GRASS FAMILY. 411 



branches somewhat fasciculate, erect, elongated, slender and purplish; 

 sheaths villous ; spikes on long peduncles ; the sterile ones neuter, awned. 



BROOM ANDROPOGON. Indian Grass. Purple Wood-grass. 



(Mm 3 -4 feet high, rather slender, smooth, somewhat compressed, sulcate on alter- 

 nate sides of the internodes : nodes smooth ; branches long, slender ,4ft lateral fascicles, or 

 sometimes in pairs, often subdivided. Leaves 4-8 or 12 inches long^ lance-linear, acute- 

 scabrous, a little hairy and somewhat glaucous ; sheaths stri&te, roughish ligule truncate. 

 Spikes about 2 inches long ; rachis compressed or plano-convex, pilose at the edges. Spilce- 

 lets distichously arranged ; abortive spikelet minute, subulate, on a linear plumose pedicel 

 which is nearly as long as the perfect spikelet, the floret neuter ; perfect spikelet sessile ; 

 glumes lance-linear, much acuminated, the lower one bifid at apex ; palece nearly equal, 

 ciliate, the lower ? one deeply bifid, with a twisted awn between the segments. 



Old fields, sterile banks, and road-sides, throughout the United States. Fl. August. 

 Fr. September. 



Obs. This, and the other native species, are remarkably worthless 

 grasses, and are apt to abound in poor old neglected fields. Where 

 they prevail, no further evidence is required to demonstrate the unprofit- 

 able condition of the land, or the miserable management of the occupant. 

 * * Spikes digitate, at the apex of the culm or branches. 



2. A, furca'tus, Muhl. Spikes digitate, generally in threes or fours ; 

 rachis hairy ; the sterile floret staminate, awnless. 

 FORKED ANDROPOGON. Finger-spiked Indian Grass. 



Culm about 4 feet high, smooth, terete below, semi-terete above, often branching ; nodes 

 smooth. Leaves 4-*or 12 inches long, lance-linear, nerved, sinoothish, scabrous on the 

 margin, pilose at base; sheaths striate, smooth ; ligule obtuse, sometimes ovate, fringed. 

 Spikes 2-3 inches long, usually in threes or fours (sometimes 5-6) frequently purple ; 

 rojchis semi-terete, pilose on the angles ; abortive spikelet on a clavate, plumose pedicel : 

 perfect spikelet sessile. Slaty hills, and sterile low grounds. Fl. Aug. Fr. Sept. 



06s. This is one of the native species which is very worthless, and 

 very frequent on poor, neglected, badly managed farms. The species of 

 Andropogon here given, are the most common and obtrusive ones, in our 

 poor lands, at least in Pennsylvania. There are a few others, par- 

 ticularly one with the spikes conjugate, in fastigiate bushy panicles (A. 

 macrourus, MX.), which is not unfrequent in wet, swampy meadows ; 

 but, though they are all equally worthless, these are scarcely of sufficient 

 importance to require further notice in this work. . 



35. SOR'GHUM, Per*. BROOM CORN. SORGHUM. 



[The ancient name of a cultivated species.] 



Spikelets 2-3 together on the branches of a mostly loose and open pan- 

 icle, the lateral ones sterile, or often mere rudiments, the middle (or 

 terminal) one only fertile. Glumes coriaceous, sometimes awnless. Sta- 

 mens 3. For the rest as in Andropogon. 



* Culms slender, Jistular. 



1. S. im'tans, Grau. Leaves lance-linear ; ligule elongated, truncate ; 

 panicle narrowly oblong ; fertile spikes russet-brown. 

 NODDING SORGHUM. Wood Grass. Oat-like Indian Grass. 



