592 THE GRASS FAMILY. 



flowering stems shortly ascenrling, with short leaves of a glaucous green. 

 Panicle of 3 to 5 slender spikes, each 1 to IJ inclies long. Spikelets less 

 than a line long ; the outer glumes nearly equal, open, narrow, and pointed. 

 Flowering glume rather longer and much broader, becoming hardened when 

 in fruit, smooth on the sides, rather rough on the keel and edges. 



In cultivated and waste places, especially near the sea, very common in 

 southern Europe and in all hot countries, extending more sparingly into 

 northern France and central Germany. In Britain, only in a few stations 

 on the south-western coasts of England. Fl. summer and autumn. 



XXII. SPARTINA. SPARTINA. 



Spikelets 1-flowered, much flattened, and awnless, sessile along one side of 

 the simple branches of a long, spike-like panicle. Glumes long and narrow, 

 strongly keeled, the palea as long as or longer than the flowering glume. 



A small genus, chiefly American, and almost confined to seacoasts. 



1. Cord Spartina. Spartina stricta, Sm. 



{Dactylis, Eng. Bot. t. 380. Cordgrass.*) 

 A stiff, erect Grass, with a creeping rootstock, and rather short, erect 

 leaves, flat, excepting at the top, when fresh, the edges always rolled inwards 

 when dry. Panicle 3 or 4 inches long, consisting of from 2 to 4 erect, 

 spike-like branches ; spikelets arranged alternately in two rows along these 

 branches, sessile in a groove on the axis, all erect but turning to one side, 

 each spikelet 6 to 8 lines long. Glumes thin but stiff, pointed or rather 

 obtuse; the outermost one 3 or 4 lines long ; the second or inner empty one 

 about half an inch, and often hairy ; the flowering glume similar but scarcely 

 BO long ; the palea again rather longer. The smell of the whole plant is 

 strong and disagreeable. 



In muddy salt-marshes, along the shores of the Atlantic ; common in 

 North America, less so in western Europe, and very local on the Mediterra- 

 nean as well as the North Sea. In Britain, only on the southern and east- 

 ern coasts of England. Fl. summer and autumn. A luxuriant variety, with 

 long leaves, long slender spikes, and nearly glabrous glumes, has been de- 

 scribed as a species under the names of S. glabra or S. alterniflora (Eng. 

 Bot. Suppl. t. 2812), but in North America, where it is frequent, it passes 

 gradually into the more common form. In Britain, this variety has been 

 found on the coast of Hampshire near Southampton. 



XXIII. IiEFTURUS. LEPTURUS. 



Spikelets 1-flowered (or, in some exotic species, 2-flowered) awnless, in- 

 serted singly in notches on alternate sides of a simple slender spike, the axis 

 jointed at each notch. Outer glumes 2, hard and ribbed; flowering glumes ■ 

 very thin. Stamens 3 and styles 2, as in most genera of Grasses. 



A genus of very few species, chiefly seacoast plants, widely dispersed over 

 the greater part of the globe. 



* The name of Cordgrass would, however, be more appropriately restricted to the south : 

 Europeau Lygeum Sparium, 



