U 



dense, soft, and with the awns of the flowers conspicuously project- 

 ing. The spikelets are single-flowered, between two and three Hues 

 long. The outer glumes are strongly compressed, boat-shaped, 

 keeled, nearly equal, sometimes slightlj* united together at the base, 

 and have a line of soft, short hairs on the keels. These glumes 

 closely inclose the flower, which is of nearly the same length, and 

 consists of a flowering glume (formerly called the lower palet) and 

 the floral organs, but without any true palet. This flowering glume 

 is folded upon itself and incloses the stamens and styles. It gives 

 rise on its back near the base to a tine awn, which extends two or 

 three lines beyond the glumes. 

 Mr. J. S. Goidd says : 



It flourishes in May, nearly four weeks in advance of timothy, and is one of the 

 earliest gTasses to start in the spring. Pastures well covered with this grass will 

 afford a full bite at least one week earlier than those which do not have it. It does 

 not flourish in dry soils, but loves moist lands ; no grass bears a hot sun better, and 

 it is not injured by frequent mowings, on which account, as well as for its early 

 verdure, it is valuable for lawns. 



A. pratensis, var. alpestris. Rocky Mountains. 



This variety is indigenous in Montana and Idaho, and is very 

 common along mountain streams, frequently covering acres of 

 the mountain meadows. It is called in some localities Mountain 

 Timothy. It yields a large quantity of fine bright hay, for which 

 purpose it is often harvested and highly valued. It has little value 

 for grazing. Probably under cultivation it would become as useful 

 as the European form of the species. 

 ti. A. saccatus, Yasey. Oregon. 



Akistida, Linn. 



Spikelets one-flowered in a spicate, or au open branching panicle 

 generally on filiform pedicels ; outer glumes unequal, often bristle- 

 pointed ; flowering glume narrow, rolled around the flower, termi- 

 nating with a trifid awn, or apparently three-awned. Palet small 

 and thin, inclosed in the flowering glume. 



The grasses of this large genus are either worthless or of little 



agricultural value. The perennial species in some localities furnish 



a considerable amount of wild forage of an inferior character. 



They are very abundant in sandy and sterile soil. 



1. A. Americana, Linn. (A. dispersa, Trin.) Xew Mexico and 



Arizona. 



