GEASS FA:iIILT. 



377 



Roi-sfach often runniEg for 20 - 30 feet. Culm 2 - S feet high. Leaves long, near half aa 

 mch wide, attenuated to a long slender point, smooth and glaucor..?. Panicles 6-12 inchea 

 iong, whitish, ver.v close and spike-like. Spikelets about >| an inch in length. 



Sea-coast, Maine" to New Jersey, and on the shores of Lakes Superior and Michigan. 

 August. 



Obs. Althougli this grass has, properly speaking-, no agricultural use, 

 yet it is in some localities a very important and useful one. Along the 

 coast of Massachusetts it is planted to confine the blowing sands. The 

 Federal Government has expended considerable sums in planting this 

 grass for the protection of harbors, and much has been done by State 

 and individual effort. An interesting account showing the important 

 purpose a mere grass can serve, may be found in Flint's Treatise on 

 Grasses and Forage Plants. * 



9. CT'XODOX, Rich. Bermuda Grass. 



[Greek, literally Dog's tooth; hut the reason is not obvious.] 



Spikes digitate, in pairs, or racemose. Spikelets with one perfect floret, 

 . and sometimes with the subulate pedicel or abortive rudiment of a 

 second superior floret. Glumes healed, awuless, nearly equal, the upper 

 one exterior. Palex pointless and awnless ; the lower larger, boat- 

 shaped. Stamens 3. Low, diffusely branched, creeping perennials with 

 short flatfish leaves. 



i. C. Dac'tijlon, Pers. Spikes 3 - 5, digitate, spreading; palete longer 

 than the glumes, glabrous, with a beardless bristle at the base of the 

 inner one. 



FixGER Cyxodox. Bermuda Grass. Dog's-tooth Grass. 



Eoot perennial, fibrous, creeping (numerous slender rtiizomas). Culm procumbent, 

 radicating, 6-12 or 1-5 inches long, terete, smooth. Leaves 1-2 or 4 inches long, acute^ 

 Bome-.vhat distichous and rigid, slightly hairy and scabrous ; sheaths longer than the 

 internodes, hairy; ligule beard-like. Spifois 3-5 (usually 4), 1-2 inches long ; rachis 

 flexuose and angular, not winged. Scales obovate, half as long as the ovary. Stigmas dark 

 purple. 



Loose sandy soils : Southern States : introduced? Fl. All summer (EU.). Fr. 



Obs. This I should judge to be a grass of doubtful value, and equiv- 

 ocal character in agriculture, compared with our better species. Mr. 

 Elliott gives the following account of it [under the name of Bigitaria 

 Dadylon], as observed in South Carolina: — "AVe have two varieties 

 of this plant, one coarser (perhaps a species) growing in damp soils, 

 native ; the other, described above, said to be imported, a tender, deli- 

 cate grass, growing over and binding the most arid and loose lands in 

 our country, and apparently preferred by stock of all descriptions to 

 every other grass. The cultivation of this grass on, the poor and exten- 

 sive sand hills of our middle country would probably convert them into 

 sheep-walks of great value ; but it grows in every soil, and no grass in 

 close rich land is more formidable to the cultivator ; it must therefore 

 be introduced with caution." Sir James Edward Smith, the Botanical 

 Editor of Rees' Cyclopaedia, has the following remarks [Art. PAXicuif 



