THE AGRICULTURAL GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES. 105 



rays spreading", 1 to 3 iuches long, distant, usually in pairs below, single 

 above, subdivided to the middle ; spikelets five to six lines long, three 

 to five flowered, the flowers rattier distant ; outer glumes ovate-lanceo- 

 late, membranaceous, acute or acuteish, obscurely nerved, the upper 

 one two lines long, the lower one-third shorter ; flowering glumes lanceo- 

 late, acute, or short cuspidate, about five-nerved, minutely scabrous, of 

 thicker texture than the outer glumes j palet as long as its glume, two- 

 nerved, bifid at the apex. 



This grass varies greatly in size and appearance in different locali- 

 ties, one form in Oregon and California growing 3 to 5 feet high, with 

 l^anicle twice as large as the mountain form. Cattle are said to be fond 

 of it, and it is considered one of the most valuable wild grasses of the 

 region where it grows. (Plate 110.) 



Eromus. 



Spikelets five to many flowered, subterete or compressed, the axis 

 smooth; the outer glumes more or less unequal, shorter than the flow- 

 ers, membranaceous, a(*ute, one to nine nerved, awuless or short mu- 

 cronate; flowering glumes, membranaceous to rigid-subcoriaceous, 

 rounded on the back, or comi)ressed or keeled, five to nine nerved, 

 acute or awned from below the mostly two-cleft apex; palet commonly 

 rather shorter than its glume, two keels, the keels rigid and ciliate. 



Beomus secaltnus. (Chess or Cheat.) 



We introduce this grass, not to recommend its cultivation, but to 

 familiarize those interested with its appearance and character. Many 

 farmers know^ it well, as it occurs in their wheat fields. It is an old 

 tradition, which some farmers still cling to, that chess is a degenerated 

 wheat; that the action of frost and other causes occasion the deteriora- 

 tion, whereas the truth undoubtedly is that chess seed was either in the 

 land or in the seed sown, and being more hardy than wheat it survived 

 the frost and took possession of the ground. Some years ago this grass 

 had a temporary popularity under the name of Willard's Brome grass, 

 but it was soon abandoned when brought into comi)etition with better 

 grasses. ^ 



It has a stout upright culm, 2 to 3 feet high, the panicle being from 

 4 to 6 iuches long, rather spreading, and the large spikelets somewhat 

 drooiDing when ripe. Usually there are three to five branches at each 

 joint of the panicle; these branches are of different lengths, from ^ 

 inch to 2 inches, and each with one to three spikelets. The spikelets 

 are usually from five to ten flowered; the glumes unequal, nerved, 

 shorter than the flowers ; the flowering glume Is convex or compressed, 

 keeled on the back, with an awn variable in length from below the 

 point. 



In the South it wmild perhaps be a good winter grass, like its relative 

 Bromus unioloides, but it is not as vigorous a grass as tliat species, and 

 does not produce such an abundance of foliage. (Plate 111.) 



