38 THE AGRICULTURAL GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES. 



upper one, which is rather long-pointed and five-nerved; the lower or 

 sterile flower is a little shorter than the longer glume and a little shorter 

 than the perfect flower, which is oblong, obtuse, and under a lens shows 

 a few beards at the apex. This grass produces a large amount of foli- 

 age which makes fair haj- if cut before flowering time; if left later it 

 contains too many wiry stalks. It may be utilized as a hay crop in low 

 grounds, but it is doubtful if it can be made productive on dry, tillable 

 laud. (Plate 9.) 



Panicum anceps. (Two edged Panic grass.) 



A perennial grass, when well developed resembling the preceding, 

 but of a smaller, lighter growth, generally found in moist clay soil. It 

 has a flattish erect stem, 2 to 3 feet high, with smooth leaves a foot or 

 more long, of a bluish-green color, and mostly near the base of the stem. 

 The rhizoma, or root-stock, is thick, scaly, and creeping near the surface 

 of the ground. The panicle is 6 to 12 inches long, with short branches 

 near the top, the lateral branches 3 to 6 inches long, rather distant, 

 erect or somewhat spreading. Usually there are also several smaller 

 lateral panicles from the upper joints of the culm. The spikelets are 

 about a line, and a half long, a little longer than those of Panicum 

 agrostoides. oblong, lanceolate, a little curved, and sessile, or on very 

 short pedicels. The lower empty glume is broadly ovate, and about half 

 as long as the five to seven nerved upper one. The lower glume of the 

 sterile flower is as long as the upper empty glume and much like it in 

 texture, while the palet is thin, obtuse, and much shorter. The perfect 

 flower is one third 'shorter than the upper empty glume, oblong; the 

 flowering glume and its palet, as in most species of Panicum^ is thick 

 and hard in textui'e. This cannot be considered a valuable grass, but 

 it frequently occurs in neglected and poor land in sufficient quantity to 

 afford considerable grazing for stock. It makes its growth late in the 

 season, usually reaching the flowering stage in August. Dr. Mohr, of 

 Mobile, remarks that it is not much relished by stock, being rather 

 harsh and dry. 



Professor Phares says it forms strongly-rooted spreading clumps, often 

 completely carpeting the ground with very pretty, glossy, light-green 

 foliage. (Plate 10.) 



PANICU3I CRUS-GALLi. (Barnyard grass.) 



This is an annual grass, with thick, stout, erect, or procumbent culms, 

 usually' 2 to 4 feet high, and branching at the base. The leaves are 

 long, sometimes 1 to l^feet, and half au inch to an inch wide, rough on the 

 margins, the sheaths sometimes hairy, sometimes smooth, and the lower 

 ones much thickened at the base. The panicle, like the entire plant, is 

 variable in size, sometimes 3 inches,sometimesafoot or more long, lanceo- 

 late in outline, and composed of a number of alternate, mostly simple, 

 rough branches, or frequently the branches are glomerate and much 



