THE AGRICULTURAL GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES. 55 



The spikelets are clustered, tliree to four liues long, aud with oue per- 

 fect flower. There are two pairs of empty glumes ; the oufcer pair is un- 

 equal; the lower are about half as long as the seooud ; both are acute 

 aud keeled. Within these glumes is a second pair, about half as long as 

 the first, thin, two-lobed, hairy, and with an awn or bristle on the back 

 longer than the longest outer glume. These may be considered as 

 abortive or defective flowers. Between these inner glumes is the fertile 

 flo\^er, consisting of another pair of glumes, inclosing the floral organs. 

 These glumes are commonly called palets; they are less than aline long, 

 tliin and transparent, the lower one broad and three nerved, the upper 

 narrow and one-nerved. There are two stamens and two styles. 



This grass is very fragrant and gives a pleasant odor to hay which 

 contains it. Mr. J. Stanton Gould says : 



It is nowhere considered a very valuable variety for hay, as the culms are wide 

 apart, very thin, aud bear but few leaves; hence it gives a light crop of hay. 



(Plate 32.) 



HiEROCHLOA BOREALis. (Vanilla or Seneca grass. Holy grass.) 



This -is a perennial grass of northern latitudes, growing in moist 

 meadows near the coast, also in low marshy ground in some parts 

 of Illinois and other States bordering the Great Lakes, and in the 

 mountains of Colorado and northward. The name Eierochloa means 

 sacred grass, so called because it, with other sweet-scented grasses, 

 was strewed before the church doors in the north of Europe. The culms 

 grow from 1 to 2 feet high, with short lanceolate leaves, and an open 

 pyramidal panicle from 2 to 5 inches long. The spikelets are three- 

 flowered, the third or terminal one perfect, but with only two stamens; 

 the two lower flowers of the spikelet are male only, each with three 

 stamens. The two outer glumes are thin and scarious, acutely keeled; 

 the glumes of the male flowers are thicker, slightly pubescent, and 

 fringed on the margins with soft brownish hairs, sometimes with a very 

 short awn from the apex, and inclosing a narrow, bifid, two-keeled palet; 

 the upper or perfect flower has a one-nerved glume in place of the usual 

 palet. This grass is very sweet-scented and is often used to perfume 

 drawers, &c. It grows commonly in the northern parts of Europe, as 

 ^vTorway, Sweden, and Eussia. In our country it does not appear to be 

 adapted to general cultivation. There are two other species native to 

 this country. (Plate 33.) 



(1.) Hierochloa alpina growing on mountains at high altitudes, and 

 (2) Hierochloa macrophylla^ a largeleaved, robust si)ecies, growing in 

 California, whose value for agricultural purposes is undetermined. 



Alopecurus pratensis. (Meadow Fox tail.) 



This is a perennial grass, native of Europe, but has been introduced 

 and is frequently found in meadows in the Eastern States. It has con. 

 siderable resemblance to timothy, but will be readily distinguished by 



