Order 156.— GRAMINE^. 779 



aate, stigmas plumous, elongated. — Panicle contracted into a cylindrio, 

 dense spike. 



1 A. pratSnsis L. Culm erect, smooth, leafy, about 2f high, bearing an erect, 

 dense, many-flowered, cylindrio, obtuse, compound spike, about 2' long; Ivs. 

 flat, smooth, the upper shorter than its swelling sheath ; stipules ovate ; glumes 

 ciliate, connate below the middle, as long as the pale ; awn twisted, scabrous, 

 nearly thrice the length of the flower. — y Fields and pastures, .Northern States. 

 An excellent grass. Jn., Jl. §. 



2 A. genioul^tus L. Bent Fox-tail. Oulm ascending, geniculate below, spar- 

 ingly branched, 1 — 2f high ; spike cylindrical, about 2' long ; Ivs. linear, 3 — Ij' 

 long, the upper equaling or exceeding the smooth, flat, acute, slightly inflated 

 sheath ; stipules oblong, entire ; glumes shghtly connate at base, hairy outside ; 

 palece truncate, smooth, half as long as the geniculate awn. — If Wet meadows, N. 

 Eng., Mid. States and Brit. Am. Jn. § 



3 A. aristulatus Mx. ' Wild Wateb Fox-tail. Glaucous ; culm decumbent 

 at base, bent at the joints, ascending 1 to 2f; Ivs. linear, flat, gradually acute ; 

 glumes subequal, pubescent, obtuse, shorter than the obtuse pale, which bears on 

 the middle of its back a short awn scarcely exceeding its apex ; anth. oblong, 

 yellow. — 2f Native in 'Ohio to Minn. (Lapham) and III. Jn. — ^Aug. (A. geni- 

 cularus, /?. Ed. 2d.) 



il. PHLEUffl, L. Cat-tail Grass. (Gr. (fiXeog ; used by the an- 

 cients probably for a difi'erent plant.) Glumes 2, equal, carinate, mncll 

 longer tban the pales, rostrate or mucronate ; pales 2, included in the 

 glumes, truncate, awnless. — Compound spikes cylindric, very dense. 



1 P. pratense L. Timothy or Heed's Grass. Culm erect, simple, terete, 

 smooth, 2 — 4f high ; Ivs. linear-lanceolate, flat, glaucous, roughish ; sheaths stri- 

 ate, smooth ; stip. obtuse, lacerated ; gls. cuspidate, in a dense, long, cylindric, green 

 spike; anth. purple; stig. white.— -This is probably the most valuable of all 

 grasses. It is extensively cultivated in N. Eng., Mid. and W. States, but it fails 

 further South. Jn., Jl. § Eur. 



2 F. alpinum L. Mountain Heed's Grass. Culm about If high, simple, erect; 

 Ivs. shorter than the sheaths, broad and clasping at base, acute at apex, smooth ; 

 sheaths inflated ; spicate pan., oblong-ovate, very short (4 to 6" long) ; gls. truncate, 

 mucronate, with a fringed keel; awns as long as the glumes. — 7{. Alpine regions 

 of the White Mts., N. H. Also native of Arc. Am. 



12. ARISirDA, L. Beard Grass. Poverty Grabs. (Latin arista, 

 an awn ; characteristic of the genus.) Panicle contracted or racemous ; 

 spikelets 1-flowered, flower stipitate ; glumes 2, unequal ; pales pedi- 

 cellate, lower one with 3 awns at the tip, upper one very small, awn- 

 less ; ovary stipitate ; scales 2, entire ; stamens 3 ; stigma plumous. 



g Awns twisted-confluent below, nnd jointed to the pale, very long No. 9 



§ Awns distinct below and not jointed to the pale. (*) 



* Awns about equal and divaricate, — thrice as long as the flower Nos. 7, 8 



— twice as long as the flowev Nos. 6, T 



— .IS long as tlie flower Nos. 4, 5 



* Awns unequal, the 2 lateral twice shorter (6") and suberect No. 8 



* Awns very unequal, the 2 lateral 4 times shorter (2") and erect Nos. 1,2 



1 A. dichotoma Mx. CiEspitous ; culm diehotomously branching above ; pani- 

 cle contracted-racemous ; gls. 3 to 4" long; lateral awns very short, erect, the 

 intermediate one nearly as long as the pales (3"), spreading, contorted.--(i; A slen- 

 der grass, in sandy soils, TJ. S., common. Culms 8 — 12' high, branching at each 

 joint. Lvs. very narrow, with very short, open sheaths, and a very short stipule. 

 Spikelets slender, on clavate peduncles. Aug. 



2 A. ramosissima Engelm. Oidms diffuse, tufted ; rac. loose-flowered, simple, 

 slender; glumes with short awns, 3 or 5-veined; lower pale about as long as the 

 glumes (7 to 9''), lateral awns short (2'') erect, middle one spreading, 1' loTig. — Q 

 Dry places, IlL (Engelm.) 



