144 



GEAMINEAE (GRASS FAMILY} 



49. BECKMANNIA Host 



Spikelets 1-flowered in our species, broad, laterally compressed, closely irabri^ 

 cated in 2 rows along one side of a continuous rhachis, forming short unilateral 

 spikes ; rhachilla articulated below the glumes ; glumes subequal, inflated, boat- 

 shaped, chartaceous, margin scarious ; lemma lanceolate, 

 acuminate, palea nearly as long ; grain free within the 

 rigid lemma and palea. A rather tall erect perennial, 

 with flat leaves and a terminal elongated narrow nearly 

 simple panicle. (Named for Johann Beckmann, 1739- 

 1811, professor of botany at Goettingen.) 



1. B. erucaef6nnis (L.) Host. Light green ; culms 

 5-10 dm. high ; sheaths loose, overlapping ; blades 1-2.5 

 dm. long, 5-8 mm. wide, scabrous ; panicle 1-2.5 dm. 

 long, the spikes appressed ; spikelets nearly circular, 

 B. erucaeformis. 3 mm. long ; the glumes transversely wrinkled ; the acu- 

 Part of inflorescence x l / 5 . minate apex of the lemma protruding beyond the glumes. 

 Part of same x y 2 . Wet ground, Minn., la., and westw. ; adv. in 0. FIG. 



.Spikelets and floret x 2. 132. 



50. CYNODON Richard. BERMUDA or SCUTCH GRASS 



Spikelets 1-flowered, laterally compressed, awnless, singly sessile in 2 rows 

 along ono 3ide of a slender continuous axis, forming unilateral spikes j rhachilla 

 prolonged behind the palea into a blunt pedicel ; glumes un- 

 equal, narrow, acute, keeled ; lemma broad, boat-shaped, 

 obtuse, ciliate on the keel ; palea as long as the lemma, the 

 prominent keels close together, ciliolate; grain free within the 

 lemma and palea. . Low diffusely branched and extensively 

 creeping perennials, with flat leaves and slender spikes digitate 

 at the apex of the upright branches. (Name composed of KiW, 

 a dog, and 65oi5s, a tooth.) CAPRIOLA Adans. 



1. C. DACTYLON (L.) Pers. Glabrous; culms flattened, 

 wiry ; ligule a conspicuous ring of white hairs ; spikes 4-5, 

 2-5 cm. long ; spikelets imbricated, 2 mm. long ; lemma longer 

 than the glumes. (Capriola Ktze.) Fields and waste places, 133. c. Dactylon. 

 Mass., and southw., where it is cultivated for pasturage. (Nat. inflorescence xy 4 . 

 from Eu.) Seldom perfects seed. FIG. 133. Spikeiet x4. 



51. SCHEDONNARDUS Steud. 



Spikelets 1-flowered, sessile and appressed, alternate and distant along one 

 side of a slender triangular rhachis, forming very slender spikes ; glumes narrow, 

 unequal, with strong rigid keels, pointed, shorter than the 

 lanceolate acuminate scabrous lemma ; palea nearly as long 

 as the lemma ; grain free within the subrigid lemma and 

 palea. A low diffusely branching annual with short narrow 

 leaves and slender paniculate spikes. (Name from 0-%e56j>, 

 near, and Nardus, from its resemblance to that genus.) 



1. S. paniculatus (Nutt.) Trel. Culms 3-5 dm. high, erect 

 or decumbent at base, leafy below ; sheaths and blades smooth ; 

 panicle half or more than half the entire height of the plant, 

 its axis usually falcate, the spikes solitary and remote, mostly 

 along the convex side, rigid ; spikelets 4 mm. long. (S. t ex- 

 anus Steud.) Open ground and salt licks, 111. to Mont., Col. t 

 and Tex. At maturity the panicle becomes much elongated and decumbent, 

 the axis extending in a large loose spiral. FIG. 134. 



134. 8. paniculatus. 

 Part of spike x 1%. 

 Spikeiet x 3. 



