GRASSES OF MINOR IMPORTANCE 



97 



Description. — English rye grass is 

 a short-lived perennial tufted glossy 

 dark-green grass, with flowering stems 

 I or 2 feet tall, narrow flat blades 

 usually less than i/6 inch wide, and a 

 long flat narrow flower head, consist- 

 ing of many flat several-flowered 

 spikelets arranged in 2 rows along a 

 main axis, the whole head as much as 

 a foot long. The spikelets are 1/3 to 

 1/2 inch long and are placed edge- 

 wise on the axis, alternating on oppo- 

 site sides. Only the outer glume is 

 present on the lateral spikelets. On 

 the terminal spikelet both glumes are 

 present. The leaves of rye grass 

 have one peculiarity which distin- 

 guishes it even when not in flower. 

 At the base of the blade or the sum- 

 mit of the sheath are two little claw- 

 like appendages, one on each side. 

 These appendages or auricles are 

 formed also on rye, wheat, and barley 

 but on none of the cultivated meadow 

 grasses except the rye grasses and 

 meadow fescue. 



Italian rye grass is distinguished 

 from English rye grass chiefly by the 

 presence of awns on the florets of 

 the spikelets, these awns being as 

 long as the florets or longer. In Eng- 



13. Italian Rye 

 Grass. 



