OEDEE CXr.. GEAlVnNEiE — OE ASS-FAMILY. 



215 



lower one larger, mostly longer than the palese. Palea; 1 — 2 ; 

 lower one larger, often awned; upper one often -wanting, or 

 minute. Stamens 3. Caryopsis free. Per. 



* Upper palea minute op wanting. 



1. A. scibra. Hair Grass. 



Cnim erect, very slender ; leaves narrow, short, somewhat rough ; lower 

 ones involute ; npper shorter and very narrow ; panicle largo, very loose, with 

 capillary diverging branches, which bear the purplish flowers near the ex- 

 tremities ; lower paleas mostly awnless, or with a very short awn. A delicate 

 grass In fields and wet places that have become dry, distinguished by its largo, 

 capillary, very delicate panicle, with its branches whorled. Culm 1—2 ft. high. 



2. A. canina. I)og''s Bent-Grass. 



Culms slender, mostly decumbent ; radical leaves setaceous, involute ; those 

 of the culm iiat, linear ; panicle sijort and loose, somewhat spreading, with slen- 

 der bran^es ; lower palea awned on the back ; awn long, and at length bent ; 

 upper palea minute. An introduced species, common m tho meadows of N. 

 England, distinguished by its long awn. The spikelets at first green, become 

 purplish. Culm 1—2 ft. high. July-Aw'g. 



* * Tipper palea present 



3. A. vulgaris. Bed-top. Herd^s Grass in Penn. 



Culm mostly erect, slender; loaves linear, with smooth sheaths ; liguleshort, 

 truncate ; panicle spreading, with slender, purplish branches ; lower palea 8- 

 veinod, twice as long as the upper, equaling the glumes, rarely awned, A valu- 

 able grass, introduced and thoroughly naturalized, distinguished by its cylindri- 

 cal, purplish panicle, with slender, spreading branches. Culm 1 — 2 ft. high. 



i. A. dlba. WTiite-top. 



Culm erect, or ascending above, decumbent, or rooting at base ; leaves lin- 

 ear ; sheaths smooth ; ligule narrow-oblong ; panicle narrow, at length con- 

 tTacted, with Blender, roughish branches ; lower palea 5-veined, rarely awned, 

 shorter than the glumes. Another introduced species, equally common with 

 the last, distinguished by the narrow, whitish panicle, and decumbent stem. 

 Culm 1—2 ft. high. July. 



5. CfNNA. 



Spikelets l-flowered, crowded in an open panicle. Glumes 2, 

 carinate ; lower one smaller. Flower pedicellate within the 

 glumes. Paleaj 2, the lower longest, with a short awn on the 

 back. Stamen 1. Per. 



1. C. arundinacea. 



Beed Grass. 



Culm tall, erect, smooth ; leaves linear-lanceolate, flat, rough on the margin ; 

 iigule long, lacerated ; panicle large, compound, spreading, at length contracted ; 

 lower glume considerably shorter than the lower palea, and about equal to the 

 upper palea; spikelets green, rarely purplish; awn scarcely, if at all exceeding 

 the palea. A tall, rank grass, not uncommon in wet grounds. Culm 2—5 ft. 



^'' ""■ 6. MUnLENB:&EGIA. 



Spikelets l-flowered, in more or less contracted, often spicate 

 panicles. Glumes acute, mueronate, persistent; lower one smaller, 

 often minute. Palea: 2, usually bearded at base, inclosing the 

 grain, and deciduous with it; lower more or less mueronate or 

 awned at apex. Stamens 3. Per. 



* Lower palea more or leas mueronate, not awned. 



1. M. sobolifera. Drop-seed Grass. 



Culm slender, ascending, slightly branched ; leaves linear, short; panicles 

 much contracted, terminal and axillary, with simple, Aliform brancbes ; glumes 

 acute, somewhat shorter than the equal paleie ; lower palea short, mueronate. 

 A slender species, common in rocky woods, distinguished by its simple panicles 

 with filiform branches. Culm 1—2 ft. high. Aug. 



2. M. Mexieana. Mexican Drop-seed. 



Culm erect, ascending, very branching, and very leafy above ; leaves linear, 

 short; panicles numerous, terminal and axillary, contracted, densely flowered; 

 branches somewhat spicato ; glumes acute, unequal ; upper glume as long as the 

 very acute, lower palea. A common grass in damp grounds, distinguished by 

 its numerous, densely flowered, contr.actcd panicle.^. Culm 1—3 ft. high. Aug. 



