GENERA OF GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES. 255 
Xiphagrostis Coville, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 9: 899, pl. 69. 1905. Two 
species are included, X. floridula (Labill.) Coville and X. japonica (Thunb.) 
Coville. Saccharum fioridulum Labill., on which the first species is based, is 
designated as the type. Coville assumed J/. capensis to be the type of Miscan- 
thus, as it was the first species described (see Miscanthus, p. 254), and referred 
Miscanthus sinensis and its allies, which were not congenerie with MW. capensis, 
to Xiphagrostis. 
Miscanthus sinensis Anderss. (P]. X VIII; fig. 155) is cultivated in 
the United States as an ornamental. Commercially it is known as 
Eulalia japonica or merely eulalia. This is a reedy grass 4 to 8 feet 
high, growing in large bunches, with flat mostly basal blades, 2 te 3 
feet long and about half an inch wide, gradually narrowed to a 
slender point, the panicle somewhat fan shaped, consisting of nu- 
merous silky racemes 4 to 8 inches long, aggregate at the summit of 
the culm. Eulalia has escaped from cultivation and is found grow- 
ing wild in some localities. There are two varieties of Miscanthus 
sinensis with variegated leaves, var. variegatus Beal, with striped 
blades, and var. zebrinus Beal, with banded blades. Miscanthus 
sinensis gracillimus is a variety with very narrow blades. Another 
species, I/. nepalensis (Trin.) Hack., is occasionally cultivated under 
the name of Himalaya fairy grass. This has spikelets about one- 
fourth as long as the hairs at their base. 
130. SaccHarum L. 
Spikelets in pairs, one sessile, the other pedicellate, both perfect, 
awnless, arranged in panicled racemes, the axis disarticulating below 
the spikelets; glumes somewhat .indurate, sterile lemma similar but 
hyaline; fertile lemma hyaline, sometimes wanting. 
Perennial grasses of tropical regions, including about 10 species. 
Type species: Saccharum officinarum L. : 
Saccharum L., Sp. Pl. 54, 1753; Gen. Pl., ed. 5, 28. 1754. Two species are de- 
seribed. The first is chosen as the type, because it is a well-known economic 
species. The second species, S. spicatum, is now referred to the genus Imperata. 
Saccharum oficinarvm (fig. 156), the sugar cane, is cultivated in 
Louisiana and to a limited degree in some of the other Gulf States. 
It is a tall stout grass, 8 to 15 feet tall or even taller, with solid juicy 
stems, broad flat blades, and large plumelike panicles 1 to 2 feet 
long, with numerous small spikelets about 3 mm. long, each sur- 
rounded at the base by a tuft of silky hairs two or three times as 
long as the spikelet. The glumes and the delicate sterile lemma are 
about the same length, the fertile lemma and palea being absent. 
Sugar cane is cultivated chiefly for the production of sugar and 
molasses; but, especially in the Gulf States outside of Louisiana, it is 
also used for forage. 
131. EstantHus Michx. 
Spikelets all alike, in pairs along a slender axis, one sessile, the other 
pedicellate, the rachis disarticulating below the spikelets, the rachis 
