226 



GRAMINEAE. 



Vol. I. 



i. Gymnopogon ambiguus (Michx.) B.S.P. 

 Broad-leaved or Naked Beard-grass. Fig. 545. 



Andropogon ambiguus Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. 1 : 58. 1803. 

 Gymnopogon racemosus Beauv. Agrost. 164. 1812. 

 G. ambiguus B.S.P. Prel. Cat. N. Y. 69. 1888. 



Culms 12-18' tall, erect, or decumbent at the base, 

 simple or sometimes sparingly branched, smooth and 

 glabrous. Sheaths short, glabrous, excepting a vil- 

 lous ring at the summit, crowded at the base of the 

 culm; ligule very short; blades 1-4' long, 2" -6" 

 wide, lanceolate, acute, cordate at the base, spread- 

 ing, smooth or a little scabrous above ; spikes slender, 

 spikelet-bearing throughout their entire length, at 

 first erect, the lower 4'-8' long, at length widely 

 spreading; spikelets, exclusive of awns, 2"-2i" long; 

 first scale snorter than the second; third scale ex- 

 ceeded by the second, the callus at the base hairy, 

 the awn 2" -2" long. 



In dry sandy soil, southern New Jersey to Kansas, 

 south to Florida and Texas. Aug.-Oct. 



2. Gymnopogon brevifolius Trin. Short- 

 leaved Beard-grass. Fig. 546. 



Gymnopogon brevifolius Trin. Unifl. 238. 1824. 



Culms l°-2° long, from a decumbent base, simple, 

 slender, smooth and glabrous. Sheaths shorter than 

 the internodes, sometimes crowded near the middle 

 of the culm; ligule very short; blades l'-2' long, 

 1 "-4" wide, usually spreading, lanceolate, acute, cor- 

 date at the base ; spikes very slender, spikelet-bearing 

 above the middle, the lower 4'-6' long, at first erect, 

 finally widely spreading; spikelets, exclusive of the 

 awns, 1 J" long; first scale shorter than the second; 

 third scale equalling or exceeded by the second, short- 

 awned, sparingly villous or glabrous, the callus hairy. 



In dry soil, New Jersey to Florida, west to Missis- 

 sippi. Aug.-Oct. 



61. SCHEDONNARDUS Steud. Syn. PL 

 Gram. 146. 1855. 



An annual grass with branching culms, narrow leaf-blades and slender spikes arranged 

 along a common axis. Spikelets i-flowered, sessile and alternate on the rachis. Scales 3; 

 the 2 lower empty, narrow, membranous, acuminate; the flowering scale longer, of similar 

 texture; palet narrow, shorter. Stamens 3. Styles distinct. Stigmas plumose. Grain linear, 

 free, enclosed in the rigid scale. [Greek, resembling the genus Nardus.] 



A monotypic genus of central North America. Type species : Schedonnardus texanus Steud. 



i. Schedonnardus paniculatus (Nutt.) Tre- 

 lease. Schedonnardus. Fig. 547. 



Lepturus paniculatus Nutt. Gen. 1 : 81. 1818. 

 Schedonnardus texanus Steud. Syn. PI. Gram. 146. 1855. 

 Schedonnardus paniculatus Trelease, Branner & Coville, 

 Rep. Geol. Surv. Ark. 1888 : Part 4, 236. 1891. 



Culms 8'-i8' tall, erect, slender, rigid, branching at 

 the base, scabrous. Sheaths crowded at the base of 

 the culm, compressed, smooth and glabrous ; ligule 1" 

 long, truncate; blades i'-2' long, 1' wide or less, flat, 

 usually erect; spikes numerous, rigid, widely spread- 

 ing, alternate, the lower 2'-4' Jong, the axis and 

 branches triangular; spikelets ii"-ii' long, sessile and 

 appressed, alternate ; scales hispid on the keel, the sec- 

 ond longer than the first and exceeded by the acute 

 third one. 



Open ground, North Dakota and Montana to Illinois, 

 Texas and New Mexico. Texas Crab-grass, Wire-grass, 

 July-Sept. 



