MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE 

 UNITED STATES 



By the late A. S. Hitchcock, 1 principal botanist, Division of Plant Exploration and Introduc- 

 tion; second edition revised by Agnes Chase, formerly senior botanist and later collab- 

 orator, Division of Plant Exploration and Introduction, Bureau of Plant Industry, Soils, and 

 Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural Research Administration, and research associate, 

 United States National Museum, Smithsonian Institution 



CONTENTS 



Page 



Introduction 1 



Uses of grasses 1 



Distribution of grasses 4 



Morphology of grasses 6 



Classification of grasses 9 



Nomenclature . . . .' 11 



Common names 12 



Scope of the manual 13 



Gramineae (Poaceae), the grass family 13 



Descriptions of the subfamilies and keys to the 



tribes 14 



Subfamily 1. Festucoideae 14 



Subfamily 2.- Panicoideae 15 



Descriptions of the tribes and keys to the 



genera 15 



Tribe 1. Bambuseae 15 



Tribe 2. Festuceae 15 



Tribe 3. Hordeae 18 



Tribe 4. Aveneae 19 



Tribe 5. Agrostideae 20 



Tribe 6. Zoysieae 21 



Tribe 7. Chlorideae 22 



Tribe 8. Phalarideae 23 



Tribe 9. Oryzeae 23 



Tribe 10. Zizanieae 23 



Tribe 11. Melinideae 24 



Tribe 12. Paniceae 24 



Descriptions of the tribes and keys to the 

 genera — Continued 



Tribe 13. Andropogoneae 25 



Tribe 14. Tripsaceae 26 



Descriptions of genera and species 27 



Tribe 1. Bambuseae 27 



Tribe 2. Festuceae 31 



Tribe 3. Hordeae 230 



Tribe 4. Aveneae 280 



Tribe 5. Agrostideae 313 



Tribe 6. Zoysieae 482 



Tribe 7. Chlorideae 491 



Tribe 8. Phalarideae 547 



Tribe 9. Oryzeae 556 



Tribe 10. Zizanieae 561 



Tribe 11. Melinideae 569 



Tribe 12. Paniceae 569 



Tribe 13. Andropogoneae 737 



Tribe 14. Tripsaceae 789 



Synonymy 796 



Unidentified names 980 



Persons for whom grasses have been named . . 984 



Glossary 990 



Appendix 994 



Addenda 1000 



Index 1001 



INTRODUCTION 



Of all the plants of the earth the 

 grasses are of the greatest use to the 

 human race. To the grasses belong the 

 cereals, sugarcane, sorghum, and the 

 bamboos; and, since they furnish the 

 bulk of the forage for domestic ani- 

 mals, the grasses are also the basis of 

 animal industry. 



USES OF GRASSES 



The grasses furnish the principal 

 breadstuffs of the world and a large 

 part of the food of domestic animals; 

 they are also used in the industrial 

 arts and extensively as greensward 

 and ornamentals in parks and gar- 

 dens. 



1 Died December 16, 1935. 



FOOD GRASSES 



The most important food plants for 

 the human race are the cereals, in- 

 cluding wheat, corn (maize), rice, bar- 

 ley, rye, oats, and many kinds of 

 grain sorghums. For primitive peoples 

 the seed of certain other grasses, such 

 as pearl millet, common millet, 

 broomcorn millet, Japanese millet, 

 and African millet (ragi), have played 

 an important role. The seeds of the 

 cereals are also extensively used as 

 feed for domestic animals. 



FORAGE GRASSES 



Forage grasses are used for hay, 

 pasturage, soiling, and silage. 



HAY GRASSES 



The grasses together with clovers 

 and alfalfa are the basis of permanent 



1 



