Obdeb 156.— GRAMINE^. 793 



nodes, 10 — 18'; Ivs. subulate, the upper ones shorter than the sheaths, hairy be- 

 neath ; pao. simple, racemous, terminal and lateral, concealed in the sheaths of 

 the leaves, the upper one partly exsert; spilielet S-aosvered; awn of the pale dbmd 

 as long as. the lateral, obtuse segments. — Sea coast, among the drifting sands, Mass. 

 to Ga. Taste of the plant bitter. Aug. (XT. aristulata Nutt.) 

 2 IT. corniita Ell. Culm. 2f high, and with the' narrow (1") leaves and sheaths 

 hairy; pan. slender, composed of a few small, few-flowered branches; glumes 2, 

 subequal, very acute, purple as well as the 2 pales; upper pale longer than the 

 glume, the midmem prolonged in an elongated, at length recurved awn beyond tlie 

 segments. — S. States. (Triplasis Americana Beauv.) 



33. DAC'TYLIS, L. Orchard Grass. (Gr. SdiCTvXog, a finger ; 

 from the form of the spikes.) Spikelets aggregated, compressed, 3 — 5- 

 flowered ; glumes unequal, herbaceous, the larger one carinate, shorter 

 than the flowers ; paloae subequal, lanceolate, acuminate, the lower one 

 cmarginate, carinate, mucronate, upper bifid at apex ; scales dentate. — 

 Lvs. carinate. Pan. composed of dense clusters. 



D. glomerata L. Culm roundish, 2 — if; lvs. linear-lanceolate, carinate, a little 

 scabrous, glaucous; sheaths striate; stip. lacerate; pan. remotely branched, 

 rather seound ; spilcelets about 4.-flowered, in dense, glomerate, unilateral, termi- 

 nal c-lusters ; glumes very unequal ; anth. large, yellow. — 2f A fine, well-known 

 grass, of rapid growth, introduced in shady fields, as orchards, &c. June. § Eur. 



34. RCELE^RIA, Pers. (In honor of M. Kceler, a German botanist.) 

 Spikelets compressed, 2 to 'Z-flowered ; glumes 2, subequal, acute or 

 acuminate, shorter than the flowers ; upper flower pedicellate ; pales 2, 

 the lower often acuminate-mucronate. — 2[ — Grasses ca3spitous, erect, 

 simple, with dense panicles. 



K. oristata Smith. Culm 20 — 30' high, smooth; leafy to one-half its height, 

 rigidly erect; lvs. fiat, erect, pubescent, 2 — 3" by 1 — 2", shorter than their pu- 

 bescent sheaths ; stip. short, lacerate ; panicle spicate, narrow, 3 — 5' long, 6 — 8" 

 dja,m., branches very short ; spikelets 2" long, silvery and shining, compressed, 

 about 2-flowered, with an abortive pedicel ; glume linear-oblong, acute, serrulate 

 on the keel, upper one longer. — Mid., W. States and Can. — A variety (K. nitida 

 Nutt.), is smaller and more delicate. 



35. DIARRHE'NA, Eaf. (Gr. di^, two, dpprjv^g, rough ; from the 

 two scabrous keels of the upper paleas.) Panicle racemous or simple ; 

 glumes 2, very unequal, 2 — 5-flowered, rigid, acuminate, mucronate ; 

 palccB cartilaginous, lower cuspidate, upper much smaller, cmarginate ; 

 cafyopsis coated, as long as the upper pale ; scales ovate, ciliate. 



D. di^ndra. Culm erect, nearly leafless, slender, rigid, 15 — 30' ; lvs. few, sub- 

 radical, broadly Unear, flat, rough-edged, 10 — 16' by 5 — 1", nearly glabrous- 

 sheaths close ; stip. obsolete ; panicle very simple and slender, branches erect, few , 

 spikelets 2-flowered; glumes broad-ovate, upper twice larger, 5-veined; pales 

 much longer than the glumes, the upper with 2 roughish, green keels, and con- 

 spicuously mucronate ; sta. 2 ? — River banks, Ohio to 111. (D. Americana Beauv. 

 Festuca Mx.) 



36. FESTUTA, L. Fescue Grass. (The ancient Latin name.) 

 Spikelets 3 to oo-flowered ; glumes 2, unequal, mostly carinate ; pales 

 firm, naked, the lower rounded (not carinate) on the back, obscurely 

 veined, acute, or mucronate, or awned ; stamens 3, rarely 1 or 2 ; stig- 

 mas plumous ; caryopsis linear-obloag, mostly adherent to the upper 

 pale. — Spikelets in racemes or panicles, the fls. remote, not webbed at 

 base. 



