Eleusine. 



GRAMINEiE. 



447 



Tribe VII. CHLORIDES. Kunth. 



Spikelets arranged in unilateral digitate or -paniculate {rarely solitary) spikes, 1 - many- 

 flowered ; the upper flowers imperfect. Glumes and palece 2, membranaceo-herbaceous ; 

 the latter often awned. — Rachis not articulated. 



24. ELEUSINE. Gart.fruct. 1. p. 8. t. l.f. 12; Endl. gen. 841. dog's-tail grass. 



[From Eleusis, a name of Ceres, the goddess of harvests.") 



Spikes digitate, unilateral. Spikelets sessile, 2 - 6-flowered. Glumes carinate, shorter than 

 the flowers ; the lower one interior. Palese unequal, awnless : the lower one keeled ; upper 

 channelled on the back. Seed transversely rugose. — Mostly annual grasses, gowing in 

 tufts, or branching from the base. 



1. Eleusine Indica, Gcert. Yard-grass. Wire-grass. 



Culms oblique, compressed, branching from the base ; leaves smooth ; ligule hairy ; spikes 

 2-4 ; spikelets about 5-flowered. — Gcert. 1. c. ; Lam. ill. 1. p. 203. t. 48. /. 3 ; Michx. 

 fl.l. p. 64 ; Pursh, fl. 1. p. 87 ; Ell. sk. 1. p. 175 ; Muhl. gram. p. 133 ; Torr. fl. 1. p. 

 134 ; Beck, bot. p. 414 ; Darlingt. fl. Cest. p. 81 ; Kunth, enum. 1. p. 272. Cynosurus 

 Indicus, Linn. sp. 1. p. 72. 



Annual. Culm 8-15 inches long. Leaves distichous, linear, expanding, pubescent above, 

 smooth underneath : sheaths loose, hairy at the throat. Spikes sometimes 5 or 6, but more 

 commonly 2-4, rarely solitary : rachis linear, bearded at the base. Spikelets closely imbri- 

 cate. Upper glume 5-nerved, broader than the lower. Paleas smooth ; the lower one-third 

 longer than the upper. Seed conspicuously wrinkled transversely. 



Cultivated grounds, and about houses : common. Flowers through the season. This grass 

 is found in most parts of the world, but appears to be an introduced species with us. 



25. SPARTINA. Schreb. gen. 98 ; Endl. gen. 846. cord-grass, marsh-grass. 



[Said to be named from its resemblance to Lygeum Spartium.] 

 Limnetis, Pers. ; Trachynotia, Michx. 



Spikelets in unilateral spikes, one-flowered, much compressed. Glumes and paleae unequal, 

 awnless. Styles mostly united below. — Perennial, erect marsh grasses. 



