62 Bulletin VII. 1. 



Introduced from Europe* and sometimes cultivated in the vicin- 

 ity of our large cities for its seed, which is used for bird food. 



2. Phalaris arundinacea Linn. Reed Canary-grass. 

 Plate XVIII. Figure 70. 



A tall, leafy perennial, two to four feet high, with smooth sheaths 

 and a narrow, branching panicle four to eight inches long. Spike- 

 lets about two lines long, compressed but not winged-keeled as in 

 J^. Canariensis. Third and fourth glumes reduced to narrow silky 

 scales one-third as long as the perfect floret. Low wet grounds, 

 borders of streams, etc. June — .July. 



This grass is not recognized here as possessing any value for 

 forage. There is a variety with white-striped leaves, sometimes 

 cultivated in gardens under the name of Ribbon-grass. 



17. ANTHOXANTHUM Linn. Sp. PL 28 (1753). 



Spikelets one- flowered, distinctly pedicellate in narrow spike- 

 like panicles; rachilla articulate above the first pair of glumes. 

 Glumes five, the first and second very unequal, keeled, the third 

 and fourth shorter, empty, hairy, and awned on the back, fall- 

 ing with the flowering glume, the fifth or floral glume short, broad 

 and obtuse, three-nerved, hyaline; palea one-nerved (this is re- 

 garded as a sixth glume by some authors). Stamens two. Styles 

 distinct. 



Erect, sweet-scented annuals or perennials, with flat leaves, 

 herbaceous culms and narrow spike-like terminal panicles. 



Species four, European. The one which comes within our limits 

 is very widely distributed in all temperate countries. 



I. Anthoxanthum odoratum Linn. Sweet Vernal-grass. 

 Plate XVIII. Figure 71. 



A rather slender, smooth perennial one to two and one-half feet 

 high, the narrow panicle one to two and one-half inches long. 

 Spikelets about three lines long, the unequal outer glumes cover- 

 ing the browm-hairy, awmed second pair. 



This grass has been introduced from Europe, and is valued on 

 account of its earliness and sweet odor when dry. It can only be 

 recommended in mixtures of seed for pasture lands. 



Tribe VIII. AGROSTIDE^. 



Spikelets all hermaphrodite, one-flowered, with three glumes, 

 the first two empty (very rarely wanting) usually as long as or 

 exceeding the third or floral glume. Rachilla sometimes pro- 

 longed behind the palea as a naked or plumose bristle. Palea 

 two-nerved, (one-nerved in Cinna)^ nerveless or (in some Agrostis 

 species) w^anting. 



This is, next to the Festucece^ the largest tribe in the order, num- 

 bering 700 species, arranged in 46 genera. The species are dis- 



