GRAMINEAE (GRASS FAMILY) 93 



long; palea minute, nerveless. — Tall and stout reed-like perennials, with elon- 

 gated riat leaves, racemes crowded in a panicle and clothed with lon^ silky hairs 

 especially in a tuft around the base of each spikelet r whence the^name, from 

 epiovj wool, and avdos, flower). 



* Awn terete, straight. 



■^ Hairs at base ofspikelets copious, as long as the glumes or longer ; panicle-axia 



and upper part of culm densely appressed-villous. 



■M. Panicle loose and open; hairs longer than the glumes. 



1. E. saccharoides Michx. Culm 1-2 m. high, usually with a dense rint^- of 

 appressed hairs at the nodes ; leaves 1-2.5 cm. wide, villous ; panicle tawny or 

 purple. — Moist ground, N. J. and south w., rare. 

 Sept., Oct. Fig. 49. 



++++ Panicle dense and compact ; hairs about as long 

 as the glumes. 



2. E. compactus Nash. Culm 1-3 m. high, villous 

 at the nodes ; blades 6-12 mm. wide, usually villous 

 only on the upper surface near the base ; panicle 

 tawny. — Moist ground, N. J. and south w. Aug., 

 Sept. 



■*- -t- Hairs at base of spikelets rather sparse or want- 

 ing, shorter than the glumes ; culm and axis of 49, g. saccharoides x ly,. 

 panicle glabrous or sparsely villous. 



3. E. brevibarbis Michx. Culm 1-2 m. high, sparingly villous at the nodes; 

 sheaths glabrous ; blades 6-10 mm. wide, scabrous ; panicle purple, narrow, the 

 branches appressed, sparingly silky, appearing striate from the stiff straight 

 awns. — Moist ground, Del. and southw. Sept., Oct. 



** Awn flattened and twisted. 

 H- Panicle pale, axis very villous; basal hairs copious, exceeding the glumes. 



4. E. divaricatus (L.) Hitchc. Culm 1.5-3 m. high, nodes and upper portion 

 appressed-villous ; sheaths glabrous ; leaves 1.5-2.5 cm. wide ; panicle loose, silky. 

 (E. alopecuroides Ell.) — Moist ground, N. J. to Ga., w. to Ky. and s. Mo. Sept. 

 ^■^ Panicle dark, axis sparsely villous; basal hairs rather sparse, scarcely 



as long as the glumes. 



5. E. cont6rtus Baldw. Culm 1-2 m. high, nodes soon glabrous ; sheaths 

 glabrous ; leaves 5-15 mm, wide ; panicle narrow, less silky than in the preceding. 

 — Low meadows, Va. to Ky., and southw. 



4. ANDR0P6G0N [Royen] L. Beard Grass 



Spikelets in pairs (one sessile and perfect, the other pediceled, sterile, often 

 rudimentary) at each joint of the articulate rhachis ; glumes of fertile spikelet 

 subequal, indurated, the first dorsally flattened, with a strong nerve near each 

 margin, the midnerve faint ; second glume keeled above ; first lemma empty, 

 hyaline ; fertile lemma membranaceous or hyaline, awned ; palea hyaline, 

 sometimes obsolete. — Tall tufted perennials; spikes lateral and terminal, the 

 rhachis and usually the pedicels long-villous with silky hairs (whence the name, 

 composed of dv-qp, man, and irtbyiav, beard.) 



Racemes solitary ; joints of the rhachis clavate 1. A. scoparius. 



Kacemes in fascicles of 2-6 ; joints of the rhachis not clavate. 

 Pedicellate spikelet reduced to the pedicel or the glumes only ; racemes 

 usually subtended by a foliaceous spathe (the upper sheath) ; rhachis- 

 joints very slender. 

 Eacemes not?ano-er than the spathe, which incloses the common peduncle. 



Branches of inflorescence in a dense terminal corymbiform cluster . 2. A. glomeratus 

 Branches of inflorescence scattered along the culms .... 3. A. virginicus. 



Racemes, or some of them, on peduncles exserted beyond the spathes. 



Upper sheaths inflated ; racemes delicate, flexu(tus \. A. Elliotiii. 



Upper sheaths not inflated ; racemes stouter, strict h. A. ternnriun 



Pedicellate spikelet staminate, with glumes and lemmas , . . . 6. J., furcaius. 



