TRIANDRIA DIGYXIA 61 



Drv. IV. FrsTUCACEiE — Festuca, or Fescue-grass Tribe. 



Inflorescence Panirled. Spikelets solitary, one, few, or mamj-flotoered. 

 (Homes and Palea* of nearly si mi ar texture, usually keeled. Lower palea often 

 owned, or mucronate ; upper palea with two keels. 



§ 1. Aruxdixeje — Reed-grass Groupe. 



Spikelets few-flowered. Florets invested with a pappus at base,— or with abor- 

 tive rudiments, in Cue form uj ace ss ry palcae. 



*(■ Panicle loose. 



37. ARUNDO. L. Nutt. Gen. 106. 

 [Latin, Arundo, a Reed: Celtic, Aru, water: from its place of growth. De Theis.] 



Spikelets many-flowered. Glumes 2, lanceolate, unequal. The lower 

 floret staininate, ami naked at base ; the others perfect, on villous pe- 

 duncles. Pales unequal ; the lower one much longer, with a long, in- 

 volute, awn-like acuniination. 



1. A. Phhagmites, L. Spikelets 3 to 5-flowered ; glumes shorter 

 than the florets ; palea awnless. Beck, Bot. p. 405. 



Phragmites communis. Torr.FLl* p. 103. Eat. Man. p. 262. Gray, 



Gram. 2. Specjm. ho. 127. 



Hedge Abcndo. Vulgo — Reed-grass. 



Galtice — Roseau a halais. Ger man. -Gememcs Rohr, Hispan. — Cana» 



Root perennial. Culm 8 to 12 feet high, often an inch or more in diameter at 

 base, nodose, tereto, glabrous. Leaves lanceolate, 1 to 2 feet 1 >ng, d about 2 in. 

 i lu s br >ad, attenuated at the end, glaucous, smooth, scabrous on the margin ; 

 sheaths closely embracing the culm, smooth ; ligule very short, pilose or fimbriate. 

 Panicle terminal, much branched, very large, loose; branches smoothish, long, 

 slender, semi-vertiullate, with a tuft of soft hairs at base. Spikelets lance-linear, 

 (nearly subulate when young,) erect, pedunculate, 3 to 5 (mostly 3 ?) flowered. 

 Glumes lanceolate, smoothish, the lower one much shorter (much longer, 7Vr.)# 

 Lowest Jloret staininate, (sometimes perfect .) sessile, naked at base ; the upper 

 ones pedicellate, the pedicels clothed with long, white, silky hairs, nearly as long 

 as the florets (These hairs are scarcely j>ercepuble in the young flowers.) Palece 

 very unequal; the i»wer one linear-lanceolate, with a long slender acumination, 

 which is Involute, and resembles an awn. Seed with a pappus at base (Muhl.). 



Hab. Borders of swamps: Wynn's meadows, Brandy wine : rare. Fl. Aug. Fr. Sept. 



Obs. Found by Mr. Joshua Hoopes, in 1831, at the above locality,— the only ona 

 known in Chester County. It is a fine looking plant, somewhat resembling Broom 

 corn, In habit. There is often a sort of stricture across each leaf, as if a transversa 

 nerve had been drawn a little tight. It is common both to Europe and America ; 

 but is the only species of the genus in the United States,— if the Calamagroslide* 

 ajre excluded. 



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