AGRIMONIA 



odorita, .Mill. Llts. narrower than in A.Eupatoria; 

 jeaflets pubescent : lobes more deeply crenate-rtentate : 

 petals more than twice as long as the calyx. Italy. Oc- 

 casionally cult, in Am. j. b. Keller and W. JI. 



51. Ageratum conyzoidea. 



AGROPf RUM (Greek for firhl and u-hent<. Gnimhieu-. 

 Perennials or annuals, with leaf-blades tlat or convo- 

 lute : spike terminal, usually stiff ; spikelets large, 3-8- 

 fld., compressed, sessile at each joint of the simple 

 spike, the side of the spikelet placed next the axis. 

 Species about 30. Temperate regions of Amer. and En. 



rtpens, Beauv. Quack Grass. Couch Grass. 

 Quick Grass. Quitch Grass. A smooth, pale green 

 or glaucous perennial, very variable, with the in- 

 ternodes of the rootstock long. In many places it 

 has become one of the worst weeds, spreading in- 

 veterately by its underground stems. Pig. 53. It 

 may be destroyed by constant and thorough tillage. 

 Often valuable to hold loose lands. Considered by 

 some stock raisers as a valuable hay grass. 



AGKOSTfiMMA. See Liicluiis. 



AGR6STIS iagros, field ; the place of growth). 

 Graminew. Bent Grass. A genus containing many 

 useful grasses for lawns, pastures and bouquets. Pani- 

 cles variable, usually spreading : 

 spikelets very small, awnless or oc- 

 casionally a short awn present. 

 Species about 100, distributed over 

 the entire globe ; about 9 useful in 

 cult. Some species are much con- 

 fused with Aira. In Agrostis the 

 spikelets are 1-fld.; in Aira 2- to 

 several-fld. 



Aenmonia Eupatoria (X J) Flower 



AILANTHUS 37 



A. Spikehts tilniitt 1 lint long : panicle-branckes short. 

 Perennial lawn and pasture grasses. 

 B. Awnless spikelets. 

 41ba, Linn. Creepixo Ben-t Grass. A well known per- 

 ennial, creeping or ■ f.ilnnifrr":!-:, 1 :! ff : sheaths 

 smooth : leaf -blade lin. n -m ti m . ,>^. h i,,,, ,.,,|;,ip_ 4-8 in. 

 long, scabrous: paiii< I' i i i" ■ ! t : lir branches 



idely 



Dg: ligulal-4 I 



,.ly fo 





Var. vulgaris, Thurb. (A.rulgdris, With.). Red-top. 

 Fine Bent Grass. Distinguished from the type by 

 the smaller ligule, which is truncate, and less than I 

 line long. — Commoner in cult, than the type. 



Var. stolonlSera, Linn. (.4. siolonifera, Linn.). Panicle 

 contracted linear; culms extensively creeping or stolo- 

 niferous : ligule 1-i lines long. 



BB. A icned spikelets. 

 canlna, Linn. Brown or Dog's Bent Grass. Rhode 

 Island Bent Grass. Slender, creeping, 1-2 ft. : panicle 

 pyramidal, 4-6 in. long : spikelets near the ends of the 

 branches, very small, l-9of an in. long: small bent awn 

 on back of flowering glume. Int. from Eu. — Makes a 



AA. Spikelfifs ahnut % line long; panicle-branches long 

 and hail -like. Annual ornamental grasses. 

 B. Citbu.'<, Irs. and panicle-branches smooth. 



nebuldsa, Boiss & Rent. (A. capillAris, Hort. ). Cloud 

 Grass. Fig. 54. A low grass, with extremely delicate, 

 feathery-like panicle and small spikelets: Ivs. few and 

 very small. Spain. -Very useful forvases and bouquets 



mintitifldra, Hort. Very similar to A. nebulosa, but 

 smaller, with fewer Ivs. and .shorter panicles. -Useful 

 for vases and bouquets. 



BB. Cnhns, Irs. and panirh-branche.'i scabrous. 



scabra, Willd. R,hi!h-bknt. Ti. km; Grass. Fly- 

 AWAVllKAss. HaihGkass. Si i,k I i 1; a>s. Hiiir-Iike, deli- 

 cate, with widi'ly spn-ailint;. .■a|iilLii-\ |i:uiirli-s, which 

 at niaturitv break away from 111.- culiii and Hy about in 

 the wind: 'spikelets very small, clu-stcrcd at tiie ends of 



the branches.- Before panicle expands it is often sold in 

 the vicinity of large towns for dry bouquets. 

 A. elegans, B.OTt., not Thore, and A. pulchella, Uort. These 

 ra eles 



) applied by florists 1 



Aira elegans and j 



AGUACATE, ALLIGATOR PEAR, AVOCADO. See 



Persia. 



AILANTHTIS (from its native name Ailanto, meaning 

 Tree of Heaven). SimarubAcea-. Large trees : Ivs. al- 

 ternate, large, pinnate, deciduous : fls. small, in large 

 terminal panicles, polygamous ; petals 5 ; stamens 10 ; 

 fr. consisting of 1-5 distinct samaras. Five species in 

 Cent, and S. Asia and N. Austral. -Large, ornamental 

 trees of loose and somewhat spreading habit, with ele- 

 gant, feathery foliage. Very rapid growers. Good for 

 smoky cities. Suckers from the roots. Prop, by seeds 

 and root cuttings. 



glanduldsa, Desf. (A. Japonica, Hort.). Tree of 

 Heaven. Tree. 00 ft. : Ivs. odd-pinnate, Vyi-i ft. long ; 

 leaflets 13-25, petiolulate, ovate-lanceolate, nearly gla- 

 brous near the base, with 2^ coarse teeth, each with a 

 large gland beneath: fls. greenish: samaras 1^0n. long. 

 June. China, cult, in Japan. -Valuable tree for street 

 planting, much used in the temperate regions and nat- 

 uralized in some localities ; somewhat tender north in 



