74 SIBERIAN LYME GRASS. 



CHAPTER XXVIII 



SIBERIAN LYME GRASS. 



Mymus ^ibericus— Specific Character. 



Glabrous: spike wand like 2 t6 6 inches long, about 

 3-12 in thick, otten somewhat nodding; spikelets in 

 pairs 3 to 6 flowered: glumes linear lanceolate 3 to 6 

 nerved, short awned, shorter than the florets, which 

 are rather short awned. South shore of lake Supe- 

 rior and north-westward. Gray, Fibrous rooted, per- 

 rennial, height four feet. Flowers in June. 



The Siberian Lyme grass does not produce its foli- 

 age till rather late in the spring, but it grows rapid- 

 ly afterwards, and its leaves, which are -numerous, 

 long and broad but soft and tender, cover the stem 

 up to near the spike and together with the culm are 

 much relished by cattle either in a green or dried 

 state; although termed aperrennial, it is not so perm- 

 anent in its duration as some of the other grasses, 

 being more of the habit of the rye grasses in this re- 

 spect, and like most of them it may no doubt be bet- 

 ter fitted for alternate husbandry than for perma- 

 nent pasture. 



The soils best adapted for the growth of Siberian 

 Lyme grass seem to be such as are of a free texture 

 and rather dry than otherwise; when grown on cold, 

 wet soils, its foliage is apt to be injured by rust. 



