses, one of which has been 

 introduced into the American tropics. 

 Spikelets in panicles, very hairy. Tricho- 

 Icena rosea Nees has given promise of value 

 as a meadow-grass on the dry pine lands 

 of Florida. It is there called Natal-grass 

 and, incorrectly, redtop. Natal-grass is an 

 erect perennial, 2 to 3 feet high, with a 

 loose panicle of pink or rosy silky spike- 

 lets. It is said to furnish 4 or 5 cuttings 

 of hay in a season. This grass may be 

 growm from seed or by setting out divisions 

 of the root or crown. 



220. Chaetochloa Scribn. — A small 

 genus of annuals or perennials, the spike- 

 lets in narrow often spike-like panicles, 

 interspersed with bristles. Two annual 

 European species with cylindrical spike- 

 like panicles are common weeds in the 

 eastern half of the United States. One of 

 them, yellow foxtail, C lutescens (Weigel) 



Fig 23 Chsto- Stuutz (Fig. 23) , has yellow spikes and 5 or 

 chioa lutescens. In- more bHstlcs bclow cach spikelet; the 



florescence, X?*; -^ . 



ten^n^briiuesxs' ^^^^^} grecu foxtail, C. viridis (L.) Scribn., 

 has green spikes and only 1 to 3 bristles 

 below each spikelet. Another species, C. italica, closely 

 allied to the latter, is commonly cultivated as millet or 

 Hungarian grass. This has large heads, or spikes, which 



