412 GRAMIXE^. 



C. ARUNDINACEA, L. Common Wood Reed- Grass. 



Panicle spreading, mostly contrasted in fruit; lower glume and the upper paltce 

 about % shorter than the lower paleae. 



Moist grounds. Aug. Culm simple, smooth, 2 to 5 feet high. Leaves a foot or 

 more in Length, linear-lanceolate, rough on the margin. Panicle 8 to 12 inches 

 loDg. Flowers green or purplish. 



9. MUHLENBERGIA, Schreber. Drop-seed Grass. 



Dedicated to the Lev. Dr. Muldcnhurg, a distinguished American botani.-t. 



Spikelets 1-flowered, in contracted or rarely open pani- 

 cles. Glumes mostly acute, persistent; the lower rather 

 Bmaller or minute. Flower very short-stalked or sessile in 

 the glumes. PalezE usually bearded at Ihe base, deciduous 

 with the inclosed grain, often equal ; the lower 3-nerved, 

 mucronate or awned at the apex. Stamens 3. — Chiefly 

 perennials, with branched and often diffuse rigid culms and short 

 narrow leaves. 



1. M. SOBOLIFERA, Gray. Shooting Mahlenbergia. 



Culms ascending, sparingly branched ; panicle contracted, filiform, simple, with 

 Suppressed alternate branches ; glumes barely pointed, almost equal, x / z shorter than 

 the equal paleae; lower poXece mucronate at the tip. 



Open rocky woods. Aug. Cu?m 2 feet high, producing young shoots from the 

 roots. Leaves pale green, somewhat scabrous. Panicle with the flowers rather 

 crowded. 



2. M. Mexicana, Trin. Mexican Muhlenhergia. 



Culms ascending, much branched ; panicles lateral and terminal, often included 

 at the base, contracted, dense-flowered; glumes acuminate awuless, unequal; paleae 

 about as long as the glumes, equal, awnless. 



Moist grounds. Aug. Pool creeping. Calms 2 to G foet high. Leaves broad- 

 linear, flat. Panicles numerous, terminating the branches, pale green or purplish- 



3. M. sylvatica, Torr. & Gr. D-ood Maldenlergia. 



Culms ascending, much branched and diffusely spreading; panicle slender, con- 

 tracted, densely-many-flowered; glumes almost equal, bristle-pointed, nearly as- 

 long as the lower long-awned paleae. 



Low or rocky woods, common. Sept. Poot creeping. Culm 2 to 4 feet high. 



4. M. Yv T iLLDENOWii,'Trin. - 



Culms upright, slender, simple or sparingly branched; panicle contracted, slan- 

 der, loosely flowered; glumes slightly unequal, short-pointed, half the length of 

 the lower long awned palefo, "(Agrostis tenuiflora, W<l!d.) 



Rocky woods. Aug. Boot creeping. Cuhn 3 f et high, with swelled and pube- 

 scent joints. Leaves lew, spreading, strongly nerved. 



5. M. diffusa, Schreber. Drop-seed. Nimble Will. 



Culms diffusely much branched ; panicles contracted, slender, rather loosely 

 many-flowered, terminal and lateral ; glumes very minute, the lower obsolete, the 

 npper truncate; awn about twice as long as the paleae. 



Dry hill- and woods. Aug., Sept. Culm 8 to 18 inches high, compressed. Leavtt. 

 rough. Bristle purplish. 



