. (GRASS FAMILY.) 567 



silky all over; awn only one third the length of the lance-oblong flovrer ; lower 

 palea 7 -9-nervcd, much longer and larger than the upper; culm slender (l- 

 3 high) ; leaves and sheaths conspicuously or sparingly hairy. (B. ciliatus, 

 MM. B. purgans, Torr. Fl. X. Y.) Dry woodlands and open places; com- 

 mon northward. June, July. This is preserved in the herbarium of Linnaeus 

 under the name of B. ciliatus, though it is not the plant he has described ; thence 

 has arisen much confusion. 



$ 2. SCHED6NORUS, Beauv., Fries. Loicer palea somewhat convex, but 

 keeled on tlit back , laterally more or less compressed, at least above: flowers soon 

 teparating from each other: lower glume 1- the upper 3-nerved. 



5. 15. CiliatllS, L. Panicle compound, very loose, the elongated branches at 

 length divergent, drooping; spikelets 7-12-flowered; flowers lanceolate, tipped 

 with an awn half to three fourtJts their length ; lower palea silky with appressed 

 hairs near the margins, at least below (or rarely naked), smooth or smoothish 

 on the back (B. Canadensis, Mlehx. B. pubcscens, Muhl.) ; or, in var. PUR- 

 OANS (B. purgans, L.!), clothed all over with very short and fine appresscd 

 hairs, y. River-banks and moist woodlands ; rather common. July, Aug. 



Culm 3 -4 high, with the large leaves ($'-$' wide) smooth or somewhat 

 hairy ; the sheaths in the larger forms often hairy or densely downy near the top. 



Variable as to the pubescence, &c., and comprising several forms, including 

 both the Linnaean species ; for which the present name is preferable to the inap- 

 plicable purijans, which was taken from Feuille's South American species. In 

 a large- flowered form, two obscure additional nerTes appear in the upper glume. 



6. B. STERILIS, L. Panicle very loose, the slender and nearly simple branches 

 drooping; spikelets of about 6 rather distant and 7-nerved rouqliish linear-awl- 

 shaped long-awned flowers ; leaves rather hairy. Penn Yan, New York, 

 Sartwcll. July. (Adv. from Eu.) 



38. tmiOL-A, L. SPIKE-GRASS. 



Spikelets closely many-flowered, very flat and 2-edged ; one or more of the 

 lodfest flowers sterile (neutral) and consisting of a single palea. Glumes lance- 

 olate, compressed-keeled. Lower palea coriaceo-membranaceous, strongly later- 

 ally compressed and keeled, striate-nerved, usually acute or pointed, entire, en- 

 closing the much smaller compressed 2-keeled upper one and the free laterally 

 flattened smooth grain. Stamen 1 (or in U. paniculata 3). Upright smooth 

 perennials, growing in tufts from strong creeping rootstocks, with broad leaves 

 and large spikelets in an open or spiked panicle. (Ancient name of some plant, 

 a diminutive of unio, unity.) 



# Spikelets targe (^' - 2' long), ovate or oblong, 9 - 30-j?oicered : jxmicle open. 



1. U. paiiidllata, L. Leaves narrow when dry, convolute; spikelets 

 ovate, short-pedicelled ; flowers glabrous, bluntish, several of the lower sterile; the 

 fertile with 3 stamens ; culm and panicle elongated (4-S high). Sand-hills 

 on the sea-shore, S. Virginia and southward. 



2. U. latifdlia, Michx. Leaves broad stab flat (J'-l' wide); spikdets at 

 length oblong, hanging on long pedicels ; flowers acute, ciliate on the keel, all bat 



