The Book of Grasses 



short, narrow panicle rises above thread-Hke leaves, and the 

 whitish spikelets are occasionally tinged with purple. 



Black-grained Moun- 

 tain Rice {Oryiopsis ra- 

 cemosa) is a later, 

 - - broad-leaved 

 species found in woods 

 and on ledges, where it 

 blooms in midsummer. The 

 plant is larger than White- 

 grained Mountain Rice and 

 usually bears a longer panicle 

 of darker flowers; nor are the 

 stem-leaves minute, as are those of 

 that earlier species. 



White - grained Mountain Rice. 

 Winter-grass. Oryi6psis asperijdlia 

 Michx. 



Perennial. 



Stem 8'-2o' tall, slender, erect. Ligule very 

 short. Stem leaves very short, basal leaves 

 long and narrow, 2"-^" wide. 



Panicle 2'-^' long, few-flowered, narrow and 

 contracted. Spikelets i -flowered, broad, 

 3"-4" long. Scales 3; outer scales slightly 

 unequal; flowering scale whitish, sparingly 

 downy, bearing a terminal awn 4"-^" long. 

 Stamens 3. The leaves remain green during 

 winter. 



Woodlands. April to June. 



Newfoundland to British Columbia, south to 

 New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota; 

 also in the Rocky Mountains to New Mexico. 



BLACK OAT-GRASS 



Through some selective process of 

 Nature her longest-awned grasses are 

 most frequently found on dry and rocky 

 soil. The Aristidas, and the different 

 genera known under the name of Oat- 

 _, , ^ , grasses, often grow near dry woods, in that 



Black Oat-grass ^ " ■' 



stipa avenacea. interesting borderland where wild black- 



100 



