Genus 99. 



GRASS FAMILY. 



2 75 



2. Bromus sterilis L. Barren Brome-grass. 

 Haver-grass. Black-grass. Fig. 663. 

 Bromus sterilis L. Sp. PI. 77. 1753. 



Culms i°-2° tall, erect, simple, smooth and glabrous. 

 Sheaths usually shorter than the internodes, smooth or 

 rough, the lower sometimes pubescent; ligule 1" long; 

 blades 3'-o/ long, i"s" wide, usually more or less 

 pubescent; panicle s'-io' in length, the branches as- 

 cending or often widely spreading, not one-sided, stiff; 

 spikelets few, 5-10-flowered, spreading or pendulous; 

 empty scales acuminate, glabrous, the first i-nerved, 

 the second longer, 3-nerved; flowering scales 6"-8" 

 long, acuminate, 7-nerved, scabrous on the nerves, the 

 awn 7"-i2" long. 



In waste places and ballast, eastern Massachusetts to 

 District of Columbia, Ohio, Arkansas and Colorado. Also 

 on the Pacific Coast, and in Jamaica. Naturalized or ad- 

 ventive from Europe. Native also of Asia. June-July. 



3. Bromus madritensis L. Compact Chess. 

 Fig. 664. 



Bromus madritensis L. Amoen. Acad. 4: 265. 1755. 



Culms i°-2° tall, tufted, smooth and glabrous. 

 Sheaths smooth, glabrous, or the lower ones pubes- 

 cent, usually shorter than the internodes; ligule 

 scarious, lacerated, i"-2" long; blades 2V-8' long, 

 ii"-3" wide, rough above, often pubescent on both 

 surfaces; panicle dense, 3'-6' long, its rough 

 branches erect or ascending, the longer 2'-3' long; 

 spikelets numerous, ii'-2' long, including the awns, 

 the scales acuminate, scarious on the margins, the 

 first scale 1 -nerved, the second 3-nerved; flowering 

 scales, exclusive of the awn, 6"-/' long, sparsely 

 and minutely appressed-pubescent, the apex acumi- 

 nately 2-toothed, 5-nerved, bearing an erect or di- 

 vergent awn 6"-9" long. 



Waste places, Michigan and Virginia ; also in Cali- 

 fornia. Locally adventive from Europe. Summer. 



Bromus riibens L. and Bromus maximus L., European species, are both reported as sparingly 

 introduced in one or two localities. 



4. Bromus asper Murr. Hairy Brome-grass. 

 Fig. 665. 



Bromus asper Murr. Prodr. Stirp. Goett. 42. 1770. 



Culms 2°-6° tall, erect, simple, rough. Sheaths shorter 

 than the internodes, strongly retrorse-hirsute, especially 

 the lower; ligule ii" long; blades 8-1° long or more, 

 3"-6" wide, rough or often hirsute; panicle 6-12' in 

 length, open, the branches usually drooping; spikelets 

 S-10-flowered, i'-ii' long; empty scales acute, scabrous 

 on the nerves, the first i-nerved, the second longer, 

 3-nerved; flowering scales about 6" long, acute, hispid 

 near the margins and on the lower part of the keel; 

 awn 3"-4" long. 



In waste places, New Brunswick to Michigan and Ken- 

 tucky. Naturalised from Europe. July-Aug. 



