PLANTS. 363 



in the nourishment of man, animals, and poultry. The 

 upper part of the stem, the husks, and leaves, cut in a 

 green state, carefully collected, are valuable fodder for 

 milch cows, and are much used in the Middle States as 

 such. There are many varieties, all differing in size and 

 in the amount of crop they yield. O. 



Reed Grass (Arundo phragmates). Panicle large 

 and loosely expanded, branching horizontally ; spikelets 

 lance-linear ; three to five-flowered ; stem six to eight 

 feet high ; grows on the edges of swamps. Leaves long, 

 very sharp, so that the hand, coming in contact with 

 them is easily wounded. Grows in the borders of swamps, 

 etc. In the south the leaves are used as tiles for cover- 

 ing roofs, or as boards for ceiling rooms. The stems 

 serve for making mouth-pieces of wind instruments. 2. 



The Common Bamboo (Bambusa arundinacese). Pani- 

 cle branching, loose, expanding horizontally ; leaves 

 large, blue-green ; is the tallest of all the grasses. Na- 

 tive of East and West Indies, in the neighborhood of 

 pools. Stalks twenty to forty feet high, nodose (jointed), 

 and, like the common reed, is hollow. It is dangerous 

 to venture into a thicket of bamboo, as such places are a 

 favorite resort of snakes and other venomous reptiles. 

 The seed is used in the East Indies for feeding horses. 

 The bamboo reed used for walking canes is of a different 

 genus from the genuine bamboo, which is applied to a 

 great variety of purposes. In India it is used for mak- 

 ing boxes, baskets, tables, chairs, mats, boats, paper, fences, 

 etc. The thick stems are used for beams in building. 

 Wood very tough when sawed across, but splits or works 

 easily lengthwise. 2. 



