GENERA OF GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES. 183 



acute or short-awned, the first shorter, the second often ex- 

 ceeding the lemma; lemma firm, keeled, the lateral nerves obscure, 

 narrowed to a rather obtuse point; palea 2-nerved, keeled and flat- 

 tened, the keel between or at one side of the nerves. 



Stout, erect, often tall perennials, with usually extensively creep- 

 ing, firm, scaly rhizomes, long tough blades, and two to many ap- 

 pressed or sometimes spreading spikes racemose on the main axis. 

 Species about 14, all North American except two or three along the 

 coast of Europe, Africa, and South America. 



Type species: Spartina schreberi Gmel, 



Spartina Schreb. ; Ginel., S-yst. Nat. ed. 13. 2 : 123. 1791. The genus was first 

 described by Schreber in his Genera Plantarum, 1 but no species was mentioned. 

 Ginelin merely assigns a specific name to the description given by Schreber. 

 Spartina schreberi is not recognized by European botanists, but it doubt- 

 less is the common European species, S. maritima (Curt.) Fernald (S. stricta 

 Roth). 



Trachynotia Michx., Fl. Bor. Amer. 1: 63. 1803. Type species T. cyno- 

 suroides. Michaux describes three species, T. cynosuroides, T. polystachya, and 

 T. juncea. The first species described is what is now called Spartina michauxi- 

 ana Hitchc., but the synonym, Dactylis cynosuroides L., from which the specific 

 name is taken, shows that Michaux had misapplied the name. The second spe- 

 cies, T. polystachya, is Dactylis cynosuroides L., now called Spartina cynosu- 

 roides (L.) Roth. Michaux remarks that this may be only a variety of the first 

 species. It appears then that to Michaux the first species typifies the genus, 

 and hence is selected here as the type species. 



Limnetis Pers., Syn. PI. 1 : 72. 1805. Four species are described, L. pungens, 

 L. juncea, L. cynosuroides, and L. polystachya. The first species, which is the 

 same as Spartina maritima, is selected as the type, as that is a native of Europe 

 and is indigenous from the standpoint of the author. The other three species 

 are American. 



There are eight species in the United States. All but two are found 

 on or near the coast. Spartina cynosuroides (L.) Roth, a stout grass 

 as much as 9 feet tall, is found along the Atlantic coast. The com- 

 monest coastal species is S. patens (Ait.) Muhl. (including S. juncea 

 Michx.) , which covers vast areas of salt marsh from Newfoundland to 

 Texas. This is a slender wiry species usually less than 3 feet tall, with 

 only a few somewhat spreading spikes. Spartina alterniftora Loisel. 

 and its two varieties, glabra (Muhl.) Fern, and pilosa (Merr.) Fern., 

 also of the Atlantic coast, have stout stems and closely appressed 

 spikes, forming a cylindric inflorescence. A somewhat local species, 

 S. sp.irtinae (Trin.) Merr., is found on the Texas coast. Another 

 local species, S. foliosa Trin., is found on the coast of California. The 

 only species without well-marked rhizomes is S. ~ba~keri Merr., of the 

 f resh- water marshes and low savannas of Florida and coastal Georgia. 

 Two species are found in the interior of the United States. One, &. 

 michauxiana Hitchc. (fig. 109), is common in marshes and sloughs 

 from New England to the Great Plains. A second, S. gradlis Trin., is 

 found in alkaline grassland in the Western States. The first of these 

 is used for thatching sheds and covering hay stacks. The leaves of 



1 Schreb. Gen. PI. 1: 43. 1789. 



