native Gbasses of Kansas. Go 



euxia). One of the 3 American species is found in this State. The culms are rigid, 2 to 6 feet high, and 

 have running root-stocks. The panicle is contracted or open, and diffuse; the spikelets are one-How. 

 ered. The outer glumes are large, nearly equal, rigid, thick, lanceolate, acute, keeled, and 5-nerved. 

 The similar flowering glume is of about the same length and sometimes mucronate at the apex. The 

 palet is also of similar texture, as long as its glume, 2-keeled, and grooved between the keels. 



90. Long-leaved Reed-gbass; Ammophila longifolia, Vasey. — The culms are 

 stout, 2 to 6 feet high. The leaves are long, rigid, and with a thread-like point. 

 The panicle is 4 to 16 inches long, rather loose at first, then open and spreading. 

 The strong running root-stocks bind the sand in which the grass grows; otherwise 

 it is not of much value, being too coarse. 



Deschampsia, Beauv. — This is a small genus, formerly included in Aira. The 2-flowered spikelets 

 form a small, loose ^rarely contracted) panicle with capillary branches. The outer glumes are keeled, 

 and have scarious margins. The flowering glumes are obtuse or more or less 4-toothed, with a tine 

 dorsal awn below the middle. The palet is prominently 2-nerved or often 2-toothed. 



91. Wood Haib-gbass; Deschampsia flexuosa. Griseb. — The slender culms are 

 nearly naked (1 to 2 feet high) above the tufts of involute, bristle-form root-leaves 

 (1 to 6 inches long). The awn is longer than the glume, and becomes bent and 

 twined. A variable species of wide distribution, and perhaps to be met with in 

 Kansas. Not important. 



92. Haib Geass; Deschampsia caspitosa. Beauv. — The tufted culms are 2 to 4 

 feet high. The root-leaves are 6 to 12 inches long, fiat and linear. The awn is 

 about as long as the glume. Same as the preceding as to distribution, but further 

 west it is abundant, and in some places is an important forage grass. 



Danthoxia, DC— A large genus of grasses. The spikelets are 3 to 5 or many-flowered in an open 

 panicle, the rachis hairy and produced beyond the upper flower into a stipe or rudiment. The lower 

 flower is male only, the second perfect or female. The outer glumes are keeled, very thin and acumi- 

 nate. The flowering glumes are 5 to 7-nerved, that of the lower or male flower with a twisted awn 

 attached near the base, that of the fertile flower with a short straight awn near the tip. The palet is 

 hyaline, narrow, and two-keeled. 



93. Spiked Wild Oat-gbass; Danthonia spicata* Beauv. — The culms are lj to 2 

 feet high, erect and slender. The leaves are mostly in a tuft, short and narrow. 

 The panicle is only an inch or two long, having 4 to 7 spikelets with very short 

 pedicels. Grows in poor land; perhaps found in Kansas, but of little or no value. 



Spartixa, Schreb. — A small genus of coarse, perennial grasses, growing mostly in marshy ground, 

 and having long and tough leaves, and abundant scaly root-stocks. The spikelets are one-flowered, 

 sessile along one side of the triangular rachis, or spikes, which are racemose on the panicle. The outer 

 glumes are strongly compressed, with a rigid keel, unequal and awnless. The flowering glume is mem- 

 branaceous, compressed, keeled, and awnless. The palet is two-keeled, and uearly equals its glume. 



94. Cord Gbass; Mabsh Gbass; Spartina cynosuroide*. Willd. — A slender grass, 

 3 to 7 feet high, with narrow leaves 2 to 4 feet long, tapering to a slender point, and 

 rough margined. It is abundant in the marshes and sloughs, and furnishes good 

 forage and hay early in the season, becoming later harsh and worthless. It is also 

 used in making coarse mats, for thatching, for covering hot-beds, etc. (Plate No. i)4.) 



95. Mabsh Gbass; Salt Gbass; Rush Salt Gbass; Spartina juncea, Willd. — A 

 slender, rigid grass, 1 to 2 feet high. The leaves are rush-like, involute, and rigid. 

 It grows in salt marshes, and makes an inferior hay. 



Chloris, Swz. — A small genus of comparatively unimportant grasses, growing mostly in the south 

 and southwest. The spikelets are crowded in two rows on one side of simple spikes, which are clus- 

 tered near or at the upper end of the culm. The lower flower of each spikelet is perfect, the others 

 (one or several) are imperfect. The outer glumes are thin, keeled and without awns. The flowering 

 glumes are of thicker texture, usually awned, but sometimes obtuse. The folded palet has two promi- 

 nent nerves. 



96. Chloris vertieillata, Nutt.— The culm is compressed, branched from the 



