NATIVE GBASSES OF KANSAS, 55 



1. Gama-gbass; Sesame-grass; Tripsacum dactyloides. L. — A very tall perennial 

 grass, having solid culms from thick creeping root-stocks, broad flat leaves, and 

 peculiar flowers as described above. If cut early, it might be valuable for hay. as it 

 is said to be nutritious, which has been confirmed by chemical analysis. (Plate No. 1. 



Andropogon, L.— This large genus contains perennial grasses mostly with tall, tough and wiry 

 stems. The flowers are loosely paniculate or the spikes are terminal or lateral, and mostly clustered. 

 The spikelets are in pairs (or in threes) on the rachis, one being sessile and fertile, and the other 

 pedicelled and sterile. The fertile spikelet has two somewhat coriaceous glumes, a third hyaline empty 

 glume, and a fourth (a flowering) hyaline empty and awned glume. The sterile spikelet is similar 

 but unawned and with or without stamens. The palet is small and hyaline or wanting. 



2. Broom Grass; A ndropogon tener, Kunth. — This species has slender culms two 

 or three feet high. The peduncle is solitary, bearing a single spike, which is smooth 

 except the joints bearded at the base. Rare, if occurring at all, in the State. 



3. Little Blue-Stem; Wood Grass; Broom Grass; Andropogon scoparius. Mx. 

 This showy grass grows from two to three feet high, the flowering spikes coming 

 out in small clusters from many joints on slender pedicels, and silky with dull white 

 hairs shorter than the flowers. It contributes somewhat to the native forage and 

 yields a fair amount of hay. (Plate No. 3.) 



4. Heavy-topped Broom Grass; Andropogon macrourus, Mx. — The culms are 



2 to 3 (or even 4 to 5) feet high, bushy branched at the summit, loaded with nu- 

 merous flower-spikes which form leafy clusters. The awns are long. This species 

 is rare if occurring at all in the State, and is not known to be of agricultural value. 



5. Big Blue-stem; Broom Grass; Andropogon jirovincialis. Lam. — A tall grass 



3 to 6 (or even 7 or 8) feet highv The culms (and sometimes also lateral branches) 

 are terminated by 3 to 6 short-bearded spikes. A valuable species and extensively 

 cut for hay. ( Plate No. 5.) 



6. Hall's Broom Grass; Andropogon HaU.ii. Hack. — Like the last but less tall 

 and stouter, the culms and leaves glaucous (i. e„ covered with a whitish bloom), the 

 leaves shorter and stiff er. and the spikes thicker. Seen in the southwestern portion 

 of the State, but not abundant. 



7. Broom Grass; Andropogon saccharioides, Swz. — The glaucous stems are slen- 

 der, and 2 to 4 feet high; the spikes are in pairs (or fours) densely flowered and 

 very silky, with long bright white hairs. There are several varieties, ours being var. 

 Torreyanv.s. Hack. Distributed widely over the prairies in the western part of the 

 State, but not abundant. 



8. Broom Grass; Andropogon Virginicus, L. — This species is also tall, but easily 

 distinguished by its long (1 to 2 feet), narrow, leafy panicle, composed of numerous 

 lateral branches from the upper joints — the branches several times divided, and 

 partly inclosed in the leaf-sheath. The awns are 3 or 4 times as long as the glumes. 

 It is widely distributed in the East, and may occur (as reported) in Kansas. Not 

 known to be valuable. 



9. Wood Grass; Indian Grass; Bushy Blue-stem; Andropogon nutans. ~L. — (The 

 generic name used formerly was Chrysopogon or Sorghum). — A tall perennial grass, 

 with a narrow panicle of showy straw-colored flowers. It is less abundant than Blue- 

 stem, but cut for hay when occurring in quantity. (Plate No. 9.) 



Paspalum, L.— A large genus, mostly tropical and of little agricultural value. The spikelets have 

 each one terminal perfect flower in one or two rows along one side of the solitary or paniculate spikes. 

 The two outer glumes are membranous and equal, or in a few species one is smaller or disappears. The 

 more or less concave flowering glumes become indurated and embrace the palet, which is of similar 

 texture. 



10. Paspalum; Paspalum virgatum, L. — The culms are decumbent, 1 to 2 feet 

 high. The leaves are broad-linear, rough-edged, 12 to 18 inches long and 5 to 6 



