Muhlenbergia. GRAMINE.E. 435 



Tribe V. AGROSTIDEJE. Kunth. 



Spikelets one-flowered, rarely with a subulate rudiment of an upper flower. Glumes and 

 paleae 2, membranaceo-Jierbaceous : lower palea often awned. Stigmas mostly sessile. 



17. MUHLENBERGIA. Schreb. ; Trin. diss. 1. p. 130. muhlenbergia. 



[In honor of the late Rev. Dr. Muhlenbekg, a distinguished North American botanist.] 

 Cinna, Linn.; Link. 



Glumes mostly awnless ; the lower one shorter. Paleas lanceolate ; the lower mucronate or 

 awned at the tip ; upper one bicarinate. — Culms usually cespitose and branching. Panicle 

 more or less contracted. 



The Linnxan name Cinna, should have been adopted for this genus ; but to make the change at this late day 

 would greatly increase the number of synonymcs, without any benefit to the science. 



1. Muhlenbergia diffusa, Schreb. Drop-seed Grass. 



Culm diffuse, decumbent ; panicle slender ; glumes very minute ; bristle about twice as 

 long as the paleae. — Schreb. gram. 2. t. 51 ; Willd. op. 1. p. 320 ; Pursh, fl. 1. p. 61 ; 

 Ell. sk. 1. p. 98. t. 5. f. 1. ; Muhl. gram. p. 56 ; Torr. fl. 1. p. 82 ; Trin. diss. 1. p. 188 ; 

 Beck, hot. p. 391 ; Kunth, enum. p. 200. Dilepyrum minutiflorum, Michx. jl. 1. p. 40. 



Root fibrous. Culm 12-18 inches long, compressed, somewhat geniculate, much branched; 

 the branches more or less assurgent. Leaves flat, 2-3 lines wide, pale green, somewhat 

 rough ; sheaths open, smooth. Ligule very short, truncate. Panicles terminating the 

 branches, very slender ; the flowers pedicellate. Glumes not one sixth part as long as the 

 paleas, persistent ; the upper one obtuse or truncate. Paleae unequal, entire, hairy at the base ; 

 the lower one longer, with three prominent scabrous nerves : bristle slender, often purplish. 

 Stamens 3 : anthers pale yellow. Caryopsis linear-oblong. 



Dry open woods and hill sides : frequent. Fl. August - September. This is a very 

 abundant grass in the Western States, and is the " Nimble Will" of Kentucky farmers. 



2. Muhlenbergia Cinna, Trin. Tall Muhlenbergia. 



Culm simple, erect ; panicle large, loose ; spikelets much compressed ; glumes and paleae 

 rough on the keel ; palea? stipitate, naked at the base, about the length of the upper glume, 

 upper one with a very short bristle below the tip. — Trin. diss. 1. p. 191 ; Gray, Gram, 

 and Cyp. 1. no. 16. Cinna arundinacea, Linn. sp. 1. p. 7 ; Michx. fl. 1. p. 38 ; Schreb. 

 gram. 1 . p. 1 35. t. 49 ; Torr. fl. 1 . p. 91 ; Bigel. fl. Bost. p. 29 ; Beck, bot. p. 390 ; Kunth, 

 enum. 1. p. 206; Darlingt. fl. Cest. p. 53. Agrostis Cinna, Lam. ill. 1. p. 162; Pursh, 

 fl. 1. p. 64. 



55* 



