230 



GRAMINEAE. 



go. 'ELYMUS L. Sp. PI. 83. 1753. 



Tall grasses, with usually flat leaves and dense terminal spikes. Spikelets 2-several- 

 flowered, (rarely i -flowered) sessile, usually in pairs, occasionally in 3*3 or more, in alter- 

 nate notches of the continuous or jointed rachis, the empty scales forming an apparent invo- 

 lucre to the cluster. Two lower scales empty, narrow, acute or awned, entire or rarely cleft; 

 flowering scales shorter, rounded on the back, 5-nerved, usually bearing an awn. Palet a 

 little shorter than the scale, 2-keeled. Stamens 3. Styles very short, distinct. Stigmas 

 plumose. Grain sparsely hairy at the summit, adherent to the palet. [Greek, to roll up, 

 referring to the involute palet.] 



About 30 species, natives of temperate regions. Besides the following, some 10 others occur in 

 the western parts of North America. 



Joints of the rachis tardily separating at maturity; awns ascending or none. 

 Flowering scales conspicuously awned (rarely awnless in No. 2). 

 Spikelets divergent from the rachis of the broad spike. 



Empty scales awl-shaped; spikes slender. i. E. striatus. 



Empty scales not awl-shaped; spikes stout. 



Empty scales lanceolate, s-j-nerved; awn short; spike erect. 2. E. Virginicus. 

 Empty scales narrowly lanceolate, 3-5-nerved; awn about the length of the scale; 



spike usually nodding. 3. E. Canadensis. 



Spikelets appressed to the rachis of the narrow spike. 



Empty scales narrowl3 r lanceolate, acuminate or awn-pointed. 4. E. glaucus. 



Empty scales awl-shaped, bearing awns equalling or exceeding their length. 



5. E. Macounii. 

 Flowering scales unawned or awn-pointed. 



Flowering scales glabrous. 6. E. condensatus, 



Flowering scales villous. 7. E. arenarins. 



Joints of the rachis early separating; awns widely diverging. 8. E. elymoides. 



i. Elymus striatus Willd. Slender Wild 

 Rye. (Fig. 533.) 



Elymus striatus Willd. Sp. PI. i: 470. 1797. 



Elymus striatus var. villosus A. Gray, Man. 603. 1848. 



Culms 2-3 tall, erect, slender, simple, smooth, gla- 

 brous. Sheaths usually shorter than the internodes, 

 glabrous or hirsute; ligule very short; leaves $'-<)' 

 long, 2 // ~5 // wide, smooth or slightly rough beneath, 

 pubescent above; spike 2^ / ~4^ / in length, broad, 

 slender, dense; spikelets divergent from the rachis, 1-3- 

 flowered; empty scales awl-shaped, 9 // -i2 // long, in- 

 cluding the slender rough awn, i-3-nerved, the nerves, 

 and often the whole scale, rough, hispid or hirsute; 

 flowering scales about 3" long, smooth, scabrous or 

 hispid, bearing a slender rough awn 8 // -i5 // in length. 



In woods and on banks, Maine and Ontario to Tennessee 

 and Kansas. Spike often nodding. June-July. 



2. Elymus Virginicus I,. Terrell-grass. 



Elymus Virginicus L,. Sp. PI. 84. 1753. 

 Elymus Virginicus var. submuticus Hook. Fl. Bor. Am. 

 a: 255. 1840. 



Culms 2-3 tall, erect, simple, smooth and gla- 

 brous. Sheaths usually shorter than the internodes, 

 often overlapping on the lower part of the culm, 

 smooth, sometimes pubescent, the uppermost often 

 inflated and enclosing the peduncle and the base of 

 the spike; ligule very short; leaves 5 / -i4 / long, 

 2 // -8 // wide, rough; spike 2 / -7 / in length, broad, 

 stout, upright; spikelets divergent from the rachis, 

 2-3-flowered; empty scales thick and rigid, lanceo- 

 late, 8 // -i2 // long, including the short awn, 5-7- 

 nerved; flowering scales 3"-4" long, smooth, rarely 

 sparingly scabrous, bearing a rough awn 2 // -o' / in 

 length, or rarely awnless. 



In moist soil, especially along streams, Nova Scotia 

 and New Brunswick to Manitoba, south to Florida and 

 Texas. Ascends to 2000 ft. in North Carolina. July-Aug 



Virginia Wild Rye. (Fig. 534.) 



