The Book of Grasses 



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Lady's Hair, or Quaking-grass, is not often seen in American 

 fields, yet it has become sparingly naturalized in the Eastern States 



where it has escaped from that cultivation 

 as an ornamental grass for which it was 

 brought from Europe long ago. This grass 

 is a slender perennial, blooming in late 

 spring, and bearing numerous inflated, 

 heart-shaped spikelets of lavender and 

 green, which droop on pedicels so slender 

 that the slightest breath causes them to 

 tremble. 



In the old Doctrine of Signatures, which 

 saw more things in heaven and earth than 

 philosophy dared dream, that which shook 

 was a panacea for diseases of trembling, and 

 in older days, in many counties of England, 

 Quaking-grass was gathered to ensure free- 

 dom from ague. 



Lady's Hair. Quaking-grass. Shak- 

 ing-grass Bri^a media L. 



Perennial. Naturalized from Europe. 



Stem 6'-24' tall, slender, erect. Ligule very short. 

 Leaves i'-4' long, i"-2|" wide, flat. 



Panicle i^'-j' long, pyramidal, open, branches 

 slender, not numerous. Spikelets 5-12-flow- 

 ered, 2"-y long, purplish, inflated, ovate or 

 heart-shaped, borne on drooping pedicels. 

 Outer scales nearly equal, broad, concave; 

 flowering scales concave, broader than outer 

 scales; palets much shorter than flowering 

 scales. Stamens 3. 



Fields and waste places. May to July. 



Ontario to southern New England. 



Lady's Hair 

 Briza media 



/ 



ORCHARD GRASS 



Spreading tufts of the blue-green leaves 

 of Orchard Grass are very noticeable by the 

 waysides of early spring, before the pageant 

 rg of summer brings a score of grasses to every 

 " lane and byway. In many states this is 

 one of the most common species, and is 

 188 