3. M. glomerata. Clustered Drop-seed. 



Oulm erect, smooth, simple, or with a few apprcssed branches ; leaves erect 



flat, rough ; panicle narrow-oblong, contracted into a kind of interrupted, clus- 

 tered spike, on a long peduncle; glumes nearly equal, awned, with the awns 

 twice as long as the very acute or mueronate palea. A species rather common 

 in bogs, distinguished by its nearly simple spicate panicle. Culm 1—2 ft. high. 

 All^. 



* * Lower palea awned. 



4. M. sylvatica. Wood Drop-seed. 



Culm ascending, very branching ; brancbes dilfasely spreading; leaves lan- 

 ceolate, with smooth slieaths ; panicles contracted, densely flowered ; glumes 

 Bubequal, mueronate, nearly equaling the long-awned, lower palea. A rather 

 common species, in rocky woods, distingnished by the very branching culm 

 and dense panicles. 2—3 ft. high. Sept. 



5. M. Wildenovii. Slender Drop-seed. 



Culm slender, erect, nearly or quite simple ; leaves lanceolate, with pubescent 

 sheaths; panicle slender, contracted, loosely flowered, with remote, iilifonn 

 brancbes; glumes rather unequal, acute, half as long as the long.awned palea. 

 A slender species, common in rocky woods, distinguished by its nearly simple 

 stem and contracted panicle, with Its flliform branches. Calm 2—3 ft. high. 

 Aug. 



-. BEACIIY:eLTTEUM. 



Spikelets l-flowered, with a filiform pedicel of a second abor- 

 tive flower, arranged in a simple, appressed, racemose panicle. 

 Lower glume wanting ; upper minute, persistent. Palea: 2, in- 

 closing the grain; lower tipped with a long, straight awn. Sta- 

 mens 2. Per. 



1. B. aristalum. Bearded Drop-seed. 



Culm erect, simple, slender ; leaves lanceolate, flat, with somewhat pubes- 

 cent sheaths; flowers large, nerved, in a slender panicle, consisting of simple, 

 appressed branches, resembling a spike or raceme ; awn as long as the flower ; 

 abortive flower lodged in the gi'oove in the back of the upper palea. A slender 

 grass, rather common in rocky woods. Culm 1 — 3 ft. high. June. 



8. calamage6stis. 

 Spikelets l-flowered, often with a minute, rudimentary pedi- 

 cel of an abortive flower, in a loose panicle, varying to a spicate 

 one. Glumes 2, carinate, nearly equal in length, longer than the 

 palese, which are surrounded by a tuft of white bristles. Lower 

 palea awned on the back, below the tip, or awnless, mostly longer 

 than the upper one. Stamens 3. 



1. C. Canadensis. Blue-joint. 



Culm simple, tall, stout, rigid ; leaves with smooth sheaths, linear-lanceolate ; 

 panicle oblong, loose ; lower palea S — 5-nerved, nearly as long as the lanceolate 

 glumes, equaling the tuft of hairs surrounding it, and with a very fine awn on 

 the back below the tip, scarcely exceeding it. A rank, reedy grass, 2—5 ft. high, 

 with somewhat glaucous foliage, rather common in wet grounds. July — Aug. 



2. C. arenaria. Sea-sand Beed.» 



Culm stout and rigid, erect, arising from stout, creeping rhizomas ; leaves 

 smooth and glaucous, very acute and involute at extremity ; panicle contracted 

 into a dense, thick spike, with short, appressed branches ; glumes nearly equal, 

 somewhat longer than the equal palea, compressed, carinate ; lower palea some- 

 what mueronate or awned ; toft of hairs much shorter than the palea; ovary 

 with lanceolate scales at base much longer than itself. A stout grass 2 — 3 ft. 

 high, common on sandy beaches. Aug. 



9. 0ETZ6PSIS. 

 Spikelets l-flowered. Glumes nearly equal, mostly longer than 

 the flower. Lower palea coriaceous, at length involute, and in- 

 closing the upper equal palea and the grain, tipped with a 

 straight, deciduous awn. Stamens 3. Scales at the base of the 

 ovary mostly 2, manifest. Per. 



1. 0. asperifolia. ^fountain Bice. 



Culm nearly naked, clothed with mere sheaths of leaves, erect, simple ; 

 leaves few, long, erect, radical, narrow-linear, rough on the margin ; panicle re- 

 duced to a nearly simple, racemose, few-flowered spike, the lower branches 

 bearing only 1 — 3-flowers ; palete whitish, somewhat pubescent ; lower one with 

 a long, straight awn at least twice its own length ; caryopsis white, as large as a 

 rice grain, farinaceous. A common inhabitant of rich, wooded hill-sides, where 

 its long, rigid leaves remain green through the winter. Oulm 6'— 15' high 



