234 NATIVE FORAGE PLANTS 



MUHLENBERGIA DIFFUSA, Sch.-(Nimble Will). 



Culms diffusely branched, 8-18 inches high, panicles contracted, 

 slender, glumes extremely minute awns once or twice longer than the 

 palet. August — September. Very abundant. 



MUHLENBERGIA GLOMERATA, Trin.-- 



Panicle oblong, 2-3 inches long, contracted into an interrupted glomer- 

 ate spike, long peduncled, the branches sesBile, glumes awued. August. 



MUHLENBERGIA MEXICANA, Trin. -- {Mexican Muhlen- 

 bergia) . 



Culms ascending, much branched, 2-3 feet high, panicles lateral and 

 terminal often included at the base, contracted, the branches densely 

 «piked, clustered, linear. Glumes awnless sharp pointed. With the 

 former along the borders of creeks and river banks. Abundant. 



MUHLENBERGIA SYLVATICA, Torr & Gray. — ( Wood 



Muhlenbergia). 



Culms ascending, much branched and diffusely spreading 2-4 feet 

 long ; contracted panicles densely many flowered ; glumes almost equal, 

 bristle pointed, nearly as long as the lower palet, which bears an awn 

 twice or thrice the length of the spikelet. "Woods, common. August — 

 September. 



All the species of Muhlenbergia are but a very poor forage, and while 

 other, things are plenty, they are not sought after. Yet as all of them 

 possess the quality of staying green until late in the winter, they are 

 of great help for stook beating about on cold and dreary winter days, 

 In cultivated grounds they are a great nuisance, their far-reaching, 

 creeping roots being nearly unexterminable. 



SPOROBOLUS, R. Br-- (Drop-seed grass.) 



Spikelets one, rarely two-flowered in a contracted 

 or open panicle, the palets longer than the unequal 

 glumes. Stamens, 2-3. Grain a globular utricle 

 (hyaline or rather coriaceous), containing a loose 

 seed which drop out very readily at maturity. 



A spike of Sporobolus magnified, (1); the same 

 with the flower open, the palets raised above the 

 glumes, (2); and the fruit, (3), more magnified, 

 ) „ showing the seed loose in the pericarp. 



SPOROBOLUS INDICUS, Brown-(Indiam, Drop Seed). 

 Culms erect ; panicle elongated, linear ; leaves long, flat ; palea twice 



