THE AGRICULTURAL GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES. 101 



Olyceria nervata. (Nerved Meadow grass, Nerved Manua grass.) 



This is similar in appearance and Labit to the preceding, but gen- 

 erally smaller. It has also much the same general range. The culms 

 are 2 to 3 feet high, usually somewhat decumbent below, often branch- 

 ing and rooting at the lower joints. It varies greatly in size and in the 

 magnitude of the panicle. It usually grows along the wet margins of 

 streams and in swamps. The panicle is from 4 to 8 inches long, nod- 

 ding when young, loose and spreading, with capillary branches. The 

 leaves are 8 to 12 inches long, and two to three lines wide. The spikelets 

 are small, about five-flowered, oblong, frequently becomiug purplish 

 with age. The outer glumes are unequal, obtuse, thin, and small, neither 

 of them much more than half as long as the flowers. The flowering 

 glumes are obtuse, oblong, prominently five to seven ribbed, and en- 

 tire or minutely ciliate at the apex. The paletis as long as its glumes, 

 two-nerved, two-toothed at the apex. Like the preceding this grows in 

 wet meadows and swamps. It is nutritious and might be advan- 

 tageously mixed with other grasses in wet or swami)y grounds. 



Mr. Charles L. Flint says : 



It is a liardy grass, grows best on moist grouud, but is said to succeed also ou 

 liglitisli upland soils. It is a very valuable native grass, retaining its uutiitive 

 qualities until the seed is ripe, and then sending up large fan-like shoots which are 

 succulent and nutritious. It would be a valuable ingredient in a mixture for wet or 

 moist pastures. 



(Plate 105.) 



Glyceeia Canadensis. (Rattlesnake grass, Tall quaking grass.) 



A grass belonging to the northern portion of the United States, usually 

 found in mountainous districts, in swamps, and river borders, growing 

 in clumps. The culms are stout, about 3 feet high, smooth and leafy* 

 The leaves are linear-lanceolate, 6 to 9 inches long, or the lower ones 

 much longer, about four lines broad and rather rigid. The panicle is 

 large and effuse, to 9 inches long, oblong pyramidal, and at length 

 drooping. The whorls are an inch or more distant, the branches semi- 

 verticillate, mostly in threes, the largest 3 to 4 inches long, and sub- 

 divided from near the base. The si)ikelets are oblong to ovate, when 

 mature nearly three lines long, rather turgid, but flattened at the sides, 

 usually six to eight flowered. The empty glumes are shorter than the 

 flowering glumes, ovate-lanceolate, acute, i)urplish, the upper one largest. 

 The flowering glumes are broadly ovate, acute, five to seven nerved, one 

 and one-half to two lines long. The palets are shorter than their glumes 

 and thicker in texture, roundish, and obtuse, with the sides strongly 

 reflexed. 



This is quite an ornamental grass, resembling the quaking grass 

 [Briza). Cattle are fond of it, both green and when made into hay. It 

 is well adapted to low meadows. 



