GRASS FAMILY. 411 



blanches somewhat fasciculate, erect, elongated, slender and purplish ; 

 sheaths villous : spikes on long peduncles ; the sterile ones neuter, awned. 



Bkoom Axdeopogox. Indian Grass. Purple "Wood-grass. 



CuZjw 3-4 feet hitch, rather slender, smooth, somewhat compressed, sulcate on alter 

 nate sides of the internodes -^nodes smooth : 'branches long, slender, in lateral fascicles, or 

 sometimes in pairs, often subdivided. Leaves 4-S or 12 inches long, lance-linear, acute- 

 scabrous, a little hairy and somewhat glaucous ; .??ieai/i^' striate, roughish : Ugule truncate. 

 Spikes about 2 inches long : racftis compressed or plano-convex J pilose at the edges. Spike- 

 lets distichously arranged •. abortive spikelet minute, subulate, on a linear plumose pedicel 

 which is nearly as long as the perfect spikelet, — the Jloret neuter ; perfect spikelet sessile ; 

 glumes lance-linear, much acuminated, — the lower one bifid at apex : palece nearly equal, 

 ciliate, — the lower "? one deeply bifid, with a twisted awn between the segments. 



Old fields, sterile banks, and road-sides, throughout the United States. Fl. August. 

 Fr. September. 



Ohs. This, and the other native species, are remarkably worthless 

 grasses, — and are apt to abound in poor old neglected fields. Where 

 they prevail, no further evidence is required to demonstrate the unprofit- 

 able condition of the land, or the miserable management of the occupant. 

 Spkes digitate, at the apex of the culm or branches. 



^ 2. A. furca'tus, MuM. Spikes digitate, generally in threes or fours ; 

 rachis hairy ; the sterile floret staminate, awnless. 

 Forked Andropogox. Finger-spiked Indian Grass. 



Culm about 4 feet high, smooth, terete below, semi-terete above, often branching ; nodes 

 smooth. Leaves ^-^ or 12 inches long, lance-linear, nerved, smoothish, scabrous on the 

 margin, pilose at base; s7i€a^/i5 striate , smooth ; Zi^wZe obtuse, sometimes ovate, fringed. 

 6>iAes 2-3 inches long, usually in threes or fours (sometimes 5-6) frequently purple ; 

 raofti.; semi-terete, pilose on the angles: abortive spikelet on a clavato, plumose pedicel : 

 perfTt fpikdel SQf^zWe. Slaty hills, and sterile low grounds. Fl. Aug. Sept. 



Ohs. This is one of the native species which is very worthless, — and 

 very frequent on poor, neglected, badly managed farms. The species of 

 Andropogon here given, are the most common and obtrusive ones, in our 

 poor lands, — at least in Pennsylvania. There are a few others, — par- 

 ticularly one with the spikes conjugate, in fastigiate bushy panicles (A. 

 macrourus, Mx.), — -which is not unfrequent in wet, swampy meadows ; 

 but, though they are all equally worthless, these are scarcely of sufficient 

 importance to require farther notice in this work. 



^ 35. SOE'GHUM, Pers. Broom Corx. Sorghum. 



[The ancient name of a cultivated species.] 



Spilcelets 2-3 together on the branches of a mostly loose and open pan- 

 icle, — the lateral ones sterile, or often mere rudiments, — the middle (or 

 terminal ) one only fertile. Glumes coriaceous, sometimes awnless. Sta- 

 mens 3. For the rest as in Andropogon. 



* Culms slender, Jistular. 

 1. S. nn'tans, Gray. Leaves lance-linear ; ligule elongated, truncate ; 

 panicle narrowly oblong ; fertile spikes russet-brown. 

 XoDDixG Sorghum. Wood Grass. Oat-like Indian Grass. 



