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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LIBRARY
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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Miscellaneous Publication No. 200
Issued May 1935 Washington, D.C. Revised February 1951
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES
By A. S. HITCHCOCK
Second Edition Revised by AGNES CHASE
Division of Plant Exploration and Introduction Bureau of Plant Industry, Soils, and Agricultural Engineering Agricultural Research Administration
United States Government Printing Office Washington : 1950
For Sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington 25, D. C. Price $3.00.
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MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES
By the late A. S. Hircucock,! principal botanist, Division of Plant Exploration and Introduc- tion; second edition revised by AGNES CHASE, formerly senior botanist and later collab- orator, Division of Plant Exploration and Introduction, Bureau of Plant Industry, Soils, and Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural Research Administration, and research associate, United States National Museum, Smithsonian Institution
CONTENTS Page Page limibROduUCtlONWy as cievsck ss oc .s. cpr dusters ebiste wietdl ore 1 Descriptions of the tribes and keys to the lWSestomerassesten ck cease eee. 1 genera—Continued Distribution of grasses................-. 4 Tribe 13. Andropogoneae...............- 25 Morphology of grasses. ..............00- 6 ribel 4iEripsacedeiss ce cusses ccseie ve 26 Classification of grasses..............---. 9 Descriptions of genera and species.......... 2 INomenclature sat ick files nek ile Slee ea 11 ribewen Bam buseae.cues sere. sbusis tere fe 27 Commonenamese Aan hse eee sees 12 Mribep2sMestuceaes.. cect. ote wee ah eit onios 31 Scope of the manual.................... 13 Tribes sHondeaeiee.)s ttre W tee antic 230 Gramineae (Poaceae), the grass family...... 13 diriloe AyrAvienedert ice los hole eeiaoieriare 280 Descriptions of the subfamilies and keys to the ‘LriberowAerostideaes = sis one ete ie 313 EBD GSP itee tence. 2k usw ld Seesaiteyas PEribelGyAOysietes acre ates eee ne eoseoe 482 Subfamily 1. Festucoideae............... 14 iribemeChlondedess ieee eee ears 491 Subfamily 2..Panicoideae................ 15 nribe:S.jbhalarideaes: was. Guess: ore orks eee 547 Descriptions of the tribes and keys to the Mr ey O Ni Ory; Zee) ne retype eer etaete eee aa 556 ZEMCT ARP ee asda ie ero heke aKa aula ys Beane ribemlONZizaniedessttre se ae tet nedete 561 Aeriberl aw AIMDUSCAC He ts). + cde die eeers a vic eee aie 15 DrabentiaeWielinideaerrs.: 2); . cians oe eoere 569 Miribe:2o Mestuceae ss. nc ces un ce ee obese 15 Rribesli2a haniceaeunimatnprmtesnuctine etme 569 priberSseELOrdeaGeies S.siie wid gly std sides 18 Tribe 13. Andropogoneae.............--- 737 ACIDE A PAVENERG aa oo ees fe eee ees ee wees 19 Tribe 14. ‘Tripsaceae Bn Pen eRe Rene ice eS 789 Tribe 5. Agrostideae.............0.0 20 ee 20 SVALOMYANY trees Saale secede, ca cere tang tee heat at 796 BETIS LOS OV SICAC eka wa ste) ssdas ciclecue isso. Sis seni | Unidentified nameseewivt eee ae eee 980 slerabpenia ChVOTIVGAGE ec. rt cise) cog 303.0, os ave bo 22 Persons for whom grasses have been named.. 984 EbriberSs Phalarideae ) 2% 5 ss). 3 he eae 23 Glossaryat posts so tetolh g kt BERR ORS a cease teats 990 ube SEL 3S PERG ES EC 23 ANY oY Oz) 010 NO 6a Heart tc ne ae ay maria ae I ey erry a 994 Liber! OF AiZaAMICAC Ss .2 ec eseoelose ence cog cee ges Tribe 11. Melinideae with. Senay tie a eee inp 24 Addenda Ske ELD CAETEROAE. UO DIGCLO Tt OLS ob Glo oleae eb 1000 Pbribedl 2 eaniGeae. foe 6 te cisccae sx. s cle cvelele 24. ANT ON Rigs EA RD fos ia 65 oe eS WOR SP 1001 INTRODUCTION FOOD GRASSES
Of all the plants of the earth the grasses are of the greatest use to the human race. To the grasses belong the cereals, sugarcane, sorghum, and the bamboos; and, since they furnish the bulk of the forage for domestic ani- mals, the grasses are also the basis of animal industry.
