87 



long, or the lower ones much longer, about four lines broad and 

 rather rigid. The panicle is large and effuse, 6 to 9 inches long, 

 oblong pyramidal, and at length drooping. The whorls are an inch 

 or more distant, the branches semi-verticillate, mostly in threes, the 

 largest 3 to 4 inches long, and subdivided from near the base. It 

 is quite an ornamental grass, resembling the quaking grass (Briza.) 

 Cattle are fond of it, both green and when made into hay. It is 

 well adapted to low meadows. 



4. G. conferta, Fries. (G. Borreri, Bab.) Introduced on ballast. 



5. G. disians, Wahl. Introduced and naturalized. 



G. distans, var. airoides. (G. airoides, Thurb.) Rocky Moun- 

 tain region. 



6. G. elongata, Trin. New Enghind to Minnesota. 



7. G. fluitans, H. Br. Floating Manna grass. Atlantic to the 



Pacific. 



This species grows in shallow water on the margins of lakes, ponds, 

 and sluggish streams. Its culms are usually 3 to 4 feet high, rather 

 thick and succulent and quite leafy. The leaves are 4 to 9 inches 

 long and three to four lines wide. The panicle is often a foot long, 

 very narrow, the short distant branches mostly in twos or threes, 1 

 or 2 inches long, erect and close, each having usually two to four 

 spikelets. The spikelets are half an inch to three-quarters of an 

 inch in length, rather cylindrical and nearly of the same thickness 

 throughout, seven ,to thirteen flowered. The outer glumes are mem- 

 branaceous and one-nerved. The flowering glumes are about two 

 lines long, oblong, convex on the roughish back, rather thick, with a 

 thin, scarious entire apex. The palets are as long or sometimes 

 longer than their glumes and minutely two-toothed. 



Hon. J. S. Gould says: 



This grass is found growing in shallow water, overflowed meadows and wet woods, 

 but will bear cultivation on moderately dry grounds. Schrebersays that it is culti- 

 vated in several parts of Germany for the sake of the seeds, which form the manna 

 crop of the shops, and are considered a great delicacy in soups and gruels. When 

 ground into meal they make bread very little inferior to that made from wheat. In 

 Poland large quantities of the seeds are obtained for culinary purposes. All gran- 

 iverous birds are exceedingly fond of these seeds. Trout and indeed most fish are 

 very fond of them ; wherever it grows over the banks of streams the trout are al- 

 ways found in great numbers waiting to catch every seed that falls. There is a great 

 difference of opinion among agricultural writers with respect to the fondness of 

 animals for the leaves and culms of this grass. We have often seen the ends of the 

 leaves cropped by cattle, but have never seen the culms or root-leaves touched by 



