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widely diffused over North America, and is found in Eastern Siberia 

 and Japan. It grows on the muddy banks of rivers and lakes, both 

 near the sea and far inland, sometimes in water 10 feet or more deep, 

 forming patches or meadows covering many acres or extending for 

 miles. Its ordinary growth is from 5 to 10 feet high, with a thick 

 spongy stem and abundant long and broad leaves. The panicle is 

 pyramidal in shape, 1 to 2 feet long, and widely branching below. 

 The upper branches are rather, appressed and contain the fertile 

 flowers, and the lower branches contain only' staminate ones. The 

 spikelets are one-flowered, each with one pair of external husks or 

 scales, which are by some botanists called glumes, and by others 

 called palets. These husks or glumes in the fertile flower are nearly 

 or quite an inch long, with an awn or beard as long or twice as long. 

 The grain inclosed between them is half an inch long, slender, and 

 cylindrical. The glumes of the staminate flowers are about half an 

 inch long and without awns, each flower containing six stamens. 

 These flowers fall off soon after they expand. The fertile flowers 

 also drop very readily as soon as the grain is ripened. The grass 

 abounds in the small lakes of Minnesota and the Northwest, and is 

 there gathered by the Indians for food. The husk is removed by 

 scorching with fire. It is a very palatable and nutritious grain. 

 Some attempts have been made to cultivate the grass, but the read- 

 iness of the seed to drop must interfere with a successful result. 

 Near the sea-coast multitudes of 'reed birds resort to the marshes 

 where it grows and fatten upon the grain. The culms are sweet 

 and nutritions, and cattle are said to be very fond of the grass. 

 2. Z. miliacea, Mx. Pennsylvania to Texas. 



Lkeksia, Swartz. 



Spikelets 1 flowered, flat, articulated on short pedicels, along the 

 slender branches of a terminal panicle. Glumes 2, strongly com- 

 pressed or condnplicate, awnless, bristly ciliate on the keels, the 

 lower one much the larger. No palets. Stamens 1 to 6, stigmas 2, 

 styles short, distinct. Perennial grasses, the leaves and sheaths 

 usually rough with minute prickles. 

 1. L. hexandra, Swz. Sparingly from North Carolina to Texas. 



In Manilla, one of the Phillippine Islands, (as we learn from the 

 United States consul at that place,) this species is cultivated as food 

 for horses and cattle. It is treated like rice, being transplanted to 



