(GRASS FAMILY.) 643 



roots tock creeping. (Holcus odoratus, L.) Moist meadows, chiefly northward 

 near the coast and along the Great Lakes. May. Culm l-2 high, with 

 short, lanceolate leaves. Spikelets chestnut-color ; the staminate flowers strongly 

 hairy-fringed on the margins, and the fertile one at the tip. (Eu.) 



2. H. alpina, Roem. & Schultes. Panicle contracted (l'-2' long); one 

 of the staminate flowers barely pointed or short-awned near the tip, the other 

 long-awned from below the middle; lowest leaves very narrow. Alpine moun- 

 tain-tops, New England, New York, and northward. July. (Eu.) 



55. ANTHOXANTHUM, L. SWEET VERNAL-GRASS. (PL 13.) 



Spikelets spiked-panicled, really 3-flowered ; but the lateral flowers neutral, 

 consisting merely of one palet which is hairy on the outside and awned on the 

 back: the central (terminal) flower perfect, small, of 2 awnless chartaceous 

 palets, 2-androus. Glumes very thin, acute, keeled ; the upper about as long 

 as the flowers, twice the length of the lower. Squamulae none. Grain ovate, 

 adherent. (Name compounded of avQos, flower, and avdtov, of flowers. L.) 



1. A. ODOR\TUM, L. Spikelets (brownish or tinged with green) spreading 

 at flowering- time ; one of the neufral flowers bearing a bent awn from near its 

 base, the other short-awned below the tip. Meadows, pastures, &c. Perennial : 

 very sweet-scented in drying. May- July. (Nat. from Eu.) 



56. PHALARIS, L. CANARY-GRASS. (PI. 13.) 



Spikelets crowded in a clustered or spiked panicle, with 2 neutral mere rudi- 

 ments (a scale or a pedicel) in place of lateral flowers, one on each side, at the 

 base of the perfect one, which is flattish, awnless, of 2 shining palets, shorter 

 than the equal boat-shaped and keeled glumes, finally coriaceous or cartilagi- 

 nous, and closely enclosing the flattened free and smooth grain. Stamens 3. 

 Leaves broad, mostly flat. (The ancient name, from <aXos, shining, alluding 

 either to the palets or the grain.) 



1 . PHALARIS proper. Panicle very dense, spike-like : glumes wing-keeled. 



1. P. CANARIENSIS, L. (CANARY-GRASS.) Annual, l-2 high; spike 

 oval ; rudimentary flower a small lanceolate scale. Waste places and road- 

 sides, Massachusetts to Pennsylvania: rare. July- Sept. (Adv. from Eu.) 



2. T>t GRAPHIS, Trin. Panicle branched, the clusters open in anthesis : glumes 

 not winged on the back. 



2. P. arundinacea, L. (REED C.) Perennial, 2 -4 high; leaves flat 

 (3" -5" wide; glumes open at flowering, 3-nerved, thrice the length of the fertile 

 flower ; rudimentary flowers reduced to a minute hairy scale or pedicel. Wet 

 grounds : common, especially northward. June, July. Yar. pfcxA, the leaves 

 striped with white, is the familiar RIBBON-GRASS of the gardens. (Eu.) 



57 MlLIUM, MILLET-GRASS. (PL 13.) 



Spikelets diffusely panicled, not jointed with their pedicels, apparently con- 

 sisting of 2 equal membranaceous convex and awnless glumes, including a single 

 coriaceous awnless floAver : but theoretically the lower glume is wanting, while 



