118 THE LTMB GBABSES. 



bearing an extremely long awn, about the length of 

 the similar hairy glumes, all spreading. It is common 

 on moist sands and marshes on the sea-shore, flowering 

 in June. 



Baelet Grass (Ebrdeum pusiHum) grows from five 

 to ten inches high, in saltish soils of Ohio, Illinois, and 

 westward. Lateral flowers imperfect, awnless, pointed, 

 the perfect flower awned ; glumes rigid, short-awned. 

 Annual. Much relished by cattle. 



Two-EOWED Baelet {Hordeum disticJmm), as well as 

 FouE AND Six bowed Baelet {Hordeum vulgare), belong 

 to this genus. — See next chapter. 



45. Secalb. Bye. 



Spikelets two-flowered, flowers perfect, with the rudi- 

 ment of a third terminal flower ; glumes nearly equal, 

 nearly opposite, keeled, awnless or awned ; pales herbar 

 ceous, lower one awned, keeled, with sides unequal ; 

 upper shorter, two-keeled ; scales two, entire ; stamens 

 three, ovary hairy ; fruit free, hairy at the summit ; 

 spikes simple. 



Rtb (Secede cereale), a common cultivated plant, famil- 

 iar to every farmer. — See next chapter. 



46. Eltmds. Lyme Grasses. 



Spikelets two to four at each joint of the rachis, all 

 fertile, each one to seven flowered ; glumes both on 

 one side of the spikelet; paleee two, lower one usually 

 awned, mostly perennial, some species annual. 



Ltme GeasS; Wild Rtb {Elymus Virginicm), is fre- 

 quent along the banks of rivers. It is known by its 

 upright spike, dense and thick on a short peduncle, 

 usually included in the sheath ; two or three spikelets 

 togetherjtwo or three flowered, smooth, shortly awned ; 



