8. C. Pickeringii, Gray. Culm 1--1 high; _leaves short; panicle pyramidal_, purplish; glumes ovate-oblong, bluntish or bluntly pointed (1--2" long); _hairs both of the flower and of the rudiment very short_ and scanty, one fourth or fifth the length of the flower, none behind the obtuse flowering glume, which bears between its middle and base a short stout (straight or bent, not twisted) awn. (Deyeuxia Pickeringii, _Vasey_.)--White Mts., in the alpine region of Mt.

Washington, and a more luxuriant form with smaller spikelets at Echo Lake, Franconia; Andover, Ma.s.s. (_J. Robinson_); Cape Breton.

-- 2. CALAMOViLFA. _Rudiment of second flower wanting; glumes and palet rather chartaceous, compressed-keeled; flowering glume 1-nerved, entirely awnless; palet strongly 2-keeled; panicle at length open and loose._

9. C. brevipilis, Gray. Branches of the diffuse pyramidal panicle capillary (purplish); empty _glumes orate_, mucronate; the upper slightly, the lower nearly one half shorter than the _flowering glume and palet_, which are _more than twice the length of the hairs and bristly-bearded along the keels_. (Ammophila brevipilis, _Benth._)--Sandy swamps, pine-barrens of N. J.; rare. Sept.--Culm 2--4 high; leaves nearly flat; spikelets 2" long.

10. C. longiflia, Hook. Culm (1--4 high) stout, from thick running rootstocks; _leaves rigid, elongated, involute_ above and tapering into a long thread-like point; panicle at first close, becoming open and pyramidal, the branches smooth; _glumes lanceolate_, the upper as long as the flower, the lower shorter; _the copious hairs more than half the length of the naked flower_. (Ammophila longifolia, _Benth._)--Sands, along the upper Great Lakes, from Ill. and Mich. to Dak., Kan., and westward. Aug.--Spikelets 2--3" long.

34. AMMoPHILA, Host. (Pl. 16.)

Spikelets large, in a contracted spike-like panicle, 1-flowered, with a pedicel-like rudiment of a second flower (plumose above), the flower hairy-tufted at base. Empty glumes scarious-chartaceous, lanceolate, compressed-keeled, nearly equal; flowering glume and palet similar, a little shorter, the glume 5-nerved, slightly mucronate or obscurely awned near the tip, the palet 2-keeled.--A coa.r.s.e perennial maritime species, with running rootstocks. (Name from ???, _sand_, and f????, _to love_.)

1. A. arundinacea, Host. (SEA SAND-REED.) Culm stout and rigid (2--3 high) from firm running rootstocks; leaves long, soon involute; panicle contracted into a dense cylindrical spike (5--9' long); spikelets 5--6"

long; hairs only one third of the length of the flower. (Calamagrostis arenaria, _Roth_.)--Sandy beaches, N. J. to Maine and northward, and on the Great Lakes. Aug. (Eu.)

35. ARRHENATHeRUM, Beauv. OAT-GRa.s.s. (Pl. 12.)

Spikelets open-panicled, 2-flowered, with the rudiment of a third flower; the middle flower perfect, its glume barely bristle-pointed from near the tip; the lowest flower staminate only, bearing a long bent awn below the middle of the back (whence the name, from ?????, _masculine_, and ????, _awn_);--otherwise as in Avena, of which it is only a peculiar modification.

A. AVENaCEUM, Beauv. Root perennial; culm 2--4 high; leaves broad, flat; panicle elongated; glumes scarious, very unequal.--Meadows and lots; absurdly called _Gra.s.s of the Andes_. May--July. (Nat from Eu.)

36. HoLCUS, L. (partly). MEADOW SOFT-GRa.s.s. (Pl. 12.)

Spikelets crowded in an open panicle, 2-flowered; the boat-shaped membranaceous glumes enclosing and much exceeding the remotish flowers.

Lower flower perfect, its papery or thin-coriaceous glume awnless and pointless; the upper flower staminate, otherwise similar, but bearing a stout bent awn below the apex. Stamens 3. Styles plumose to the base.

Grain free. (A name in Pliny for a kind of gra.s.s, from ?????, _attractive_, of obscure application.)

H. LANaTUS, L. (VELVET-GRa.s.s.) Perennial, soft-downy and pale; panicle oblong; upper empty glume mucronate-awned under the apex; awn of the staminate flower curved.--Moist meadows. June. (Nat. from Eu.)