USES OF GRASSES
The grasses furnish the principal breadstuffs of the world and a large part of the food of domestic animals; they are also used in the industrial arts and extensively as greensward and ornamentals in parks and gar- dens.
1 Died December 16, 1935.
The most important food plants for the human race are the cereals, in- cluding wheat, corn (maize), rice, bar- ley, rye, oats, and many kinds of erain sorghums. For primitive peoples the seed of certain other grasses, such as pearl millet, common millet, broomcorn millet, Japanese millet, and African millet (ragi), have played an important role. The seeds of the cereals are also extensively used as feed for domestic animals.
FORAGE GRASSES Forage grasses are used for hay, pasturage, soiling, and silage. HAY GRASSES
The grasses together with clovers and alfalfa are the basis of permanent
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+ MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
Sand-binding grasses in addition are able to grow up through the deepening sand. The most effective sand binders for seacoast drifting sand are the European beachgrass (Ammophila arenaria) and its Ameri- can relative (A. breviligulata). The dunes of the Netherlands, south- western France, northern and western Denmark, and other parts of Europe and areas on Cape Cod are planted with beachgrass. These fixed dunes act as barriers, protecting the land behind them. The land now occupied by Golden Gate Park, once an area of drifting sand, was first held in place with beachgrass and_ later planted to shrubs and trees. Cala- movilfa longifolia and Redfieldia flex- uosa are effective native sand binders on sand dunes of the interior.
Grasses with strong rhizomes are used to hold the sides of cuts and banks and to protect them against erosion. Bermuda grass in the South and quackgrass (Agropyron repens) in the North have been used success- fully for this purpose. Rhizome-bear- ing species of Elymus and Agropyron have been used in the Northwest to hold railroad embankments along the Columbia River.
Shallow-water marshes and lagoons are in many places being converted into dry land by native plants grow- ing therein that accumulate soil and gradually raise the level of thebottom. Grasses, especially species of Spartina and Phragmites, play an important part in the process. Artificial plant- ings of Spartina townsendi have been used with great success in the south of England, northern France, and in parts of the Netherlands to convert marshes and mud flats along the coast into dry land.
GRASSES FOR LAWNS AND GOLF COURSES
The lawn is a most important part of a well-planned landscape, park, or garden. For the humid regions of the Northern States, Kentucky bluegrass, also used for pasture, is the best- known lawngrass. Rough bluegrass (Poa trivialis) is often used as a lawn-
grass in shady places. In the Southern States Bermuda grass takes the place of bluegrass. Two other species are prominent as grasses for lawns and putting greens, creeping bent (Agrostis palustris) and _ colonial bent (A. tenuis). Along southern coasts St. Augustine grass (Steno- taphrum secundatum) and centipede grass (Hremochloa ophiuroides) are planted, being propagated by cut- tings. Some of the fescue grasses are used in mixtures for lawns. These are red fescue (Festuca rubra), sheep fescue (F. ovina), hard fescue (F. ova var. duriuscula), and shade fescue (F. rubra var. heterophylla).
ORNAMENTAL GRASSES
Among typical ornamentals the plumegrasses, giant reed (Arundo donax), Ravenna grass (Erzanthus ravennae), eulalia (Miscanthus sin- ensis), and pampasgrass (Cortaderia selloana) are the most popular for parks and large areas. Dwarf bamboo (Bambusa multiplex) is used for hedges in the South, and the smaller species of Phyllostachys for masses of evergreen foliage. Pseudosasa japo- nica. an aggressively spreading hardy bamboo, is rather common in parks. Fountain grass (Pennisetum setacewm) and blue fescue (Festuca ovina var. glauca) are used for borders. Ribbon grass (Phalaris arundinacea var. pic- ta) is a familiar grass in old gardens. Basket grass (a variegated form of Oplismenus hirtellus) will fall in long festoons from hanging baskets.
