The Book of Grasses 



grass is lacy and open, like that of a miniature Eragrostis; 



Sheathed Rush-grass and Small Rush-grass bear short, narrow 

 j flowering-heads; and the panicles 



of certain other species show a ^Y/t/■ 

 superficial resemblance to those \^v/(/ 

 of the Bent-grasses. . 



Gauze-grass is so small and . 

 delicate that it hides beneath 

 one's feet, and hundreds of the x 

 plants may grow unnoticed by 

 the margin of a brook where 

 taller grasses have been gathered. 

 Indeed this grass is seldom seen 

 at all, save by accident, as it 

 were, when the student, down on 

 bended knee, is searching for 

 the smaller flowering plants of 

 wet, sandy soil. Often the Rough 

 Hair-grass grows in similar loca- 

 tions and bends its great ripen- 

 ing panicles over the later-flower- 

 ing ones of Gauze-grass. 



Our other species of these 

 grasses grow in dry or sandy 

 soil and may be looked for in 

 late summer and early autumn, 

 when with a low growth they 

 frequently cover the ground be- 

 tween tufts of the Beard-grasses, 

 or rise among the slender, rose- 

 purple stems of Purple Finger- 

 grass. Small Rush-grass {Sporo- 

 holus negledus) and Sheathed 

 Rush-grass are small and very 

 slender, with short, narrow, leaves, 

 and very short, narrow flowerin'g- 

 heads which, in the latter, bear 

 anthers of deep red in vivid con- 

 trast with the white stigmas. 



Si>oroooiusvaginaejiorus Long-leaved Rush-grass (Sporo- 



114 



Sheathed Rush-grass 



M 



E 



Gauze-grass 

 Sporobolus unijioriis 



