GRASS FAMILY. aa 



86. LOLIUM L. Sp. PI. 83. 1753. 



Annual or perennial grasses, with flat leaves and terminal spike*. Spikelets . 

 flowered, solitary, sessile and alternate in the notches of the usually continuous racbia, eon 

 pressed, the edge of the spikelet (backs of the scales) turned toward the rachis. -tht 

 rigid; lower scale empty in the lateral spikelets, and the 2 lower empty in the terrain* 

 flowering scales rounded on the back, 5~7-nerved; palets 2-keeled. Stamens j. Style* di*.' 

 tinct, very short. Stigmas 2, plumose. Grain adherent to the palet. [Latin name for OanstLl 



About 6 species, natives of the Old World. 



Empty scale shorter than the spikelet. , f +f temilf 



Empty scale equalling or extending beyond the flowering: scales. :<-mmtt t minm 



i. Lolium perenne L. Ray-grass. 

 Rye-grass. (Fig. 521.) 



Lolium perenne I,. Sp. PI. 83. 1753. 



Smooth and glabrous, culms 6 / -2 / 5^ tall, 

 erect, simple. Sheaths shorter than the in- 

 ternodes; ligule very short; leaves 2 / -5 / long, 

 \"-i" wide; spike 3 / -8 / in length; spikelets 

 5-ioflowered, 4 // -6 // long, the empty scale 

 shorter than the spikelet, strongly nerved; 

 flowering scales 2 // -3 // long, obscurely 

 nerved, acuminate or awned, the awn some- 

 times nearly as long as the body of the scale. 



In waste places and cultivated grounds almost 

 throughout the northern United States and 

 southern British America. Naturalized from 

 Europe. Native also of Asia. Erroneously 

 called Darnel, this name belonging to the fol- 

 lowing species. July- Aug. 



2. Lolium temulentum L. Darnel. 

 Ivray. (Fig. 522.) 



Lolium temtilcnliim I.. Sp. I'l M 1753. 



Glabrous, culms 2-4 tall, trect, simple, 

 Sheaths overlapping; ligule i" long or let*; 

 4'-io' in length, i"-3" wide, smooth beneath. 

 rough above; spike 4'-i2' in length; pikelets 4-4- 

 flowercd, 5"-o." long, the strongly nenred empty 

 scale equalling or extending beyond the obscurely 

 nerved flowering scales, which are awned or awn- 

 less. 



In waste places and cultivated ground*, locally i 

 alized or adventive from \\\. 



Michigan and < '.corgia. Abundant on the Pacific Coast. 

 Locally a troublesome weed. June Ang. 



87. LEPTURUS R. Br. Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holl. I: 207. IM 



Usually low annual grasses, with narrow leaves and strict or curved elongat 

 spikes. Spikelets i-2-flowered, sessile and single in alternate notches 

 Empty scales 2, rarely i, narrow, rigid, acute, 5-nerved: flowering scale* I 

 line, keeled, one side turned to the rachis. Palets hyaline, 2-nerved. 

 Styles short, distinct. Stigmas 2, plumose. Grain narrow, glabrous, free, ei 

 scale. [Greek, referring to the narrow spikes.] 



Species 5 or 6, natives of the Old World. 



