50 



TRIANDRIA DIGYN1A 



Root annual. Culm 2 to 5 feet high, terete, smooth. Leaves broad-lanceolate. 

 flat, nerved, serrulate on the margin : sheaths striate, smooth ; ligule none. Puni- 

 vie pyramidal, with the spikelets crowded in douse, spikeform, comi>ound racemes, 

 on the branches. Spikelets ovoid, plano-convex, cchinatc, awncd ; lower glumt 

 short, ovate, acute, 3-nervcd ; the upper one as long as the perfect floret, ovate. 

 acuminate, 5-nerved, with bristles on the nerves. Abortive floret with 2 palea ; 

 the lower one ovate, flat, 3 nerved, with a double row of cartilaginous bristles on 

 the marginal nerves, and terminating in a long scabrous awn ; the upper one ovate, 

 acute, membranaceous, nearly as long as the j)crfect floret Perfect floret ovate, 

 plano-convex, acuminate, firm, smooth and shining. Seed compressed, orbicular, 

 white or ash-colored. 

 Hab. Wet places : meadows, drains of Barn yards : common. Fl. Aug. Fr. Sept. 



Obs. This is believed to be an introduced plant. There arc 2 varieties of it; 

 one with hi spid sheaths, and the other awnless* The awnless variety is rare in 

 this County. About 90 additional species are known in the V. States, and probably 

 a number more remain to be determined,— particularly in the South. The fore- 

 g ting are all that i have been able to ascertain, in Chester County. They are all 

 worthless to the agriculturist, and regarded as little better than mere weeds. 



28. SETARIA, Beauv. Agrost. p. 51. 

 [Latin Seia y a Bristle ; from the bristly involucres of the spikelets.] 



Inflorescence a compound cylindrical Spike : Spikelets 2-flowered, 

 invested with an involucre of 2 or more Bristles. Glumes 2, unequal, 

 herbaceous. Inferior floret abortive ; palest 1 or 2, herbaceous. Su- 

 perior floret perfect ; palex cartilaginous. 



1. S. vininis, Beauv. Spike cylindric, green ; involucre of 4 to 10 



fasciculate bristles, much longer than the spikelets ; palea) of the perfect 



floret longitudinally striate, punctate ; margins of the sheaths pilose. 



Becky Bot. p. 397. 



Panicum viride. Wilhl. Sp. 1. p. 335. Per*. Syn. ]./>. 81. Ait. Keic. 



1. p. 140. Pursh, Am. 1. p. 66. Muhl. Catal.p. 9. Ejusd. Gram. 



p. 102. 



Penuisetum viride. Nutt. Gen. 1. p. 55. Bart. Phil. 1. /;. 51. Eat. 



Man. p. 254. 



Green Setahia. Vulgo — Green Foxtail. Bottle grass. 



Root annual. Culm 2 to 3 feet high, glabrous. Leaves lanceolate, flat, rather 

 scabrous, minutely serrulate on the margin : sheaths striate, pilose on the margin ; 

 ligule bearded. Spike terminal, compound, nearly cylindric ; rachis hirsute with 

 short hairs ; bristles of the involucre green, scabrous upwards, much longer than 

 the spikelets. Lower glume broad-ovate, short, amplexicaul, 3-nerved ; upper one 

 «>blong-o?ate, as long as the spikelet, 5-nervcd. Abortive floret neuter ; upper pa 

 lea very small, acute, entire ? (bifid, Torr.). Palea of the perfect floret smooth, 

 puncticidate, striate longitudinally, with a very slight transverse rugosity, under 

 a lens. 



Mob. Cultivated grounds : frequent. Fl. July. Fr. September. 



Obs. All our species of Setaria are believed to be naturalized foreigners. This 

 one was first collected, here, by Mr. Joshua Hoopbs. Its general resemblance to 

 S. flauca, or common Foxtail, renders it liable to be passed by as a green variety 

 •f that plant. 





