GRASS FAMILY. 
GRAMIN’E A. yo sepa 
d jointed, closed 
TRUE Grasses, with most 
PReeoaiy renga, Seg seins meen te, 27 rdsery ed, parallel-nerved, the dilated petiole (sheath) 
Joints ( D5. 
lyre the culm and ge open on the side opposite to the 
d furnished at 
blade, an 
a more or manifest scarious appendage (ligule). 
fect, polygamous 0 te moncecious e en imbricated with — 
or bracts, the outer pair (glumes), sub’ of one or several flow 
i h oe 
the inner pair iq palee) enclosing eac ic bower — is 
destitute of a occa 
u uall 
Perianth. Stamens 1-6, usually 8 ; anthers versatile. 
hee 
, L-ovuled, us 
um 
aba 
fe : Y sp 
Fruit a seed-like grain (caryopsis ; embryo small at the base a and on the outside 
ous albumen. A’ mh pitose, 
of pis —— nn » Wi 
Spikelets paniculate or spiked, upper (inner) palea 2-ne rved or 2-ke ea: 
_ This raat r. prising s ome 330 g genera, and perhaps not 
is probably the most ory diffused the most important to man. 
race, and of the more yainnklacd 
ever, are may better than 
Those which the American Agriculturist is more immed 
inserted, 
1. Tue Poa Sus-raminy. 
Spikelets 1~many-flow 
cecious—except in Nos 
oi. be magn 1-flowered, ; in panicles, the fi 
Inner ea 3-neryed. 
= 
Glumes wanting. Flowers flattened. Palex awnless. 
Glumes 2, peer — Stamens 6. 
Flowers moneec 
Fertile fi a nee: 
§ 2. Spikelets 1- flowered, perfect, sometimes with the abortive rudi 
ese or ae a second tlower above, joe ay the fe ee 
es cont dense spike or hi 
iaure toere 
Flowers in . pelle cylindrical spike. a equal, strongly 
boy ae goon with ct Peale, — ‘ 
Low : ieiek awned, the upper 
PP ohare distinet at base. Pale 2, the lower truncate and 
less. 
Flowers mostly loosely panicled, not strictly spiked, usually 
Small. Glumes equal or meatal, mem branaceous. peewee 
raised on a more or less e nt stalk (callus) in the glumes. 
Flower naked or Sarely ferns 
Glumes equal or the rag one rather longer, pointless, 
exceeding the very thin, blunt pale. Lower palea 
seas ——, awned on the back ; the upper 
-ascipers 
anting. 
tier} Seana oe smaller. Palez often hairy at base, 
the lo -sygme r one mucronate or awned at the tip. _ 
Flower hairy-tufted sm “aes 
lower. pale ee 
pointed, nosey = iy 
wet Spisaiots sets (rarely ie flowered) usually "2--several-flowered, with. 
upper yee Mim sine dis: isposed in one-sided 
oe Or digitale aplken, ‘the upper 
3000 species— 
of all the families 
less than 
se ok ES furnish a rrmcey portion of the the food of the human 
animals. t number of the Grasses, how: 
weeds, a ‘a fark, pre's some Bot them exceedingly pardon 
iately interested 
to know, are here 
ered 5 flowered, the lowest developing first, the 
if an, oon A imperfect or abortive, ben rest. perfect, "or occasionally mon cecious or 
. 16 and 23, whe gts the lowest florets are stamina 
obey often monoecious. ~ dlumes very small or 
1, Leersta. 
2. ORyza. 
3. ZImANTA. 
4, ALOPECURUS. 
6. AGEOSTIS. 
7. Monreneencta 
