GRAMINE^E. (GRASS FAMILY.) 547 



12. CALAMAGROSTIS, Adans. REED BENT-GKASS. 



Spikclcts 1-flowered, and often with a pedicel or rudiment of a second abor- 

 tive flower, in an open or spiked panicle. Glumes keeled or boat-shaped, often 

 acute, commonly nearly equal, and exceeding the flower, which is surrounded 

 at the base by a copious tuft of white bristly hairs. Palese membranaceous, or 

 in- the second and third sections of a firmer texture ; the lower bearing a slender 

 awn on the back or below the tip, rarely awnless ; the upper mostly shorter. 

 Stamens 3. Grain free. Perennials, with running rootstocks, and mostly tall 

 and simple rigid culms. (Name compounded of icaXauos, a reed, and dypoortj, 

 a grass.) 



* 1. CALAMAGROSTIS PROPER. Flower, frc. much as in Agrostis, except 

 the hairy tuft : the boat-shaped glumes and the palece membranaceous ; the former 

 equal or the lower one rather longer: lower palea 3-5-nerved, awned on the back: 

 panicle open. (All the following have a rudimentary plumose pedicel of a second 



# Glumes open or loose after flowering. 



1. C. CanadensiS, Beauv. (BLUE JOINT-GRASS.) Panicle oblong, 

 loose (often purplish) ; lower palea nearly as long as the lanceolate acute glumes, 

 not exceeding the very fine hairs, bearing an extremely delicate awn below the middle 

 scarcely equalling or exceeding the hairs ; rudimentary pedicel minute. ( Arun- 

 do Canadensis, Michx. C. Mexicana, NutL) Wet grounds ; common north- 

 ward, and southward along the Alleghanies. July. Rather glaucous, 3 - 5 

 high : leaves flat. Glumes rough, l" long. 



* * Glumes closed in fruit. 



2. C. COnfinis, Nutt. Panicle elongated, narrow (5' -8' long), the 

 branches appressed after flowering, pale ; lower palea nearly equalling the oblong- 

 lanceolate acute glumes, $ longer than the hairs (excepting those of the conspicuous 

 rudiment), bearing between the middle and the base a rather stout and slightly exserted 

 awn. (Ar. confinis, Wittd. ! C. inexpansa, Gray.) Swamps, N. and W. New 

 York (especially Penn Yan, Sartwell) and Pennsylvania. July. Spikelets 

 rather larger than in the last ; upper glume more or less shorter. 



3. C. coarctata, Torr. Panicle contracted, dense (3' -6' long); lower 

 palea shorter than the taper-pointed tips of the lanceolate glumes, almost twice the length 

 of the hairs (excepting the strong tuft borne by the conspicuous rudiment), bear- 

 ing a rigid and exserted short awn above the middle. (C. Canadensis, Nutt.) 

 Wet grounds, Mass, to Wisconsin? and (chiefly) southward. Aug. Culm 

 3 - 5 high. Glumes 4" long. Grain hairy, crowned with a bearded tuft. 



4. C. Pickerillgii. Panicle dense and narrow (3' -5' long, purplish) ; 

 palese nearly equal, rather shorter than the ovate-oblong merely acute glumes ; awn 

 inserted between the middle and the base, stout, often a little bent, not exceeding the 

 glumes ; hairs very short and scanty, f the length of the paleas, half as long as the 

 small plumose rudiment. Alpine region of the White Mountains of New 

 Hampshire ; first collected by Dr. Pickering and Mr. Oakes. Sept. Culm 1 

 high. Spikelets smaller and glumes less pointed than in C. sylvatna, DC. t to 

 Which belongs C. purpurascens, R. Br. ? Leaves short and flat. 