37. ARA, L. HAIR-GRa.s.s.

Spikelets very small, in an open diffuse panicle, of 2 perfect contiguous flowers. Glumes thin-membranaceous, the two lower persistent, nearly equal, acute, keeled; the flowering ones obscurely nerved, acutely 2-cleft at the apex, bearing a slender twisted awn below the middle. Stamens 3. Styles plumose to the base. Grain oblong, adnate.--Low annuals, with short setaceous leaves. (An ancient Greek name for Darnel.)

A. CARYOPHLLEA, L. Culms 5--10' high, bearing _a very diffuse panicle_ of purplish and at length _silvery scarious spikelets_.--Dry fields, Nantucket; also Newcastle, Del., _W. M. Canby_. (Nat. from Eu.)

A. PRae'c.o.x, L. Culms tufted, 3--4' high; branches of the _small and dense panicle_ appressed; awn from below the middle of the glume.--Sandy fields, N. J. to Va.; rare. (Nat. from Eu.)

38. DESCHaMPSIA, Beauv. (Pl. 12.)

Spikelets small, panicled, of 2 perfect flowers and the hairy pedicel or rudiment of a third (rarely staminate); rhachis hairy. Empty glumes persistent, membranaceous and shining, carinate, acute, nearly equal; flowering glumes toothed or erose-denticulate at the truncate summit, usually delicately 3--5-nerved, with a slender twisted awn near or below the middle. Grain oblong, free.--Root perennial. (Named for Loiseleur-_Deslongchamps_, a French botanist.)

[*] _Empty glumes somewhat shorter than the flowers._

1. D. flexusa, Trin. (COMMON HAIR-GRa.s.s.) (Pl. 12, fig. 1--3.) Culms slender, nearly naked (1--3 high) above the small tufts of _involute bristle-form root-leaves_ (1--6' long); branches of the small spreading panicle capillary; _awn longer than the palet, at length bent and twisted_. (Aira flexuosa, _L._)--Dry places; common. June. (Eu.)

2. D. caespitsa, Beauv. Culm tufted (2--4 high); _leaves flat, linear_; panicle pyramidal or oblong (6' long); _awn straight, barely equalling the glume_. (Aira caespitosa, _L._)--Sh.o.r.es of lakes and streams; N. Eng. to Penn., Mich., and northward. June, July. (Eu.)

[*][*] _Empty glumes longer than the flowers, 2--2" long._

3. D. atropurpurea, Scheele. Culms 8--15' high, weak; leaves flat, rather wide; panicle of few spreading branches; awn stout, twice longer than the nerveless truncate ciliolate-denticulate glume. (Aira atropurpurea, _Wahl._)--Alpine summits of N. H. and N. Y., to Lab. and northward. Aug. (Eu.)

39. TRISeTUM, Persoon. (Pl. 12.)

Spikelets 2--several-flowered, often in a contracted panicle; the flowering glume compressed-keeled, of about the same thin-membranaceous texture as the empty glumes, bearing a bent or flexuous (rarely twisted) awn at or below the sharply 2-toothed or 2-pointed apex (whence the name, from _tris_, three, and _seta_, a bristle); otherwise nearly as in Avena. Ours are perennials.

1. T. subspicatum, Beauv., var. molle, Gray. (Pl. 12, fig. 1, 2.) _Minutely soft-downy; panicle dense, much contracted_, oblong or linear (2--3' long); glumes about the length of the 2--3 smooth flowers; awn dorsal, diverging, much exserted.--Mountains and rocky river-banks, N. New Eng. to L. Superior, and northward. July.--About 1 high; leaves flat, short. (Eu.) (Addendum)--Trisetum subspicatum, var. molle, is reported from Roan Mt., N. C. (_Scribner_), and probably occurs on the higher Alleghanies northward.

2. T. pal.u.s.tre, Torr. _Smooth; panicle_ rather long and narrow (5'

long), _loose, the branches capillary; spikelets flat_ (3" long); lower glumes shorter than the two smooth lanceolate flowers; the upper flower on a slightly hairy joint of the rhachis, with a slender spreading or bent awn next the short 2-pointed tip, the _lower commonly awnless_ or only mucronate-pointed.--Low grounds, southern N. Y. to Ill., and southward. June.--Culm slender, 2--3 high; leases flat, short; spikelets yellowish-white, tinged with green.

