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4. Panicum sanguinale, Linn. 



Botanical name. — Sanguinale, Latin, " belonging to blood"; hence 

 blood-coloured, referring to the red or purple colour this grass fre- 

 quently assumes, especially on the approach of cold weather. 



Vernacular names. — " Summer Grass " ; " Crab Grass" of the United 

 States. Other names are "Finger Grass," "Hairy-finger Grass," and 

 "Manna Grass." 



Where figured. — Duthie,Vasey, Hackel,Trinius, Agricultural Gazette. 



Botanical description (B. Fl., vii, 469). — Decumbent and often 

 shortly creeping and rooting at the base, ascending to 1 foot, or rather 

 more. 



Leaves flaccid, flat, usually pubescent, and sprinkled with long hairs, especially on 

 the sheaths, but sometimes nearly glabrous. 



Spikes, or panicle branches, three to eight, crowded at the end of a long peduncle, 

 all from nearly the same point, or shortly distant, 1^ inches to 3 inches, or in 

 some varieties above 4 inches long ; the rhachis slender but angular, flexuose, 

 scabrous-ciliate. 



Spikelets in pairs, one nearly sessile, the other pedicellate, oblong, rather acute, 

 about 1^ lines long. 



Outer glume minute, rarely above | line long ; second glume lanceolate, three-nerved, 

 from half to three-quarters the length of the spikelet ; third glume usually five- 

 nerved, glabrous, or slightly ciliate in the Australian specimens, empty. 



Fruiting glume shorter, smooth. 



Botanical notes. — Most of the Australian specimens have the glumes 

 glabrous, or nearly so. Some, however, have them more or less 

 ciliate with soft hairs on the lateral nerves or margins, which con- 

 stitutes the P. ciliare, Retz. (B. Fl.) 



Value as a fodder. — The " Summer Grass" is looked upon with 

 mingled feelings. In the early summer it springs up with sur- 

 prising rapidity, forming smothering tufts, which speedily cover 

 gardens, orchards, or any soil which is not repeatedly hoed over. It 

 is a very light grass ; that is to say, it possesses but little substance, 

 a load of the fresh grass shrivelling to very little. O'Shanesy says he 

 has seen it give 1£ to 2 tons per acre, but does not state the weight 

 of hay. In this Colony it is not a favourite with stock, as they do 

 not eat it unless they are somewhat pressed with hunger. I have, 

 however, seen horses eat it often enough. It will be noted from what 

 follows that it appears to produce more valuable fodder in the Southern 

 United States than with us. Duthie states that the grass is much 

 used for fodder in India. 



" Crab Grass is generally considered the best hay-grass of the 

 Southern States. It is never cultivated in the ordinary sense, but 

 comes up spontaneously on arable land after the cultivated crop is 

 taken off. Sometimes the ground is lightly rolled, but that is the 

 only preparation made for it. After a crop of corn or cotton, one, or 

 sometimes two, good catches of crab-hay are made on the land. On 

 account of its rapid growth, crab-grass is peculiarly adapted for its 

 functions as an after crop. In good soil, when favoured by sufficient 

 rain, it attains considerable size. At Mobile it was seen nearly 4 feet 



