466 



GRAMINEiE. 



Glvceria. 



6. Glyceria Canadensis, Trin. Rattlesnake- grass- 



Panicle large, effuse, the branches semi-verticillate and finally pendulous ; spikelets broadly 

 ovate, tumid, 6 - 8-flowered ; lower palea rather acute, 7-nerved ; the upper shorter and very 

 obtuse ; stamens 2 ; ligule ovate. — Trin. in act. Petrop. 6 ser. 1 . p. 366 ; Hook. fl. Bor.- 

 Am. 2. p. 249. Briza Canadensis, Michx. fl. 1. p. 71 ; Pursh, fl. 1. p. 82 ; Mulil. gram, 

 p. 153 ; Nutt. gen. suppl. ; Bigel. ji. Bost. p. 36 ; Kanth, enum. 1. p. 372. Poa Cana- 

 densis, Beauv. Agrost. p. 155; Torr. JI. 1. p. 112. P. aquatica, Pursh, fl. 1. p. 80. 



Perennial. Culm 2-3 feet high, erect, terete, leafy. Leaves often longer than the culm, 

 2-3 lines wide, roughish : sheaths entire, a little rough : ligule obtuse, lacerate. Panicle 

 6-8 inches long, at first pyramidal, but the virgate branches at length spreading, and pen- 

 dulous at the extremity. Spikelets ovate before flowering, but afterwards very broad, about 

 2| lines long ; the sides convex. Flowers free. Glumes much shorter than the flowers, 

 ovate-lanceolate, acute, unequal ; the lower one shorter. Lower palea ovate, distinctly 

 nerved : upper one not ciliate. Stamens always 2. Styles very short : stigmas purple. 

 Caryopsis oblong, brown. 



Margin of swamps : rather frequent. Fl. July. On account of its large tumid spikes, 

 this species has by many botanists been placed in Briza, but it certainly belongs to Glyceria, 

 as that genus is now characterized. 



35. DACTYLIS. Linn.; Kunth, enum. 1. p. 3S5. ORCHARD-GRASS. 

 [From the Greek, dadylos, a finger; in allusion to the form of the spike.] 



Spikelets 2 - 7-flowered. Glumes unequal ; the larger one keeled, mucronate-awned, the 

 point somewhat unilateral. Paleas herbaceous, mucronate ; the lower one 5-nerved, with a 

 fringed keel. Stigmas plumose ; the hairs simple or 2-parted, denticulate. — Panicle 

 much contracted, glomerate, secund. 



1. Dactylis glomerata, Linn. Orchard- grass. Cocksfoot-grass. 



Branches of the panicle naked at the base ; spikelets 3 - 4-flowered ; leaves keeled. — 

 Linn. sp. 1. p. 71 ; Engl. hot. t. 335 ; Pursh, fl. 1. p. 84 ; Muhl. gram. p. 36 ; Ell. sk. 1. 

 p. 155. i. 9. f.3; Torr. fl. 1. p. 125 ; Beck, bot. p. 407 ; Darlingt. fl. Cest. p. 80 ; Kunth, 

 enum. 1. p. 386. 



Perennial. Culm 2-4 feet high. Leaves broadly linear, glaucous : ligule elongated. 

 Panicle thick and compact ; the primary branches 3-5, solitary. Spikelets in ovate clusters 

 at the extremity of the branches. Glumes very unequal, lanceolate ; the upper one strongly 

 ciliate on the keel. Lower palea ovate-lanceolate, rough, ending in a cusp or short awn : 

 upper palea ciliate on the keels. Anthers very large, yellow. Caryopsis oblong, acute at 

 each end. 



