THE GRASSES OF MAINE. 27 



Genus Ammophila, Host. 

 Am-moph' -i-la. 



Derived from the Greek, aminos, sand, and plrilos, a lover ; in 

 allusion to its growing on sand} r beaches. 



Flowers arranged in a dense, cylindrical, spiked panicle. Glumes 

 nearly equal and keeled. Flowering glume and palea somewhat 

 shorter than the outer glumes, keeled and awnless. The base of 

 the flowering glume is beset with short hairs at the base. Leaves 

 rolled up from their edges (convolute) . 



17. Ammophila arundixacea, Host. 

 Am-moph' -i-la a-run-cli-na -ce-a . 



Common Names. Sea Sand-Reed, Common Sea-Reed, Beach 

 Grass, Mat Grass. 



This is named Calamagrostis arenaria, Roth., in the older books, 



Stems erect, rigid and solid, from two to three feet high ; leaves 

 long and smooth, tapering to a point and with their edges rolled in. 

 Panicle from six to twelve inches long, of a whitish color, very close 

 and spike-like. Spikelets very much compressed, about half an 

 inch long ; glumes nearly equal in length, the lower one with a sin- 

 gle nerve, the upper with three nerves. Flowering glume and palea 

 similar to the outer glumes, but slightl}* shorter, the hairs at the 

 base less than one-third of their length. Anthers long and yellow. 



Common on sandy beaches along the coast. Flowers in August. 

 Its long creeping root-stocks and fibrous roots enable it to confine 

 the loose sands of the beach from being washed away by the sea, 

 and it has been planted for this purpose in Holland, France and 

 other countries of Europe, as well as on Cape Cod and other places 

 in this country. It is of no value as a fodder. 



Genus OsTZOPSlS, Michaux. 

 0- ry -zap -sis. 



Derived from the Greek, oryza, rice, and apsis, resemblance ; 

 because of its resemblance to rice. 



Spikelets one-flowered; glumes equal in length, partly membra- 

 naceous and without awns. Flowering glume generally awned at the 

 tip ; palea nearly of the same length as the flowering glume. Three 



