'I'm: (iHAssKs ok Tknnksskk. I.'i 



10. Panicum proliferum Lam. vSproutin^ Crab-^^rass. 



IMatc IX. Fi^Mir.' .{»;. 



A smooth, usually much- branched annual, with rather coarse 

 spreadiui:: or asccndinj^- (rarely erect) stems, two to four or six feet 

 lon^, flat leaves and diffuse terminal and lateral panicles. Sheaths 

 smooth, lax, somewhat flattened; li^iile ciliate; leaf-blade six to 

 twelve or twenty-four inches lonj^, two to ten lines wide, acute, 

 scabrous on the margins and sometimes also on the prominent 

 nerves, rarely pilose on the upper surface. Panicles pyramidal, 

 four or five to twelve or fifteen inches loni^, the primary and sec- 

 ondary branches spreading, scabrous. Spikelets rather crowded 

 on short appressed and scabrous pedicels, lanceolate ovate, acute, 

 one to one and one-half lines long, smooth, green or purplish; low- 

 est glume embracing the base of the spikelet, usually obtuse and 

 nerveless, rarely one- to three-nerved, one-fourth to one third as 

 long as the nearly e(iual acute five- to seven-nerved second and 

 third glumes, the latter sometimes having a hyaline palea in its 

 axil; doral glume elliptical, subacute, smooth and shining, a little 

 shorter than the larger outer glumes. Anthers saffron yellow. 



Common in moist, rich soil, along the banks of streams and riv- 

 ers or around "sink-holes." If the station of growth happens to 

 become dry, the grass is more slender and erect, and often becomes 

 reddish or purplish throughout. When in bloom the saffron-col- 

 ored stamens are very conspicuous. It is often abundant in culti- 

 vated fields, springing up with common crab-grass, and thus some- 

 times forms no inconsiderable part of the "poor man's hay." While 

 occasionally useful in this way, and even prized by some, it must 

 be regarded more as a weed than as a hay plant. 



11. Panicum capillare Linn. Old Witch-grass. 



Plate X. Figure 87. 



An annual with usually coarse, branching stems, one to three 

 feet long, with very hairy leaf-sheaths and capillary, widely- 

 spreading panicles, terminal on the culm or its branches. Culm 

 geniculate and branching near the base, rarely simple, generally 

 pilose or pubescent below the bearded nodes. vSheaths pilose to 

 densely hirsute, with spreading hairs; ligule very short, densely 

 ciliate; leaf-blade fiat, lanceolate or linear, acute, usually thinly 

 hairy on both sides, margins scabrous and ciliate near the base. 

 The hairs throughout spring from small papilhie, those on the leaf- 

 blade being confined chiefly to the principal nerves. Panicle dif- 

 fuse, three to twelve inches long, the branches solitary, in pairs 

 or rarely whorled, the ultimate branches and pedicels strongly his- 

 pid. Spikelets one line long, ovate acute, or abruptly acuminate- 

 pointed, smooth; first glume clasping the base of the spikelet, ob- 

 tuse or acute, one- to three-nerved, about one-third the length of the 

 five- to seven-nerved and nearly equal second and third glumes, 

 the acute tips of these are sometimes minutely pubescent; flower- 

 ing glume snooth and shining, elliptical, obtuse, or subacute, a lit- 

 tle shorter than the kir^^er outer glumes. Variable. 



