Genus 5. 



GRASS FAMILY. 



long ; plant glaucous, 



S. scoparium. 

 the leaf-sheaths much 

 2. 5". littorale. 



5. SCHIZACHYRIUM Nees, Agrost. Bras. 331. 1829. 



Annual or perennial grasses, tufted or from rootstocks, with flat or involute leaf-blades, 

 and spikelike racemes, singly disposed, terminating the culm or its branches. Internodes of 

 the articulated rachis cup-shaped or crowned at the apex with a toothed or bifid appendage. 

 Spikelets in pairs at each node of the frequently hairy rachis, one sessile, the other pedicel- 

 late. Sessile spikelet dorsally compressed, of 4 scales; first scale 2-keeled, with the margins 

 infolded; second scale 1 -keeled; fourth scale usually 2-cleft at the apex, often almost to the 

 base, bearing a perfect usually geniculate awn, the spiral column usually straight. Pedicellate 

 spikelet flowerless, of 1 or 2 scales, rarely of 4 scales and bearing a staminate flower, or 

 wanting. Stamens usually 3, very rarely 1 or 2. Styles distinct. Stigmas plumose. [Name 

 Greek, referring to the deeply cleft flowering scale.] 



About 35 species, mainly in tropical and warm temperate regions. Besides the following, 

 others occur in the southern and southwestern parts of the United States. Type species : Andro- 

 pogon brevifolius Sw. 

 Hairs at the apex of the rachis internodes short, J4 "— 1 J-S " long; plant usually greenor purplish 



rarely glaucous. 

 Hairs at the apex of the rachis internodes 2"-2yi 



compressed. 



i. Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) 

 Nash. Broom Beard-grass. Fig. 262. 



Andropogon scoparium Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. 1 : 57. 



1803. 

 Schizachyrium scoparium Nash, in Small, Fl. SE. 



U. S. 59. _ 1903. 



Culms simple or much-branched, ii°-4i° tall ; 

 sheaths smooth or scabrous, sometimes glaucous, 

 glabrous or pubescent; blades 6'-ii° long, i"-4" 

 wide, acuminate, glabrous or pubescent; racemes 

 1 '-24' long, loose, on long-exserted slender 

 peduncles; rachis slender, flexuous, the .joints 

 and pedicels ciliate with spreading hairs; outer- 

 most scale of sessile spikelet 2i"~z¥' long, 

 acuminate, scabrous ; awn spiral, more or less 

 bent at point of exsertion, 4"-8" long, scabrous; 

 pedicellate spikelet reduced to a single awn- 

 pointed scale. 



In dry sandy fields. Maine to Saskatchewan and 

 Montana, south to Florida, Texas and New Mexico. 

 Broom-grass or -sedge ; Bunch-grass ; Red-stem or 

 Blue-stem-grass; Big Blue-joint. Aug.-Oct. 



2. Schizachyrium littorale (Nash) Bick- 

 nell. Seacoast Beard-grass. Fig. 263. 



Andropogon littoralis Nash, in Britton, Man. 69. 



1 90 1. 

 Schizachyrium littorale Bicknell, Bull. Torrey Club 



35: 182. 1908. 



A densely tufted perennial, the innovations 

 with glaucous leaves with much-compressed 

 sheaths. Culms 24°-3i° tall, compressed, 

 branched; sheaths rough, keeled; blades up to 

 8' long, i4"-3i" wide, rough, acute, strongly 

 keeled; racemes usually l'-ii' long, the rachis 

 commonly straight, the internodes long-ciliate on 

 the margins, the hairs at the apex 2"-2i" long, 

 the pedicels, which are usually recurved, long- 

 ciliate; sessile spikelets 4"-s" long, linear-lanceo- 

 late, glabrous, the fourth scale shortly 2-toothed 

 at the apex, ciliate, the awn s"-7i" long, the 

 brown column tightly spiral, barely if at all 

 exserted from the scales; pedicellate spikelet a 

 single awned scale. 



In sand along the coast, Nantucket to New York, 

 south to Virginia. Summer and fall. 



6. ANDROPOGON L. Sp. PI. 1045. 1753. 

 Perennial grasses with usually long narrow leaves, and terminal and axillary racemes. 

 Spikelets in pairs at each node of the jointed hairy rachis, one sessile and perfect, the other 



