154 



GRAMINEAE. 



Sporobolus Indicus (I,.) R. Br. India Rush-grass. Smut-grass. 



(Fig. 349.) 



Agrostis Indica L. Sp. PI. 63. 1753. 

 Sporobolus Indicus R. Br. Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holl. i: 170. 

 1810. 



Glabrous and smooth throughout, culms i-4 

 tall, erect, tufted, simple or rarely sparingly 

 branched. Sheaths few, long, shorter than the in- 

 ternodes ; ligule a ring of very short hairs ; leaves 

 j//_y/ w ide, attenuate into a long slender point, the 

 lower S'-i long, the upper shorter ; panicle $'-15' 

 in length, usually elongated, narrow, spike-like ; 

 spikelets ^' // -i // long, the outer scales unequal, 

 about half as long as the third, obtuse, smooth and 

 glabrous, the lower one shorter and often erose- 

 truncate ; third scale acute, somewhat exceeding 

 the obtuse or acutish palet. 



In meadows and waste places, Virginia to Florida, 

 west to Arkansas and California. Naturalized from 

 tropical regions; very abundant in Central and South 

 America. July-Sept. 



10. Sporobolus argutus (Nees) Kunth. Pointed Dropseed-grass. (Fig. 350.) 



Vilfa argula Nees, Agrost. Bras. 2: 395. 1829. 

 Sporobolus argutus Kunth, Enum. i: 215. 1833. 



Culms i tall or less, erect, or somewhat decum- 

 bent at the base, simple or sometimes branched, 

 smooth and glabrous. Sheaths shorter than the 

 internodes, their margins sometimes hirsute at the 

 top; ligule a ring of short hairs; leaves i / -2 / long, 

 i // -2 // wide at the base, acuminate, smooth and 

 glabrous beneath, scabrous and often sparingly hairy 

 at the base above; panicle i^ / -3 / in length, the 

 branches ^ / -i / long, verticillate, at first appressed, 

 finally widely spreading; spikelets %" long; outer 

 scales smooth and glabrous, the first rounded or 

 obtuse, one-quarter the length of the acute second 

 one; third scale about equalling the second, acute. 



Kansas, the Indian Territory and Colorado, south to 

 Texas and Mexico. Also in the West Indies. Tuly- 

 Seot. 



ii. Sporobolus junceus (Michx.) Kunth. 



Purple Dropseed-grass. Wire-grass. 



(Fig. 351.) 



Agrostis jnnct'a Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. i: 52. 1803. 

 Sporobolus junccxs Kunth, Rev. Gram, i: 68. 1835. 



Glabrous and smooth throughout, culms i-2 tall, 

 tufted, erect, slender, simple. Sheaths shorter than 

 the internodes ; ligule very short ; leaves filiform or 

 setaceous, the basal 6'-i long, numerous, those of 

 the culm few, 1'-$' long ; panicle 3 / -7 / in length, 

 open, the branches verticillate, the lower i'-2' long ( 

 widely spreading; spikelets iX // ~ I ^ // > purple, the 

 outer scales very unequal, the first obtuse or acutish, 

 one-fourth to one-third the length of the acute second 

 one ; third scale subacute or blunt, equalling the 

 second and the obtuse palet. 



Dry sandy soil, Virginia to Florida, west to Texas. Re- 

 ported from Minnesota and Wisconsin. Aug.-Sept. 



