476 



GRAMINE.E. 



Elymus. 



2. Elymus Canadensis, Linn. Canadian Lyme- grass. Wild Rye. 



Spike rather loose, and nodding at the extremity ; spikelets in pairs, 3 - 5-flowered ; flowers 

 hairy ; glumes lanceolate-subulate, awned, prominently nerved. — Linn. sp. 1. p. 83 ; Pursh, 

 fl. 1. p. 89; Muhl. gram. p. 178; Torr. fl. 1. p. 137; Beck, bot. p. 415; Darlingt.fi. 

 Cest. p. 83; Kunth, enum. 1. p. 451. E. glaucifolius, Willd. enum. 1. p. 131 ; Pursh, 

 1. c. ; Muhl. I. c. ; Kunth, I. c. E. Canadensis, /3. glaucifolius, Torr. I. c. 



Rhizoma creeping. Culm 3-4 feet high. Leaves broadly linear, flat, often more or less 

 glaucous : sheaths smooth : ligule short. Spike 6-8 inches long, commonly a little nodding 

 at the extremity : spikelets loose and somewhat spreading, the lower ones often three together, 

 usually with 3 perfect flowers and one or two abortive ones. Glumes scarcely one line wide, 

 tapering to a long slender awn or bristle, marked with 3 or 4 strong nerves on the outside. 

 Lower palea oblong-lanceolate, rough with short hairs, terminating in a slender rough awn 

 which is longer than the palea : upper palea obtuse, ciliolate on the margins. Caryopsis linear- 

 oblong, bearded at the summit. 



Banks of rivers : frequent. FL August. 



3. Elymus villosus, Muhl. Slender Hairy Lyme-grass. 



Spike somewhat nodding, loose ; rachis and flowers hispidly hairy ; spikelets mostly in pairs, 

 1 - 3-flowered ; glumes narrowly linear, hairy-ciliate, 2 - 3-nerved ; culm slender; sheaths 

 pubescent. — Muhl. in Willd. enum. p. 131, and gram. p. 175; Pursh, fl. 1. p. 89; Torr. 

 fl. 1. p. 138; Beck, bot. p. 415; Darlingt. fl. Cest. p. 84; Kunth, enum. 1. p. 451. E. 

 striatus, Muhl. I. c. ? ; Bigel. fl. Bost. p. 46 ? ; Kunth. I. c. ? 



Perennial. Culm 2-3 feet high, erect, terete. Leaves about 3 lines wide, somewhat 

 pubescent above : lower sheaths hairy ; the upper ones often smooth. Spike about 3 inches 

 long, at first erect, but at length a little nodding, slender and open. Glumes very narrow, 

 ciliate with rigid hairs ; the awn at the tip almost capillary. Lower palea conspicuously hispid ; 

 the slender awn iibout an inch long. 



Banks of rivers, and rocky hill-sides : not common. Fl. July. This is the most slender of 

 all our species. The spikes strongly resemble small heads of rye. 



4. Elymus Hystrix, Linn. Bottle-brush Grass. 



Spike erect ; spikelets in pairs or ternate, distant, spreading, about 3-flowered ; flowers 

 awned ; glumes minute and subulate or wanting. — Linn. sp. (ed. 2.) 1. p. 124 ; Ell. sk. 1. 

 p. 181 ; Muhl. gram. p. 178 ; Torr. fl. 1. p. 138; Bigel. fl. Bost. p. 46 ; Beck, bot. p. 

 415 ; Darlingt. fl. Cest. p. 84. Asprella Hystrix, Willd. enum. p. 132; Kunth, enum. 1. 

 p. 454 ; Hook. fl. Bor.-Am. 2. p. 256. A. angustifolia, Nutt. in trans. Amer. phil. soc. 

 n. ser. 5. p. 151. Gymnostachum Hystrix, Schreb. gram. t. 47. 



