74 SIBERIAN LYME GRASS. 



CHAPTER XXYIII 



SIBERIAN LYME GRASS. 



Elymus Sibericus Specific C7iaracter. 



Glabrous: spike wand like 2 to 6 inches long, about 

 3-12 in thick, often somewhat nodding; spikelets in 

 pairs 3 to 6 flowered: glumes linear lanceolate 3 to 5 

 iierved, short awned, shorter than the florets, which 

 are rather sfiort awned. South shore of lake Supe- 

 rior and north-westward. Gray, Fibrous rooted, per- 

 rennial, height four feet. Flowers in June. 



The Siberian Lyme grass does not produce its foli- 

 age till rather late in the spring, but it grows rapid- 

 ly afterwards, and its leaves, which are numerous, 

 long and broad but soft and tender, cover the stem 

 up to near the spike and together with the culm are 

 much relished by cattle either in a green or dried 

 state; although termed aperrennial, it is not so perm- 

 anent in its duration as some of the other grasses, 

 being more of the habit of the rye grasses in this re- 

 spect, and like most of them it may no doubt be bet- 

 ter fitted for alternate husbandry than for perma- 

 nent pasture. 



The soils best adapted for the growth of Siberian 

 Lyrae grass seem to be such as are of a free texture 

 and rather dry than otherwise; when grown on cold, 

 wet soils, its foliage is apt to be injured by rust. 



