Genus 80. 



GRASS FAMILY. 



241 



7. Eragrostis major Host. Strong-scented Love-grass. Fig. 578. 



E. major Host, Gram. Austr. 4: 14. pi. 24. 1809. 



Eragrostis poaeoides var. megastachya A. Gray, Man. Ed. 5, 

 631. 1867. 



Culms 6'-2° tall, erect, or decumbent at the base, 

 usually branched, smooth and glabrous. Sheaths 

 shorter than the internodes, smooth, sparingly pilose 

 at the throat; ligule a ring of short hairs; blades 2'-/ 

 long, 1 "-3" wide, flat, smooth beneath, scabrous above; 

 panicle 2'-6' in length, the branches spreading or ascend- 

 ing, 1 '-a' long; spikelets 8-35-flowered, 2i"-8" long, 

 about ii" wide, very flat; empty scales acute, the first 

 slightly shorter than the second; flowering scales ob- 

 tuse, l"-ii" long, the lateral nerves prominent. 



In waste and cultivated places nearly throughout the 

 United States, and in Ontario. Naturalized from Europe. 

 Unpleasantly scented, handsome. Candy-grass. Aug.-Sept. 



8. Eragrostis pectinacea (Michx.) Steud. Purple Love-grass. Fig. 579. 



Poa pectinacea Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. I : 69. 1803. 

 Eragrostis pectinacea Steud. Syn. PI. Gram. 272. 1855. 

 Eragrostis pectinacea var. spectabilis A. Gray, Man. Ed. 

 5, 632. 1867. 



Culms i°-2i° tall, erect or ascending, rigid, 

 simple, smooth and glabrous. Sheaths overlapping, 

 smooth, glabrous or villous, the upper one often 

 enclosing the base of the panicle; ligule a ring of 

 hairs; blades s'-i2' long, 2"-4" wide, smooth be- 

 neath, scabrous above and sparingly villous at the 

 base ; panicle 6-24' in length, purple or purplish, the 

 branches 3'-io' long, strongly bearded in the axils, 

 widely spreading or the lower often reflexed; spike- 

 lets 5-15-flowered, ii"-4" long, on pedicels of at 

 least their own length; scales acute, the empty ones 

 about equal, the flowering ones about I" long, their 

 lateral nerves very prominent. 



In dry soil, Maine to South Dakota, south to Florida 

 and Texas. Pink-grass. False Red-top. Aug.-Sept. 



9. Eragrostis refracta (Muhl.) Scribn. Meadow Love-grass. Fig. 580. 



Poa refracta Muhl. Gram. 146. 1817. 



Eragrostis campestris Trin. Bull. Acad. Sci. St. Petersb. 

 1 : 70. 1836. 



E. refracta Scribn. Mem. Torr. Club 5 : 49. 1894. 



Culms i°-3° tall, erect, slender, simple, smooth 

 and glabrous. Sheaths overlapping, smooth and 

 glabrous; ligule a ring of short hairs; blades 5' -12 ' 

 long, i"-2" wide, smooth beneath, rough above, 

 and villous toward the base; panicle 8'-2o' long; 

 branches slender, 4'-io' long, at length widely 

 spreading, the axils often bearded; spikelets 6-25- 

 flowered, a£"-6" long, on pedicels shorter than 

 themselves; empty scales acute, the first somewhat 

 shorter than the second; flowering scales very acute, 

 f"-i" long, the lateral nerves prominent. 



In sandy soil, Delaware and Maryland to Florida, west 

 to Texas. ' Aug.-Sept. 



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