KENTUCKY BLUE GRASS 



317 



vania west to the Mississippi River, or it was introduced from 

 Europe at a very early date. It is also called June grass, 

 wire grass, and spear grass. It is now commonly found as 

 far south as Tennessee 

 and as far west as east- 

 ern Nebraska. It is 

 a rather shallow-rooted 

 grass, but makes a 

 close, even sod, and 

 one which is not easily 

 injured by trampling 

 or close grazing. The 

 culms do not grow 

 more than 2 feet tall. 

 The culm leaves are 

 scanty, not more than 

 6 inches long and J4 

 inch broad, but the 

 basal leaves are numer- 

 ous and much larger, 

 making the plant valu- 

 able for pasture. The 

 flowers are produced in 

 open, spreading pani- 

 cles; the spikelets are 

 from three to five- 

 flowered. The grain 

 or caryopsis is enclosed 

 in the flowering glume 

 and palea. The seed (i. e., the grain and its enclosing 

 envelops) is from one-tenth to one-sixth of an inch in 

 length. Canada blue grass seed, which is often used as 

 an adulterant, is shorter, less pointed, and is generally 



Fig. 97. A panicle of Kentucky blue grass. 



