GOOSE GRASS. 



77 



seed has sometimes been ground into meal, or flour. It 

 would doubtless be valuable to sow for green manuring. 

 POINTED SPEAR GRASS (Glyceria acutiflora) is less 

 common than the preceding species. It is found in wet 

 places from New England to Pennsylvania, resembling 

 the floating manna grass, but with small- 

 er leaves, and flowers twice the length, 

 and less nerved. 



GOOSE GRASS, CREEPING SEA MEADOW 

 GRASS, SEA SPEAR GRASS ( Glyceria mari- 

 tima), Fig. 47, is a beautiful grass, which 

 appears in and around salt marshes, 

 growing from six to twelve inches high, 

 and having a perennial, creeping root. 

 Stem erect, round, smooth; leaves most- 

 ly folded and compressed, roughish on 

 the inner surface ; spikelets linear, with 

 from six to ten florets, not webbed, the 

 outer palea or lower floret terminating 

 in an acute point. The flower is seen 

 in Fig. 48. Flowers in July. Grows nat- 

 urally near the sea. This is one of the 

 most valuable of the salt-marsh grasses, 

 being exceedingly relished by stock of 

 all kinds. It is generally 

 considered best when it 

 grows in mixture with 

 other species of plants, 

 as the black grass (Jun- 

 cusbulbosus), for instance, 

 and deserves a passing 

 notice. 



It is very well known 

 that large tracts of salt 



Fig. 47. Goose Grass. Fig. 48. 



