GRAMINEJS. (grass FAMILY.) 659 



nerved, the nei-ves parallel and separate. Stamens 3 or 2. Stigmas plumose, 

 mostly compound. Ovary smooth. Grain oblong, free. — Perennial, smooth 

 marsh-grasses, mostly with creeping bases or rootstocks ; the spikelets in a race- 

 mose panicle. (Name from y\vKfp6s, sweet, in allusion to the taste of the grain.) 



< 1. GLYCERIA Proper. — Lower palm conspicuously nerved: styles present: 

 plumes of the stigma branched or toothed; grain grooved on the inner side : leaves 

 flat, the sheaths nearly entire. 



* Spikelets in a crowded panicle, ovate, turgid, more or less compressed; the flowers 

 crowded: lower palea ovate, entire, not very strongly nerved, of a firm texture, in 

 No. 1 becoming ventxicose after flowering (almost as in Briza) : upper palea vezy 

 iAtuse and entire : stamens 2. 



1. G. Canadensis, Trin. (Rattlesnake-Grabs.) Panicle oUong- 

 pyramidal, at length spreading, and the tumid 6 - 8-flowerod spikelets drooping ; 

 lower palea acutish, longer than the rounded upper one ; leaves long, roughish. 

 (Briza Canadensis, Michx. Poa Canadensis, Beauv.) — Boggy places, New- 

 England to Penn., Wisconsin, and common northward. July. — A handsome, 

 stout grass, 2° - 3° high. Spikelets 2" long, becoming very broad: glumes purplish. 



2. G. Obtnisa, Trin. Panicle narrowly oblong, dense; the 6-7-flowered 

 spikelets erect, short-pediceUed ; lower palea obtuse, the upper as long when old. 

 (Poa obtusa, MuM.) — Bogs, B. New England to Penn., near the coast; rare. 

 Aug. — Culm stout, l°-2° high, very leafy: leaves long, smooth. Spikelets 

 3" long, pale. 



3. G. elongata, Trin. Panicle natrowly racemose, elongated (1° long), 

 recurving; the branches appressed, bearing the 3-4-flowered erect short-pedi- 

 celled spikelets nearly to the base ; lower palea obtuse, rather longer than the 

 upper; leaves very long (1° or more), rough. (Poa elongata, Torr.) — Wet 

 woods. New England to Michigan, and northward. July. — Spikelets pale, 1 " - 

 H" long. 



* * Spikelets oblong, diffusdy panicled, nearly terete : lower palea oblong or oval, trun- 



cate^obtuse, prominently T-neroed; the upper one 2-toothed: stamens 3. 



4. G. nervata., Trin. Branches of the broad and open panicle capillary, 

 at length drooping, the very numerous small spikelets ovati-oblong, 3-7-flowered; 

 leaves rather long. (Poa nervata, Willd. P. striata, Micluc. P. parviflora, 

 Pursh.) — Moist meadows; very common. June. — Culm erect, l°-3° high. 

 Spikelets seldom 2" long, commonly purplish. 



5. G. pallida, Trin. Branches of the rather simple panicle capillary, ereiA- 

 spreading, rough ; the spikdets usually few, somewhat appressed, oblong-linear, 5-9- 

 flowered (pale, 4' long) ; lower palea oblong, minutely 5-toothed, the upper lanceo- 

 late, conspicuously 2-toothed; leaves short, sharp-pointed, pale. (Windsoria 

 pallida & Poa dentata, Torr. ) — Shallow water ; common, especially northward. 

 July. Culms slender, l°-3° long, ascending from a creeping base. 



6. G. aqnSitica, Smith. (Reed Me adow-Grass. ) Panicle much 

 branched ample ( 8' - 1 5' long ) ; the numerous branches ascending, spreading with age ; 

 spikelets oblong or linear-oblong, 5-9-flowered (usually purplish, 2"-3"long); 



