Thk (Jhassks ok Tknnksskk. 73 



to twelve inches lonj;-. Sheatlis sliorter than the internodes, gla- 

 brous; ligule very short; leaves chietly radical, narrow, with long- 

 attenuate pointed tips, glabrous, excepting a few hairs at the base. 

 Spikclets less than a line long, crowded; empty glumes (;btuse, 

 nerveless, much shorter than the flowering glume; palea about the 

 length of its glume, faintly two-nerved, (irain broadly ovoid, en- 

 closed in a thin loo.^^e pericar]^. 



This is Liv. ijitroduced grass which has become widely distributed 

 over the State, growing in scattered tufts or patches about dwell- 

 ings and in dry open fields. As the season advances, the long 

 slender jjanicles often become overgrown by a fungus, so that they 

 appear as if attacked by smut; hence the common name of Smut- 

 grass. It has no agricultural value. 



25. CINNA Linn. Sp. PI. 5 (1753). 



Spikelets one-flowered, numerous in elongated, terminal, open 

 panicles; rachilla distinctly articulated below the empty glumes, as 

 well as above them (the spikelets falling off entire) and produced 

 below the tloret into a short and smooth stipe, and usually extend- 

 ing behind the palea as a slender, naked bristle. Flowering glume 

 similar to the outer ones, three-nerved, obtuse, usually with a very 

 short, subterminal awn. Palea apparently one-nerved, keeled. 

 Stamen one. Styles short, distinct. Grain included within the 

 flowering glume and palea, free. 



Tall perennial grasses, with numerous flat leaves and many- 

 flowered nodding panicles. 



Species two, in the northern regions of Europe and America; 

 both species extend into Tennessee. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



Empty glumes unequal in length, spikelets 2} to 3 lines long 



I. C. ARUNDINACEA. 



Empty glumes equal or nearly so, spikelets less than 2 lines 



long 2. C. PENDILA. 



I. Cinna arundinacea Linn. Indian Reed-grass or vSweet Reed- 

 grass. 



Plate XXIV. Figure 04. 

 A tall, leafy grass, three to seven feet high, with simple culms 

 and ample terminal panicles. Nodes usually covered by the smooth 

 sheaths; ligule two and one-half lines long, leaf-blade spreading, 

 five to ten inches long, three to six lines wide, scabrous on the 

 margins. Panicle six to fifteen inches long, rather densely-flow- 

 ered, the branches erect-spreading. Spikelets much longer than 

 the pedicels, appressed to the branches, (at least in fruit); empty 

 glumes narrow-lanceolate, very acute, une(|ual, the second longer 

 than the first and three-nerved; flowering glume about the length 

 of the second glume, obtuse and hyaline at the tip, three-nerved, 

 the midnerve excurrent just below the apex into a very short awn 

 or mucro. Palea shorter than its glume, one-nerved and keeled or 

 sometimes WMth two closely approximate nerves. In shaded swamps 

 and along streams in wet meadow^s. August and September. 



