Leersia. 



GRAMINEiE. 



415 



3G. Bromus. Spikclets oblong, distichous, many-flowered. Inferior palea 2-cleft, with a bristle between the teeth, a 

 little below the tip. Caryopsis villous at the summit. 



37. Kceleria. Spikelets 2-G-flowered, compressed. Glumes unequal. Palea; unequal, membranaceous; the lower 



one pointless, or with a short awn at or below the tip. 



38. Festuca. Spikclets often at first more or less terete, finally compressed, several-flowered : rachis jointed. Palea; 



herbaceous; the lower one acute, mucronatc or with a short awn at the tip, rounded on the back. 



39. Uniola. Spikelets many-flowered, ancipital. Palea; awnless ; the lower one boat-shaped. 



Tribe I. ORYZEjE. Kunth. 



Spikelets either one-flowered, with the glumes mostly abortive ; or 2 - 3-Jlowered, one or 

 both of the lower flowers with a single palea and neuter, the terminal one fertile. Palea. 

 somewhat coriaceous. — Flowers often imperfect, mostly hexandrous. 



1. LEERSIA. Soland. ; Endl. gen. 728-. WHITE GRASS. 



[ In honor of J. D. Leers, a German botanist.] 

 Spikelets one-flowered, compressed. Glumes none. Palese two, awnless, closed, equal in 

 length, but the lower one much broader, carinate. Stamens 3 - 6 ( rarely solitary). — 

 Swamp plants. Panicle simple or branched. Spikelets somewhat racemose and unilateral, 

 on short pedicels. 



1. Leersia oryzoides, Swariz. Cut-grass. White-grass. 



Panicle branched, diffuse, often sheathed at the base ; spikelets somewhat spreading ; 

 flowers triandrous ; paleae strongly ciliate on the keel. — Swartz, fl. Ind. occ. 1. p. 132 ; 

 Ell. sk. 1. p. 101 ; Muhl. gram. p. 58 ; Torr. fl. 1. p. 75 ; Beck, bot. p. 419 ; Darlingt. 

 fl. Cest. p. 92 ; Kunth, enum. I. p. 5. Phalaris oryzoides, Linn. sp. 1. p. 55. Asprella 

 oryzoides, Lam. ill. no. 858 ; Rcem. <§- Schult. syst. 2. p. 266. 



Rhizoma creeping, perennial. Culm 3-5 feet high, geniculate at the base. Leaves 2-3 

 lines wide, very rough with minute hooked prickles, as are also the sheaths. Ligule short, 

 retuse. Panicle with widely spreading and flexuous branches. Flowers greenish white, oval- 

 oblong. Glumes rough and dotted on tlie sides, lower one 3-nerved, upper one-nerved ; the 

 keel ciliate with small spines. Anthers linear, yellow. Styles 2, very short : stigmas feathered, 

 white. Caryopsis oblong. 



Ditches and swamps : common. August — September. 



2. Leersia Virginica, Willd. Smallfloicered White-grass. 



Panicle simple, the lower branches spreading ; flowers appressed, monandrous, sparingly 

 ciliate on the keel. — Willd. sp. 1. p. 325 ; Ell. sk. 1. p. 100 : Muhl. gram. p. 59 ; Torr. 

 fl. 1. p. 74 ; Beck, bot. p. 419 ; Darlingt. fl. Cest. p. 92 ; Kunth, enum. I. p. 6. Asprella 

 Virginica, Rcem. <§• Schult. syst. 2. p. 266. 



Culm 2-4 feet high, slender, branching, geniculate, erect or decumbent. Leaves 2-3 



