76 KANSAS STATE BOABD OF AGBICULTUBE. 



165. Small Squibbel-tail Gbass; Hordeum pusillum, Nutt. — Much like the pre- 

 ceding, but lower; the spike is shorter, and not so bushy. The glumes bear an awn 

 but i to 5- inch long. It is an annual and very early grass, relished by stock; but it 

 ripens and dies in a few months, and is then unsightly as well as worthless. 



Elymus, L.— A genus of perennial grasses, with simple, stout spikes. The spikelets are 2 to 4 at 

 each joint of the rachis, sessile, and 1 to 6-flowered. The outer glumes, two for each spikelet, are 

 nearly side by side in its front, forming a kind of involucre for the cluster; they are narrow, rigid, 

 1 to 3-nerved, and pointed or awned. The flowering glumes are herbaceous, rather shorter, oblong or 

 lanceolate, rounded on the back, not keeled, and acute or awned. The palet is 2-keeled, and shorter 

 than its glume. 



166. Wild Rye-gbass; Smooth Rye-gbass; Tebbell Gbass; Elymus Virginicus, 

 L. — This is a coarse perennial grass, the culms 2 to 3 feet high and leafy. The 

 lower leaves are 10 to 15 inches long, broad and rough. The sheath of the upper 

 leaf sometimes incloses the base of the spike, which is erect, dense, rigid, 2 to 5 

 inches long and J inch thick. It begins its growth very early in spring: it often 

 forms a considerable portion of wet meadows, and is cut for coarse hay. 



167. Wild Rye; Lyme Gbass; Tebbell Gbass; Elymus Canadensis, L. — Much 

 like the preceding in habit and size, or larger. But its spike is 4 to 8 inches long, 

 with the spikelets placed at intervals of about i inch on the axis, usually drooping 

 at the top. The leaves are broad and rough, the lower ones 9 to 12 inches long; 

 quite variable. In the variety glaucifolius, Gr., the plants are pale or glaucous 

 throughout. In value, similar to the last, but more abundant. (Plate No. 167.) 



168. Rye-gbass; Dennett Gbass; Elymus striatus, Schultz.— This is slenderer 

 than the preceding grasses, and varies from smooth to pubescent. The spike is 

 3 to 4 inches long, cylindrical and inclined to droop. The flowering glume is tipped 

 with a slender awn an inch or more in length. In the variety villosus, Gr., the flow- 

 ers and outer glumes are hairy, and the sheaths villous. Of no known value, except 

 as contributing somewhat to the native forage. 



169. Rye Gbass ; Small Westebn Rye-gbass ; Elymus sitanion, Schl.— The culms 

 are densely tufted, 4 to 24 inches high. The leaves are very sharp pointed, the up- 

 per one an inch or two long with its sheath often loose and including the base of 

 the spike. The awns are 1 to 3 inches long. This grass is abundant in the western 

 part of the State, but of no agricultural value. 



Asprella, Willd.— This small genus includes perennial grasses with a loose terminal spike. The 

 spikelets, which are 2 to 4-flowered and raised on a short pedicel, may be 2 or 3 at each joint of the 

 rachis or there may be but one, in which case it is placed flat-wise. The outer glumes are wanting or 

 are small, awulike or deciduous. The flowering glumes are narrow, lanceolate, rounded on the back, 

 3 to 5-nerved above and long-awned from the apex. The palet is 2-keeled. 



170. Bottle-bbush Gbass; Asprella hystrix, Willd. The culms are 3 or 4 feet 

 high. The spike is loose, 3 to 6 inches long. The spreading spikelets are 2 or 3 to- 

 gether and early deciduous. The flowers have awns about an inch long. This grass 

 is not very abundant nor important. 