DISTRIBUTION OF GRASSES
One of the most widely distributed of the families of flowering plants, the grasses are found over the land surface of the globe, in marshes and in deserts, on prairies and in wood- land, on sand, rocks, and fertile soil, from the Tropics to the polar regions and from sea level to perpetual snow on the mountains.
The different grasses, like other kinds of plants, thrive best under certain conditions of soil, moisture, temperature, exposure, and altitude.
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 5)
The conditions under which a plant normally grows is its habitat. Some species are narrowly restricted in their habitat—being found only in sand or on rocks, in salt marshes or on alpine summits, for example, whereas others are tolerant of wide variations of habitat. Red fescue (Mestuca rubra) is an example of wide distribution of a species tolerant of a variety of habitats. It is found from the Arctic regions south at low altitudes to Georgia and central California and in the mountains farther south, and from the seacoast marshes to moun- tain tops.
Each species is found growing over a rather definite geographic area, but within this area it is confined to its particular habitat.
In mountain regions altitude is an important factor in modifying range, each species thriving within certain limits of altitude. Species found at high altitudes in one range of moun- tains may reappear at about the same altitude on other ranges. Cer- tain grasses growing at low levels in the north are found in the mountains and at increasingly higher elevations southward. |
The geographic range is of impor- tance and is given in some detail for each species in the manual. The range as given is based upon the study of a vast amount of material, both in the herbarium and in the field. For convenience in keeping the records of distribution a series of out- line maps, one for each species or variety, has been prepared in the grass herbarium of the United States National Herbarium. The known range of each species is indicated upon these maps by a dot on each State from which specimens are in the herbarium or have been examined by the author. (A few extensions of range have been found since the maps were engraved. These are in- cluded in the text.) Local floras, lists, and records of distribution have been checked, and efforts have been made to verify the records that seemed to indicate an extension of range. Other
herbaria have been visited or have lent specimens, and many correspond- ents have submitted specimens for verification. No additions have been made without a study of the speci- mens. But it must be borne in mind that dots (representing specimens) necessarily indicate where the differ- ent specimens have been collected, therefore where botanists have been. Absence of a dot in a state does not necessarily mean the species in ques- tion does not grow in that state.
The ranges of native species are usually fairly well defined and con- tinuous. A species of the Coastal Plain extends, for example, from New Jersey to North Carolina or from Virginia to Florida and Texas, with- out a conspicuous break. Mountain plants extend along mountain ranges where similar conditions prevail. Some species have in the main a continuous range but are found also in isolated and distant localities. Bouteloua hir- suta extends over the Great Plains east to Wisconsin and Louisiana, and again occurs abundantly and ap- parently native on Sanibel Island, Fla. Some Coastal Plain species ap- pear again around the head of Lake Michigan. In these cases it is prob- able that the species do not occur in the intermediate areas.
Certain arctic or northern species also show interrupted range, being found within the limits of the United States only on isolated mountain tops. The arctic grass, Phippsia algida, for example, is known within the United States only from alpine summits in Colorado. What appear to be interrupted ranges along the northern or southern borders are mostly due to extensions into this country from the main ranges in Canada or Mexico.
The distribution of recently intro- duced species is often very erratic. A single introduction may maintain itself or even spread considerably for several years before coming to the notice of botanists. Introduced species often travel rapidly along railroads by means of cattle cars, or
6 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
they spread as impurities in the seed of crop plants. That seeds may travel great distances through the air has been shown by experiments in which airplanes have collected seeds, in- sects, and other objects at varying heights in the atmosphere. For ex- ample, spikelets of Paspalum dtla- tatum and P. urvillet were taken at altitudes up to 5,000 feet in Louisiana.
Grasses introduced into cultivation may spread or ‘‘escape’’ from culti- vation and become established over wide areas. Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) and the ryegrasses (Lolium perenne and L. multiflorum) are familiar examples. Johnson grass is an excellent forage grass, but if it escapes into cultivated fields may become a troublesome weed.
