154 A MANUAL OF FARM GRASSES 



utilized in making dry bouquets. The chief use, how- 

 ever, is as a border plant in gardens or as clusters in 

 lawns. In both cases the attractiveness depends more 

 on the foliage than on the inflorescence. Many of 

 these ornamental grasses have variegated varieties. 

 In this chapter will be mentioned only the more common 

 grasses grown out of doors in the United States. 



Ribbon Grass. Gardener's garters. (Phalaris arun- 

 dinacea L.) This is probably the most commonly 

 grown ornamental grass. It is one of the old-fashioned 

 species found especially in old gardens and around old 

 homesteads in the northern and eastern states. Ribbon 

 grass is a tufted perennial 2 or 3 feet high, the leaves 

 striped with white and green. Horticulturally it is 

 variety picta L. 



Plume Grass (Miscanthus sinensis Anderss.). This 

 large tufted perennial is grown in the warmer portion 

 of the country, forming a large basal cluster 4 to 5 feet 

 high. The flower stalk rises a short distance above the 

 leaves and bears a fan-shaped inflorescence 6 to 12 inches 

 long, consisting of numerous slender woolly, whitish or 

 tawny branches. There are varieties with banded leaves 

 and with striped leaves. Also known as Eulalia 

 japonica Trin. 



Pampas Grass (Cortaderia argentea (Nees) Stapf). 

 This resembles plume grass in having a large cluster of 

 long narrow leaves. The flower stalk rises to a con- 

 siderable distance above the leaves, being as much as 

 12 feet high, and bears an oblong rather dense very 

 woolly, white or pink inflorescence or "plume." The 

 plumes are used for interior decorations, for which 



