THE AGRICULTURAL GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES. 101 



Olyceria nervata. (Nerved Meadow grass, ^^"erved Manna grass.) 



This is similar in appearance and habit 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 i)anicle. It usually grows along the wet margins of 

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

 ding wlien 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 becoming i^urplish 

 with age. The outer glumes are unequal, obtuse, thin, and small, neitlier 

 •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 palet is as long as its glumes, 

 two-nt%ved, two-toothed at the apex. Like theijreceding this grows in 

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

 tageously mixed with other grasses in Avet or swampy grounds. 



Mr. Charles L. Flint says: 



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

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

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

 succulent and nutritious. It would be a A^aluable ingredient in a mixture for wet or 

 moist pastures. 



. (Plate 105.) 



»Glyceria Canadensis. (Rattlesnake grass, Tall quaking grass.) 



A grass belonging to the northern portion of the United States, nsuallj^ 

 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, oi? the lower ones 

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

 large and effuse, 6 to 9 inches long, oblong x^yramidal, 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 S])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, purplish, the upper onelargest. 

 The flowering glumes are broadly ovate, acute, five to seven nerv^ed, 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 

 Teflexed. 



This is quite an ornamental grass, resembling the quaking grass 

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

 as well adapted to low meadows. 



