24 Bulletin VII. 1. 



silky-bearded racemes. Sheaths of the sterile shoots compressed, 

 the narrow scabrous leaf-blades much elongated (a foot or more), 

 those of the culm shorter and one and one-half to two lines wide. 

 Spathe narrow, two to three inches long. Common peduncle densely 

 villous at the apex. Racemes finally long-exserted, one and one- 

 half to two inches long, eight to ten-jointed, the joints densely 

 plumose-bearded, somewhat thickened above, the apex of the ar- 

 ticulations cup-shaped, the margin of the cup irregularly dentate. 

 Sterile spikelet reduced to a narrow glume one to one and one- 

 half lines long, the long-plumose pedicel shorter than the sessile 

 spikelet. Sessile or hermaphrodite spikelet lanceolate, acuminate, 

 about two and one-half lines long, exceeding the joints of the ra- 

 chis; first glume rigid, narrow lanceolate, long acuminate pointed, 

 the apex entire or minutely bimucronate, sharply bicarinate, wuth 

 narrow infolded margins, back smooth, much depressed, keels 

 rough-scabrous, callus hairy, the hairs about one-third as long as 

 the glume; second glume equalling the first, lanceolate, acuminate, 

 one-nerved, keeled, keel serrulate-scabrous; third a little shorter 

 than second, hyaline, lanceolate, acute, ciliate on the margins 

 above; fourth about equalling the third, bifid at the apex and 

 awned between the acute divisions; awm seven to eight lines long, 

 somewhat twisted and fiexuose near the middle. Palea nearly one 

 line long, ovate, obtuse. Lodicules manifest, broadly wedge- 

 shaped, smooth. 



Silver Beard-grass is a native species, found occasionally along 

 the borders of woods, less common in open fields. It grows to the 

 height of two or three feet, and is noticeable for its silvery-white 

 '•heads," which appear in September. 



4- Andropogon Elliottii Chapm. 



Plate III. Figure 9. 



A slender upright perennial two to three feet high, with a short, 

 sparingly-branched panicle of a few more or less exserted plumose 

 racemes. Upper joints of the culms often densely silky-bearded 

 just below the nodes, with erect appressed hairs. Culm leaves 

 flat, one-half to one and one-half lines wide, the lower five to ten 

 inches long, smooth or pilose near the base, the three to six upper 

 leaves approximate, their smooth inflated sheaths imbricated. 

 Panicle simple, four to ten inches long. Racemes in pairs (rarely 

 ternate), three-fourths to one and one-half inches long, the slender 

 flexuose rachis about seven-jointed, plumose, as is the pedicel of 

 the sterile spikelet with long (threelines) white hairs. Pedicellate 

 spikelet reduced to a minute glume, the pedicel longer than the 

 sessile spikelet. Sessile spikelets narrow-lanceolate, about two 

 lines long, hairy on the callus; first glume minutely bimucro- 

 nate at the narrow apex, depressed between the keels, which are 

 finely aculeolate-scabrous above; second glume as long as the first, 

 one-nerved, keeled above and scabrous on the keel; third glume 

 equalling the first, hyaline, acute, ciliate, empty; fourth a little 

 shorter, bifid at the apex and awned between the acute divisions. 

 Awn slender, seven to twelve lines long, flexuose near the middle, 

 the column projecting a little beyond the glumes. Palea minute. 

 Stamen one. 



