r 1 1 K a H A ss 1 ;s « > K 'V !•: \ N KSS K K. 89 



one line lonj^^; leaf-blade tlaccid, two to five inches lon^, two to 

 four lines wide, flat, acute, scabrous, sometimes sparinjjly pilose, 

 and with the sheaths sometimes purple tinj^^ed. Racemes four to 

 ten, dij^ntate or subfasciculate at the apex of the culm, three to five 

 inches lon^, usually sjireadiuij. wSpikelets about one and one-half 

 lines lonj^, lanceolate, acute, in pairs, one nearly sessile, the other 

 distinctly ])cdicellate; first ^lume very minute, the second one- 

 half to two-thirds as lon^ as the spikelet, usually ciliate on the 

 marjrins and three-nerved; the third a little lonj^er than the fourth, 

 five nerved, and usually silky-villous along the marginal nerves; 

 fourth glume smooth, very acute. 



This is the well-known Crab-grass of the South, common every- 

 where in cultivated fields. It is a troublesome weed in gardens 

 and among hoed crops, but in grain fields it frecjuently springs up 

 in such quantity after harvesting, as to yield one, or even two, 

 good cuttings of hay. This spontaneous growth affords excellent 

 pasturage, as well as hay of the first quality if properly cured. 

 Many farmers largely depend upon this grass for their hay, and 

 from its spontaneous and abundant growth it is often called "the 

 poor man's hay." 



2. Panicum glabrum Gaudin. Smooth Crab-grass. 



Plate VII. Figure 27. 



An annual grass closely resembling P. sanguinale in habit, but 

 smooth throughout, excepting a few hairs at the throat of the 

 sheaths, and the spikelets are smaller, about a line in length. First 

 glume very minute or obsolete; second and third glumes nearly 

 equal in length, or the second a little shorter than the fourth, pu- 

 bescent on the back. 



A tall form, twelve to twenty-four inches high, with racemes 

 three to five inches long, is variety Mississippiensis Gattinger. This 

 form is very common about Knoxville. 



3. Panicum filiforme L. Slender Crab-grass. 



Plate VII. Figure 28. 



A slender annual, resembling Crab-grass somewhat in habit, but 

 branching only near the base, less leafy, leaves usually erect, ra- 

 cemes less spreading and more slender, the axis being nearly fili- 

 form. Distinguished from P. g/abrut/i at once by its more slender 

 culms, pubescent or nearly hirsute lower leaf-sheaths, and more 

 slender and less spreading racemes. The spikelets are also 

 smaller, scarcely exceeding three-fourths of a line in length. In 

 this species the first glume is usually wholly wanting, a character 

 which would technically place this grass in the genus Paspalum. 

 The racemes vary in length from one to four or five inches. Dry 

 sandy soil. August — September. 



4- Panicum crus-galli Linn. Barnyard-grass. 



Plate VIII. Figure 29. 

 A coarse ascending or erect, leafy annual, one to four feet high, 



