GRASS FAMILY. 377 



Root stock often running for 20 - 30 feet. Culm 2-3 feet high. Leaves long, near half an 

 inch wide, attenuated to a long slender point, smooth and glaucous. Panicles 6 - 12 iucties 

 long, whitish, very close and spike-like. Spikelets about % an inch in length. 



Sea-coast, Maine to New Jersey, and oil the shores of Lakes Superior and Michigan. 

 August. 



Obs. Although this grass has, properly speaking, no agricultural use, 

 yet it is in some localities a very important and useful one. Along the 

 coast of Massachusetts it is planted to confine the blowing sands. The 

 Federal Government has expended considerable sums in planting this 

 grass for the protection of harbors, and much has been done by State 

 and individual effort. An interesting account showing the important 

 purpose a mere grass can serve, may be found in Flint's Treatise on 

 Grasses and Forage Plants. 



9. OY'NODON, Rich. BERMUDA GRASS. 



[Greek, literally Dog's tooth ; but the reason is not obvious.] 



Spikes digitate, in pairs, or racemose. Spikelets with one perfect floret, 

 and sometimes with the subulate pedicel or abortive rudiment of a 

 second superior floret. Glumes keeled, awnless, nearly equal, the upper 

 one exterior. Palece pointless and awnless ; the lower larger, boat- 

 shapsd. Stamens 3. Low, diffusely branched, creeping perennials with 

 short flattish leaves. 



1. C. Dac'tylon, Pers. Spikes 3 - 5, digitate, spreading; paleae longer 

 than the glumes, glabrous, with a beardless bristle at the base of the 

 inner one. 



FINGER CYNODON. Bermuda Grass. Dog's-tooth Grass. 



Root perennial, fibrous, creeping (numerous slender rhizomas). Culm procumbent, 

 radicating, 6-12 or 15 inches long, terete, smooth. Leaves 1-2 or 4 inches long, acute, 

 somewhat distichous and rigid, slightly hairy and scabrous ; sheaths longer than the 

 iuternodes, hairy; ligule beard-like. Spikes 3-5 (usually 4), 1-2 inches long; rachis 

 flexuose and angular, not winged. Scales obovate, half as long as the ovary. Stigmas dark 

 purple. 



Loose sandy soils : Southern States : introduced? Fl. All summer (Ell). Fr. 



Obs. This I should judge to be a grass of doubtful value, and equiv- 

 ocal character in agriculture, compared with our better species. Mr. 

 ELLIOTT gives the following account of it [under the name of Digitaria 

 Dactylon],a$ observed in South Carolina: "We have two varieties 

 of this plant, one coarser (perhaps a species) growing in damp soils, 

 native ; the other, described above, said to be imported, a tender, deli- 

 cate grass, growing over and binding the most arid and loose lands in 

 our country, and apparently preferred by stock of all descriptions to 

 every other grass. The cultivation of this grass on the poor and exten- 

 sive sand hills of our middle country would probably convert them into 

 sheep-walks of great value ; but it grows in every soil, and no grass in 

 close rich land is more formidable to the cultivator ; it must therefore 

 be introduced with caution." Sir JAMES EDWARD SMITH, the Botanical 

 Editor of Rees' Cyclopaedia, has the following remarks [Art. PANICUM 



