140 SPOROBOLUS. 



longer than they, naked, awnless and mostly pointless; 

 the lower 1-nerved (rarely somewhat 3-nerved). Sta- 

 mens chiefly 3- Stigmas simply feathery ; grain 

 (caryopsis oblong or cylindrical, deciduous ; culms 

 wiry or rigid ; leaves inviolate, usually bearded at 

 the throat, their sheaths often enclosing the panicles. 

 (Name unexplained.) 



1. VILFA ASPEEA (Kough-Leaved Vilfa, Rush 

 Grass). Flowers in September; of no agricultural 

 value. 



2. YILFA V AGIN^EFLORA (Hidden-Flowered Vilfa). 

 Common on barren, sandy soil?, from Maine to Illin- 

 ois ; nq value. 



3. YILFA CUSPIDATA, Torr. Borders of Maine, 

 on St. John' s river, etc. 



4. YILFA VIRGIOTCA, Beauv. Sandy sea shore, 

 Virginia and Southern States. 



7. SPOROBOLUS Robt. Brown. DROP SEED GRASS. 



GENERIC CHARACTER. 



Spikelets 1 (rarely 2), flowered in a contracted or 

 open panicle ; flowers nearly as in Vilfa ; the palets 

 longer than the unequal glumes ; stamens 2 to 3 ; 

 grain a globular auticle (hyaline or rarely coriaceous), 

 containing a loose seed, decidous. 



(Whence the name from two Greek words, meaning 

 seed and to cast forth. 



