194 



A TEXT-BOOK OF GRASSES 



mostly basal, one about the middle of the culm, the upper portion 

 of the culm naked; panicle dense, spike-like, bronze-green, 1 to 3 

 inches long, narrowed above and below, the short branches spread- 

 ing in flower; spikelets 8 to 10 mm. long, lanceolate, acuminate, 

 the glumes sparsely pilose, acuminate, the first membranaceous, 

 about half as long as the somewhat indurated second glume, the 

 first sterile lemma short-awned below the apex, the second bearing 

 a strong bent scarcely exserted awn near 

 its base, both exceeding the chestnut- 

 brown, smooth and shining fertile lemma 

 and palea. Common in grassland in the 

 northeastern states. 



228. Phalaris L. — Inflorescence a 

 short or long usually dense spike- 

 like panicle. The spike is often 

 white or variegated with green from 

 the green nerves of the spikelets, and 

 is usually papery at maturity. One 

 of our native species, P. arundinacea 

 L. (Fig. 33), reed canary-grass, is a 

 perennial found in the northern 

 portion of the United States, where 

 it furnishes an excellent quality of 

 wild hay. In this species the sterile 

 lemmas are much reduced and are 

 closely appressed to the fertile 

 lemma and palea. A variety of this 

 (var. pida L.) with leaves striped 

 with white is cultivated for ornament 

 under the name of ribbon-grass or 

 gardener's garters. P. carolinianus 

 Walt., a perennial of the southern 

 United States, is cultivated to a 

 limited extent for winter forage. 

 Another species, P. canariensis L., 



Fig. 34. Phalaris canari- 

 ensis. Inflorescence, X 1^2', 

 glumes and fertile floret 

 with the pair of sterile 

 lemmas, X5. 



