364 MANUAL OF POISONOUS PLANTS 



perenne; the fungus is allied to Bndoconidium temulentum, which has been 

 found on rye. 



The Lolium fungus, according to Guerin, lives symbiotically in the matur- 

 ing grain and is therefore not a parasite, but Freeman has observed that oc- 

 casionally it is injurious althougll it is generally stimulating. Nestler, who made 

 an examination of L. perenne, L. multiflorum, L. remotum, and L. festUrcaceum, 

 found nothing comparable to the fungus mycelium which occurred in L. 

 temulentum. He also succeeded in demonstrating the presence of the mycelium 

 of the fungus as mdicated by Guerin. According to Nestler, the Fusarium 

 roseum is identical with the fungus occurring in L. temulentum found by 

 Guerin, but this has not been confirmed and seems very improbable. Hanausek 

 considered the fungus to be related to the smuts, but Freeman found no evi- 

 dence of spore formation ; the septa are infrequent and the intercellular course 

 different from that for smuts. The subject has, in recent years, been in- 

 vestigated by Prof. Freeman who, in a general way, confirms the reports of 

 previous investigations and says : 



The probabilities of relationship with the ergot of L. temulentum are very interesting. 

 The frequency of occurrence of ergots of Lolium in England is strangely coincident with 

 that of the fungus in the grain, e. g., most abundant in ly. temulentum, less so in L. per- 

 enne and exceedingly rare in L. italicum. 



It is certainly not one of the rusts and the Ustilagineae are the closest 

 affinity, perhaps, the fungus is carried from one generation to another by the 

 sterile mycelium; when the embryo of the grain pushes out during germination, 

 the hyphae, being in the "seed" keep pace with its growth and can be detected 

 in the growing point throughout the life of the plant. Prof. Freeman says: 



The hyphae sometimes penetrate the aleurone layer at any point and invade the starch 

 endosperm. There exists in the nucellus, at the base of the scutellum and at the lower end 

 of the inner groove of the grain, a layer of hyphae which lies directly against the embryo, 

 constituting an infective layer. 



11. Agropyron, Gaertn. Quack or Wheat Grass 



Annual or perennial grasses, with flat, or involute leaves ; spikelets 3-many- 

 flowered, compressed, 2-ranked, alternate on opposite sides of the solitary, 

 terminal spike, 1 at each joint, or, occasionally, all, or the lower in pairs, sessile, 

 with the side against the axis ; glumes transverse, nearly equal and opposite, 

 lanceolate ; flowering glumes rigid, rounded at the back, 5-7 nerved, pointed 

 or awned from the tip ; palet flattened, bristly, ciliate on the nerves, adherent 

 to the grain. 



About 40 species, in temperate regions. The root of quack grass is used 

 in medicine ; several species, like western wheat grass (^Agropyron occidentale) 

 and slender wheat grass (A. tenerum) are valuable for forage purposes. Quack 

 and western wheat grasses are also good soil binders. 



Agropyron repens, (L) Beauv. Quack Grass 



Perennial, 1-3 ft. high, from a creeping, jointed rootstock; sheaths usually 

 smooth, scabrous, or pubescent above; spikes 3-10 inches long, erect; spikelets 

 4-8 flowered; empty glumes strongly 5-7 nerved near the apex, awnless or 

 sometimes short awned. 



Distribution. Widely naturalized, a good forage plant and also a bad weed. 

 In eastern North America, it occurs in cultivated fields and by roadsides and 

 is a troublesome weed. 



