THE THREE LEADING FORAGE GRASSES 75 



but in alluvial soil or in the shade, as much as 2 feet 

 tall, erect or decumbent at base; sheaths smooth, com- 

 pressed, keeled, bearing a tuft of hairs on each side 

 at the summit; blades flat, 1/2 to 2 inches long, or on 

 sterile shoots, longer, somewhat roughened, especially 

 on the margin, sharp-pointed; ligule a very short mem- 

 brane, hairy on the edge; inflorescence consisting of 3 to 

 6 slender spikes, I or 2 inches long, all closely clustered 

 at the summit of the stems, pubescent or fuzzy at the 

 base; axis of the spike 1/3 to 1/2 mm. wide, the spike- 

 lets closely arranged along one side. 



Details of the Spikelet. Spikelets I -flowered, com- 

 pressed, about 2 mm. long, tawny green or purplish; 

 glumes two, narrow, pointed, scabrous on the keel, 

 shorter than the spikelet; lemma boat-shaped, pubescent 

 on the margins and often on the keel. 



Common Names. Bermuda grass is the most widely 

 used name in this country. In the southwestern states, 

 it is known as devil grass, and the weedy form in the 

 southern states is called wire grass, or occasionally 

 scutch grass. It was probably introduced from the 

 Bermuda Islands, where, however it is not native. Its 

 native country is the Mediterranean region and southern 

 Asia. In the West Indies, at least in the English islands, 

 it is usually known as Bahama grass. In Cuba and other 

 Spanish countries it is known as grama, which means 

 grass, or hierba fina, which means fine grass, hierba del 

 prado, which means park grass and pato de gallina, 

 which means chicken-foot. The German and French 

 names for the grass mean dog's-tooth. In India, it is 

 called sacred grass. In Australia, it is called couch or 



