70 Kansas State boabd of Agriculture. 



keeled, unequal, lanceolate, about as long as the spikelet, and scarious on the margin. The flowering 

 glumes are similar, but more scarious or hyaline, rarely mucronate, and the upper one usually smaller 

 and imperfect. The palet is very thin, 2-keeled and 2-toothed. 



125. Cbested Koelebia; Pbaibie Gbass; Koeleria cristata, Pers. — It is quite a 

 variable grass; the culms are 1 (rarely only a few inches) to 3 feet high, and the 

 spike-like panicle varies from 3 to 6 inches in length, being more or less interrupted 

 or lobed at the lower part. The grass is usually more or less softly hairy. It is 

 found on hills and prairies, not very abundant but affording pasturage that is 

 relished by cattle. By some it is considered a promising grass and worthy an at- 

 tempt at cultivation. (Plates Nos. 124 and 125.) 



Melica, L.— A genus of perennial grasses, mostly western, having soft, flat leaves and flowers 

 somewhat distant in simple or slightly branched panicles. The spikelets are 2 to many-flowered, usu- 

 ally convolute around each other, the upper one 2 or 3, smaller and imperfect. The outer glumes are 

 membranaceous or hyaline and awn less, the lower 3 to 5-nerved, the upper sometimes 7 to 9-nerved, 

 the lateral nerves vanishing within the scarious margin. The flowering glumes are of thicker texture, 

 almost coriaceous, rounded or flattish on the back, 5 to 9-nerved, the lateral nerves vanishing below 

 the apex, the central one sometimes ending in a point or awn. The palets are shorter than their 

 glumes, 2-keeled and ciliate on the keels and apex. 



126. Melic Gbass; Melica mutica, Walt. — A perennial grass, growing in loose 

 tufts, about 2 feet high, the lower leaves and sheaths soft, hairy; the upper leaves 

 are narrow, 3 to 4 inches long, and gradually pointed. The panicle is simple or 

 little branched, except in the variety diffusa, in which it is larger and more branched. 

 It is a grass relished by cattle, but it is not abundant, and probably not adapted to 

 cultivation. 



Diarrhena, Raf.— A genus of two species (one American), having a narrow, loose panicle. The 

 spikelets are three to five-flowered, the one or two uppermost being imperfect. The outer glumes are 

 unequal, shorter than the flowers, and coriaceous; the lower one is narrow, acute, keeled, one-nerved; 

 the upper one is larger, ovate, five-nerved, keeled and acute, or pointed. The flowering glumes are 

 broadly ovate, rigidly coriaceous, rounded on the back, three-nerved; the nerves are prominent, and 

 unite at the apex in a strong, pointed tip. The palets are shorter than the glumes, rigid, broad, and 

 two-keeled. The stamens are two, and the grain is rather larger than the flower. 



127. Diarrhena Americana, Beauv. — A perennial grass, with running root-stocks 

 and simple culms 2 or 3 feet high. The leaves are long and linear-lanceolate. The 

 panicle is very simple, consisting of a few short-pedicelled spikelets (2 or 3 lines 

 long). Not abundant nor of any known value. 



Uniola, L.— A small genus of perennial grasses with creeping root-stocks, broad leaves and large 

 spikelets in a panicle. The spikelets are closely many-flowered, very flat and 2-edged, one or more of 

 the lowest flowers being neutral and consisting only of an empty glume. The glumes are lanceolate, 

 compressed-keeled, rigid coriaceous — the flowering ones larger and many-nerved. The palet is rigid, 

 2-keeled, the keels narrowly winged. 



128. Bboad-feowebed Fescue-g -ass; Uniola latifolia, Mx. — A very handsome 

 grass, 2 to 3 feet high, with very broad leaves and a spreading panicle. The showy, 

 flat, drooping spikelets are longer than of any other American grass — being an inch 

 or more long and nearly half as wide. It is a perennial grass growing in tufts in 

 moist soil, but not abundant. Its value has not been tested. (Plate No. 128.) 



Distichlis, Raf.— A small genus differing from Poa in having many-nerved coriaceous glumes. 

 The spikelets are dioecious; the pistillate flowers are more rigid and larger than the staminate ones; 

 they are many-flowered, compressed and crowded in a dense, somewhat open panicle. The outer 

 glumes are herbaceous, narrow, keeled, acute, and shorter than the flowers. The flowering glumes are 

 rigid and membranous or almost coriaceous keeled, many-nerved, and acute. The palet has the two 

 keels narrowly winged. 



129. Salt Gbass; Mabsh Gbass; Distichlis maritime/,, Raf.— This species grows 

 to a height of 6 to 18 inches, and has numerous 2-ranked leaves; the leaves are rigid 

 and sharp-pointed. The panicle is usually short and spike-like, but sometimes 



