TRIANDRIA D1GYNIA 63 



little below the lip, the upper one with two keels, and a stipitate pappus at base. 

 /{airs, or general pappus, surrounding the base of the palese, about as Long as the 

 ll >ret, sometimes a Little shorter. Seed villous, with a hairy tuft at the apex. 



Ilab. Wei places, in the Mica-slate range : frequent. Ft. August. Fr. Sept. 



Obs. The slipilale pappus, at the base of the upper palea, has been supposed, 

 with much plausibility, to be the rudiment of an abortive floret. 



39. PHALARIS, L. Mitt. Gen. 73. 

 [Greek, Phulos, brilliant ; on account of its smooth shining seeds.] 



Sj)ikelet8 1 -flowered. Glumes 2, nearly equal, ovate, or lanceolate, 

 boat-shaped, nerved. Palex 2, shorter than the glumes, awnless, cori- 

 aceous, coating the seed ; each with an external accessory palea, or ru- 

 diment of an abortive floret, at base. 



i. P. AituxiiixACKA, L. Panicle oblong; contracted, lobed, or with 

 the spikelets clustered and .somewhat secund on the branches ; glumes 

 scabrous; rudiments pilose. .WuhL Gram. p. 89. Specim. Gray, 

 Gram. 1 . no. 39. 



P. americana. Torr. FL Up. 100. Ejusd. Comp. />. 54. Bi^el.Bosi. 

 f>. 30. Eat. Man. p. 258. Beck, Bot. p. 392. Not of Elliott. 

 Arurxdo colorata. Willd. Sp. 1. p. 457. Ait. Kew. 1. p. 174. 

 Oalamagrostic colorata. .Yutt. Gen. 1. p. 46. Bart. Phil. 1. p. 44, 

 Also, Beck, Bot. p. 401. 

 Reed-li kk Phalaius, 



Root perennial. Culm 3 to 4 or o feet high. Leaves lanceolate, keeled, ner- 

 ved, scabrous on the margin, of a deep green color: sheaths striate, smooth: K- 

 gule ovale, obtuse. Panicle glaucous, oblong, erect, at first contracted, fhtttt* a 

 little spreading ; spikelets gl imerate and rather secund on the branches. Glumes 

 compressed at apex, acute or acuminate, 3-nerved, whitish, nerves green keel 

 scabrous. Palea nearly equal, shorter than the glumes, pilose with appraised 

 hairs, somewhat coriaceous and shining; the lower one ovate, a little tumid. The 

 rudiments, or accessory palem, small, linear, fringed with white hairs about one 

 third the length of die floret. Anthers yellow. Scales lance-ovate, acute, entire. 

 Seed obovate, dark brown. 



flab. Swampy ditches and rivulets: frequent. Fl. June. Fr. July. 

 OR. The car. picta, a foreign grass, with striped leaves— commonly called rib- 

 band-grass-lB frequent in our gardens. Although our plant approaches Calama- 

 frostis, in habit, it is undoubtedly, I think, a true Phalaris. It is, however, very 

 distinct from the P. americana, of Elliott : of which I have received good specimens 

 from my friend Mr. Curtis, of Wilmington, N. Carolina. When the panicles of p. 

 arundinacea first appear, they have some resemblance to those of DactyUs glome- 

 rata, or Orchard-grass: hut I believe the plant is far inferior to DactyUs, in value. 

 and is too much of an aquatic for culture, even if it merited it. One other native 

 species is known, in the Southern Slates; and the P, canariensis is said to be par 

 lially naturalized, about New York. 



40. ANTHOXANTHUM. L. Mutt. Gen. 71. 



[Greek, Anthos, a Flower, and Xanthos, yellow ; from the color of its spikes. ! 



Glumes 2, unequal ; the upper one larger, enclosing the florets. Flo- 

 rets 3, in each spikelet ; the central one perfect ; the two lateral ones 

 neuter, or consisting of mere accessary pulese. Palex of the neutt? 