40. AVeNA, Tourn. OAT. (Pl. 12.)

Spikelets 2--many-flowered, panicled; the flowers herbaceo-chartaceous, or becoming harder, of firmer texture than the large and mostly unequal empty glumes; the uppermost flower imperfect; rhachis and base of the flower often bearded. Flowering glume rounded on the back, mostly 5--11-nerved, bearing a long usually bent or twisted awn on the back or between the two acute teeth at the apex, proceeding from the mid-nerve only. Stamens 3. Grain oblong-linear, grooved on one side, usually hairy at least at the top, free, but invested by the palet. (The cla.s.sical Latin name.)

[*] _Spikelets large (1' long); annual._

A. FaTUA, L. Resembling the common oat (_A. sativa_), the few spikelets in a loose panicle, mostly pendulous; flowering glumes covered with long brownish hairs and bearing a bent awn 1--2' long.--Wisc., Minn. (Nat.

from Eu.)

[*][*] _Smaller-flowered perennials._

1. A. striata, Michx. (Pl. 12, fig. 1, 2.) _Glabrous and smooth_ throughout, slender (1--2 high); leaves narrow; ligule short, truncate; panicle simple, loose; spikelets (6" long) on capillary pedicels, 3--6-flowered, much exceeding the scarious-margined purple acute empty glumes; _lower glume 1-, upper 3-nerved_; rhachis smooth; _flowers short-bearded at base_; flowering glume 7-nerved, much longer than the ciliate-fringed palet (4" long), mostly shorter than its soon bent or divergent awn, which rises just below the tapering very sharply cuspidate 2-cleft tip.--Rocky, shaded hills, N. New Eng., N. Y., and northwestward. June.

2. A. Smithii, Porter. Taller (2--4 high), rather stout; leaves broadly linear (3--6" wide) and taper-pointed, flat, and with the sheaths and culm _retrorsely scabrous_; ligule elongated, acute; panicle larger (6--12' long), the few branches at length spreading; empty glumes slightly purplish, the lower 3-nerved, the upper 5-nerved, scabrous on the nerves; rhachis minutely hispid; _flowers (3--5) naked_ at base; awn straight, {1/3}-- the length of the 7-nerved glume.--N. Mich. and Isle Royale, L. Superior. April, May.

41. DANTHNIA, DC. WILD OAT-GRa.s.s. (Pl. 12.)

Flowering glume (oblong or ovate, rounded-cylindraceous, 7--9-nerved) bearing between the sharp-pointed or awn-like teeth of the tip an awn usually composed of the 3 middle nerves, which is flattish and spirally twisting at base; otherwise nearly as in Avena. Empty glumes longer than the imbricated flowers. Ours perennials, 1--2 high, with narrow and soon involute leaves, hairy sheaths bearded at the throat, and a small simple panicle or raceme of about 7-flowered spikelets. (Named for _Danthoine_, a French botanist.)

1. D. spicata, Beauv. (Pl. 12, fig. 1--3.) Culms tufted, low; leaves short, very narrow; spikelets few, 3--5" long, _subspicate; flowering glume loosely hairy, its teeth short and pointless_.--Dry and sterile or rocky soil.

2. D. sericea, Nutt. Culms taller and not tufted (1--3 high), _terete_; leaves larger, _at least the sheaths silky-villous_; spikelets more numerous and panicled, 6--9" long; _flowering glume very silky-villous, tipped with slender awn-pointed teeth_.--Dry or moist sandy soil, southern Ma.s.s., N. J., and southward; rare. June.

3. D. compressa, Aust. Culms slender, 2 high, somewhat compressed, paler and subcaniculate on the narrower side; leaves elongated, very narrow, villous only at the summit of the sheath; spikelets 6--12, loosely panicled, 5" long; flowering glume loosely hairy or p.u.b.escent, the teeth very long-awned.--Dry banks; Vt. (_Pringle_); E. Ma.s.s., N. Y., Penn., and mountains of N. C.

42. CNODON, Richard. BERMUDA or SCUTCH-GRa.s.s. (Pl. 9.)

Spikelets 1-flowered, with a mere naked short-pedicelled rudiment of a second flower, imbricate-spiked on one side of a flattish rhachis; the spikes usually digitate at the naked summit of the flowering culms.

Empty glumes keeled, pointless, rather unequal; flowering glume and palet pointless and awnless, the glume larger, boat-shaped. Stamens 3.--Low diffusely branched and extensively creeping perennials, with short flattish leaves. (Name composed of ????, _a dog_, and ?d???, _a tooth_.)