104 Bulletin VII. 1. 



above the empty glumes and between the florets. Empty glumes 

 unequal, one- to three-nerved, sharply keeled, acute. Floral glumes 

 five-nerved, short awn-pointed, strongly compressed-keeled, keel 

 conspicuously ciliate-fringed. Palea a little shorter than the glume, 

 two-keeled. Stamens three. Styles distinct; stigmas plumose. 

 Grain narrow, oblong, enclosed, within the fruiting glume and 

 palea, but free. A perennial grass with flat leaves and narrow (or 

 expanded in flower), glomerate panicles. 



Species one, with several varieties, native of the north tem- 

 perate regions of the Old World, but now very widely distributed 

 in cultivation and thoroughly naturalized in this country. 



I. Dactylis glomerata L. Orchard-grass, 



Plate XXXV. Figure 140. 



A coarse, erect grass three to four feet high, forming dense tufts. 

 Ligule elongated, membranaceous. Leaves flat, slightly keeled, 

 spreading. Panicle three to eight inches long, the branches 

 spreading in flower, becoming erect and appressed to the rachis. 

 Spikelets compressed, three- to five-flowered, crowded at the ends 

 of the branches in dense one-sided clusters. Flowering glumes 

 two to three lines long, lanceolate, very acute or short awn- 

 pointed, ciliate on the keel above. 



This is one of the best known and most popular of our cultivated 

 grasses. It will grow well on any soil excepting that which is 

 very wet. It grows well in the shade, no grass being equal to it 

 in this respect, excepting perhaps, the rough-stalked meadow- 

 grass. In pastures it affords a good bite earlier than any other grass 

 excepting the meadow fox-tail. It affords a great amount of after- 

 math, being exceeded in this respect only by Kentucky blue- 

 grass. Owing to its habit of growing in clumps or tussocks, the 

 land should be seeded heavily, using two and a half or three 

 bushels to the acre. When sown with other grasses, its tendency 

 to form tussocks is very much diminished, and we would recom- 

 mend that clover, or possibly red-top, always be mixed with our 

 orchard-grass. Although not adding materially to the bulk of 

 hay produced, they will improve its quality and help make a much 

 better sward. 



53. OYNOSURUS Linn. Sp. PI. 71 (i753-) 



Spikelets of two forms in small fascicles, these forming a dense 

 somewhat unilateral, spike-like panicle; terminal spikelets of the 

 fascicles two- to four flowered, hermaphrodite, the lower spikelets 

 sterile, consisting of many empty glumes. Rachilla of the fertile 

 spikelet articulated; empty glumes two, narrowly lanceolate, acute; 

 flowering glumes broader, membranous, one- to three-nerved, 

 mucronate or awn-pointed. Glumes of the sterile spikelet distich- 

 ous, spreading, subequal, linear, one-nerved; rachilla not articu- 

 lated. Stamens thre^. Styles distinct, short; stigmas loosely 



