THE GRASSES OF MAINE. 45 



45. Bromus secalinus, Linneus. 

 Bro'-mus se-cat-i-nus. 



PLATE XXII. 



Common Names. Cheat, Chess, Willard's Brorae-Grass. 



Annual. Stems from two to three feet high, the nodes swollen and 

 covered with fine short hairs ; leaves broadly linear, hairy above. 

 Panicle spreading, at length nodding, the branches nearl}' simple ; 

 spikelets ovate-oblong, compressed, smooth, from eight to twelve- 

 flowered ; flowering glume rather longer than the palea, with a very 

 short awn or awnless. 



A worthless plant, too common in wheat fields. 



Specimens raised in New Hampshire were analyzed in Washing- 

 ton, by Mr. Richardson, and gave ash 7.12, fat 4.08, nitrogen-free 

 extract 57.30. crude fiber 23.79, albuminoids 7.71. 



46. Bromus ciliatus, Linneus. 

 Bro'-mus cil-i-a'-tus. 



Common Xame. Fringed Brome-Grass. 



Perennial. Stems from three to five feet high, nodes black ; 

 leaves smoothish underneath, hairy above, the lower sheaths pubes- 

 cent, the upper ones smooth. Panicle compound, very loose ; spike- 

 lets from seven to twelve-flowered ; flowering glume with an awn at 

 the end half its length or more ; silky with closely lying hairs near 

 the margins below. 



This grass grows along river banks and in moist woods, and 

 flowers in July and August. Not considered of any value in culti- 

 vation. 



47. Bromus asper, Linneus. 



Bro'-mus as'-per. 



This rare grass is reported, in Gray's Manual of Botany, from 

 Bethel, Maine. It is described as follows: — Culm (stem) slender 

 and panicle smaller; spikelets five to nine-flowered : flowering glume 

 linear lanceolate, scarcely keeled, hairy near the margins, rather 

 longer than the awn ; sheaths aud lower leaves hairy or downy. 



