118 THE LYME GRASSES. 



bearing an extremely long awn, about the length of 

 the similar hairy glumes, all spreading. It is common 

 on moist sands and marshes on the sea-shore, flowering 

 in June. 



BARLEY GRASS (Hordeum pusillum) grows from five 

 to ten inches high, in saltish soils of Ohio, Illinois, and 

 westward. Lateral flowers imperfect, awnless, pointed, 

 the perfect flower awned ; glumes rigid, short-awned. 

 Annual. Much relished by cattle. 



TWO-ROWED BARLEY (Hordeum distichum), as well as 

 FOUR AND Six ROWED BARLEY (Hordeum vulgare), belong 

 to this genus. See next chapter. 



45. SECALE. Eye. 



Spikelets two-flowered, flowers perfect, with the rudi- 

 ment of a third terminal flower ; glumes nearly equal, 

 nearly opposite, keeled, awnless or awned ; pales herba- 

 ceous, lower one awned, keeled, with sides unequal ; 

 upper shorter, two-keeled ; scales two, entire ; stamens 

 three, ovary hairy ; fruit free, hairy at the summit ; 

 spikes simple. 



RYE (Secole cereale), a common cultivated plant, famil- 

 iar to every farmer. See next chapter. 



46. ELYMUS. Lyme Grasses. 



Spikelets two to four at each joint of the rachis, all 

 fertile, each one to seven flowered ; glumes both on 

 one side of the spikelet; paleae two, lower one usually 

 awned, mostly perennial, some species annual. 



LYME GRASS. WILD RYE (Elymus Virginicus), is fre- 

 quent along the banks of rivers. It is known by its 

 upright spike, dense and thick on a short peduncle, 

 usually included in the sheath ; two or three spikelets 

 together, two or three flowered, smooth, shortly awned ; 



