188 



THE AMERICAN 



with the latitude of the locality : in Southern 

 Illinois in April; farther south, earlier; farther 

 north, later. 



This tree belongs to the second section or 

 sub-order of the great Pea Family (Sub-order 

 CoRsalpinia). The flowers are in small clusters 

 from the buds of the preceding year's shoots. 

 They are not strictly 2><^pttionaceous in their 

 structure, the standard being smaller than the 

 wings, and the lower petals not united to form 

 a keel, and the ten stamens are separated. The 

 pods, when mature, are flat, about three inches 

 long, half an inch wide, and contain five to ten 

 seeds. 



Tliere is a tree of the same genus in Europe 

 called Judas-tree {Cersis siliquastruni) which 

 tradition records as the tree on which Judas 

 hanged himself. Another smaller and vei-y 

 ornamental species has been introduced into 

 cultivation from Japan. 



THE GRASSES. 



The Family of Grasses (Gi-amineai) is one of 

 the largest as well as most important in the 

 Vegetable Kingdom. The term grass, however, 

 has a more extended common signification than 

 is strictly correct. Thus, it is commonly em- 

 ployed for the Sedge Grasses (Carices), and 

 other plants of the Natural Order Cyperaceoi. 

 It is also applied to Bulrushes {Jnncus), and 

 frequently, also, but very erroneously, to any 

 kind of plant cultivated for hay, as clover. 

 Perhaps it is not practically important if we do 

 include under the one general name of grass 

 the plants of those two closely related orders. 

 Still, it is quite necessary that we have an 

 understanding of the scientific diflerences exist- 

 ing between them, because we cannot be cor- 

 rectly understood when speaking of any thing 

 without precision in the use of words. The 

 most prominent difierences between the true 

 grasses and the sedges may be stated as follows : 



The Grasses generally have the culm or stem 

 hollow, except at the joints. "When the stem 

 bears leaves, they are two-ranked, or on alter- 

 nate sides of the stem, and hence the stem is 

 usually round. The leaves, where they issue 

 from the stem, usually clasp it closely for a cer- 

 tain distance, but are not united at the edges. 

 A few moments' inspection of a stalk of common 

 Indian corn will show this character of the 

 leaves. 



The Sedges generally have solid culms or 

 stems. The leaves are usually three-ranked, 

 and hence the stem is usually triangular. The 

 base of the leaves not only sheathes the stem, 



but the opposite edges are united for a certain 

 distance, so as to form a tube, fitting closely 

 around the stem. This arrangement may be dis- 

 tinctly seen in many of tlie coarse sedges growing 

 in wet ground. There are other difierences of 

 flower and fruit which it is not easy to describe 

 without an analysis of specimens, but a little 

 acquaintance with some representative plants 

 will enable one readily to distinguish a grass 

 from a sedge. 



There is another small Family of Rush-grasses 

 (Juncacw), which differs in character from 

 either of the preceding, but have the general 

 appearance of grasses, and are not ordinarily 

 distinguished from them. Species of each of 

 these three families will commonly be found in 

 any of our natural meadows. 



All our cultivated grasses and grains belong 

 to the family of true Grasses ( Gi'amineoi) . The 

 number of species of these cultivated kinds is, 

 however, only a very small proportion of the 

 whole number of species in the- family. The 

 larger part of our native gi-asses escape general 

 observation. They clothe our prairies and low 

 grounds ; they spread among our woodlands 

 and forests; they extend over our hills and 

 reach to the tops of the mountains. Some 

 species are cosmopolitan and are at home in 

 all parts of the globe ; the most, however, are 

 especially adapted to certain kinds of soil, or 

 climate, or elevation. In number of species the 

 family of Grasses is second only to the large 

 order of Compound Flowers ( Compositm') . Over 

 two hundred species are found in the Northern 

 United States, east of the Mississippi river. 

 Still more numerous is the family of Sedges 

 {Cyperacew) . A goodly proportion of these 

 numbers may be found in almost every town- 

 ship. 



It is singular that the New "World has fur- 

 nished only one additional species of grain to 

 the agricultural resources of the husbandman; 

 that one grain, however, is the Indian Corn 

 (Zert mays, L.), of greater importance, perhaps, 

 in usefulness and adaptation to a great variety 

 of climates than any othei'. 



The Sedge Grasses are generally inferior in 

 nutritive qualities as food for grazing animals, 

 and hence none of them are cultivated by the 

 farmer. In the natural meadows and sloughs, 

 however, they form a very important part of 

 the vegetation. They are particularly adapted 

 to low and wet situations, furnishing there a 

 permanent reliance for stock, especially in newly 

 settled portions of the country. The most val- 

 uable of these are probably certain species of 

 the genus Carex, as Carex stricta, Lam., Carex 



