442 
above, sharp-pointed ; scales ovate, ciliate ; stamens two ; grain very 
large, obliquely ovoid, pointed, rather longer than the paleae. 
52. Diarriiena Diandra. Wood. 
Syn. —Festuca diandra, Michx. Diarrhena Americana, Beauv. 
Smooth, culms simple, with long broadly-lincar flat leaves towards 
the base, naked above, bearing a few short-pedicelled spikelets in a very 
simple panicle. Perennial; flowers in August. Culms 15 to 30 inches 
high. Shady river banks and woods. Illinois and Ohio. 
GENUS 22. DACTYLIS. Linnceus. 
[Greek, daktylis , a finger’s breadth.] 
Spikelets crowded in one-sided clusters, forming a branching dense 
panicle ; glumes and the five-nerved lower palea herbaceous, keeled, awn- 
pointed, rough-ciliate on the keel; stamens 3; grain lance-oblong, acute 
53. Dactylis Glomerata. Linnceus . 
Cock’s-foot. Orchard-grass. 
Bough and rather glaucous ; leaves broadly linear, keeled ; branches 
of the panicle naked at the base; spikelets three to four-flowered. Peren¬ 
nial ; flowers in June; culms 2 to 3 feet high. About fields and meadows, 
especially in shady places. Introduced from Europe, and cultivated. 
This species of grass is very valuable, both for pasture and hay, though 
most useful as a pasture grass. Its quality of growing well in the shade 
of trees, in orchards, &c., would seem to point it out as suitable for our 
oak openings, where it would soon doubtless take the place of the wild 
herbage and less valuable natural grasses. To obtain the greatest bene¬ 
fit from the orchard-grass, it is necessary to keep it short, as it decreases 
in value very materially if allowed to ripen its seed, but continues to 
grow rapidly when pastured. It matures at the same time as the clover 
with which it is generally cultivated ; and exhausts the soil much less 
than timothy. The seed is usually sown in autumn, immediately after 
wheat and rye ; about a bushel (of 11^ pounds) to the acre. It is often 
sown early in the spring. By many farmers who have cultivated this 
grass it is preferred even to timothy ; and it is well worthy the attention 
of the farmers of this State, where it is but seldom seen among the tamo 
grasses. 
