GRASSES OF OHIO 275 



2. Melica L. Melic-grass. 



Perennial grasses with simple stems, and rather large spikelets 

 in narrow panicles. Spikelets 2-several-flowered, often secund; 

 rachilla extended beyond the normal flowers and usually bearing 

 2-3 club-shaped or hooded glumes, convolute around each other: 

 empty glumes large, unequal, membranous. 3-5-nerved ; lemmas 

 7-13-nerved, sometimes awned, the margins more or less scarious; 

 palets broad, 2-keeled; grain free. 



1. Melica nitens Xutt. Tall Melic-grass. An erect simple 

 smooth and glabrous grass with hollow stems, 2-4 ft. high, and an 

 elongated open panicle with short spreading or ascending branches. 



Spikelets numerous, usually more or less secund, nodding, on flex- 



uous pedieels, usually with 3 perfect flowers; lemmas scabrous, acute. 



In rocky woods and open places. May, June. Erie County. 



3. Festuca L. Fescue-grass. 



Perennials or annuals with Mat or convolute leaf-blades and ter- 

 minal panicles. Spikelets 2-many-rlowered ; empty glumes unequal, 

 narrow, acute, keeled, the outer 1 -nerved, the inner 3-nerved; lemma 

 narrow, rounded on the back, 5-nerved, usually awned at the apex; 

 palet usually about as long as the lemma; styles very short, stigmas 

 plumose. 



1. Leaves flat over l /fc in. wide ; lemma awnless ; perennial. 2 



1. Leases setaceous, usually involute or folded, less than Y$ in. wide. 4 



2. Panicle narrow, with short erect branches; spikelets 5-10-flowered ; lemma 

 usually ]/{ in. or more long. r. elatior. 



2. Panicle with long, spreading or ascending branches : .-pikelets 3-6-flowered : 

 lemma less than J /i in. long. 3 



3. Spikelets broadly obovate : panicle branches spikelet-bearing from or below 

 the middle. F. shortii. 



3. Spikelets lanceolate: branches of the panicle elongated, the spikelets loosely 

 scattered at the ends. / ; . mi I a us. 



4. Lemma awnless or short-awned; perennial; stamens 3. 5 



4. Lemma long-awned : annual; stamen usually t. 6 



5. Lemma short-awned; lease- setaceous. / ; . ovina. 



5. Lemma awnless; leaves capillary. / ; . capiUata. 



6. Outer empty glume more than Vi as long as the inner; awn not longer than 

 the body of the lemma. F. octoHora. 



6. Outer empty glume less than l / 2 as long as the inner: awn of the lemma longer 

 than its body. /•. myuros. 



1. Festuca elatior L. Tall Fescue-grass. A loosely tufted per- 

 ennial, 2-? ft. high, often with short creeping rhizomes. Spikelets 



broadly obovate when mature, 3-6-flowered, on erect contracted 

 panicles whose branches are spikelet-bearing nearly to the base; 

 lemma oblong-lanceolate, scabrous at the summit, faintly 5-nerved, 

 acute or rarely short-awned. 



In meadows and waste places. Cultivated for hay. Also called 