Other cultivated grasses, such as the grains, frequently spread from fields but are unable to maintain themselves for long. Eulalia (W7s- canthus sinensis) has been cultivated for ornament in the eastern part of the United States for many years. Recently it has shown a tendency to spread by seed. It is now becoming a nuisance in some localities because of its aggressiveness in old fields.
MORPHOLOGY OF GRASSES
The organs of grasses undergo many modifications or departures from the usual or typical structure. A knowledge of the structure and modifications of the organs, especially of the parts of the spikelet, is essen- tial for the interpretation of relation- ships.
VEGETATIVE ORGANS
In size grasses vary from minute species only 2 or 3 cm. high to the giant bamboos 30 m. tall. The vege- tative organs, however, consist, in all cases, of root, stem, and leaves. A single unbranched stem with the at- tached leaves is a shoot.
ROOT
The roots of grasses are fibrous with little modification. The primary
root persists only a short time after germination, its place being taken by secondary roots produced from the nodes of the young culm. Besides the original root system at the base of the plant, secondary roots are often formed from nodes above the ground as in maize (prop roots), or from the nodes of crecping culms (rhizomes or stolons). Roots are never produced from the internodes of the culms.
STEM
The jointed stem of a grass, called a culm, is made up of a series of nodes and internodes. The internode is hollow (wheat), or solid (maize); the node or joint is always solid. The culm may branch at the base as in wheat (stools) or above the base as in Muhlenbergia. Creeping culms, modi- fied for propagation, may be below ground (rhizomes) or above ground (stolons). The lower internodes may thicken into corms (timothy, species of Melica, Arrhenatherum elatius var. bulbosum), sometimes referred to as bulbs. Perennial grasses may form a sod or mass of individuals by means of rhizomes or stolons, or they may form a crown or tuft by the continual formation of upright branches within the lower sheaths.
LEAF
The leaves are borne on the culm in two ranks, one at each node. The leaf consists of sheath and_ blade. The sheath envelops the culm above the node, the margins overlapping (open) or infrequently united into a cylinder for a part or a whole of the distance to the summit (closed).
The blades are typically flat, nar- row, and sessile. In dry regions they are usually involute or convolute; in tropical shade they are often com- paratively short and wide (lanceo- late, ovate, or elliptic); in most of the bamboos they are narrowed into a short petiole articulate with the sheath.
Some grasses (especially the Hor- deae) bear, one on either side at the
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 7
base of the blade, appendages known as auricles. At the junction of the blade and sheath on the inside is a membranaceous or ciliate appendage called the ligule. The region on the back of the leaf at the junction of the sheath and blade is called the collar.
PROPHYLLUM
At the point where a branch shoot originates from a main shoot (in the axil of a sheath), there is produced on the side next to the parent shoot a 2-keeled organ (the first leaf of the shoot) called the prophyllum. At first the prophyllum completely covers the bud but later opens as the shoot develops. The organ is usually con- cave between the keels toward the parent shoot but clasps the new shoot by its margins.
FLORAL ORGANS
The floral organs of all flowering plants are modified shoots. The flow- ers of grasses consist of stamens and pistils with no floral envelopes or peri- anth, except as they are represented by the lodicules.
THE INFLORESCENCE
The unit of the grass inflorescence is the spikelet. The spikelets are nearly always aggregated in groups or clus- ters which constitute the inflores- cence. The tassel of maize, the spike or head of wheat or timothy, and the panicle of the oat or bluegrass are examples of inflorescences.
The simplest inflorescence is the raceme, in which the spikelets are pediceled along an axis. The typical raceme, as in Plewropogon, is rare in grasses. Modified spikelike racemes are characteristic of Paspalum, Digi- tarza, and allied genera, in which the spikelets are paired and short-pedicel- late, and of most Andropogoneae, in which the spikelets are paired, one sessile, the other pedicellate. The in- florescences of the groups mentioned may best be considered as specialized panicles.
The spike differs from the raceme in having sessile spikelets. In the Hor- deae the spikes are symmetrical, in the Chlorideae they are one-sided.
The panicle is the commonest kind of grass cluster. In this the spikelets are pediceled in a branched inflores- cence. The panicle may be open or diffuse, as in Panicum capillare, or con- tracted, as in millet. Compact pan- icles, especially if cylindric like timo- thy, are called spikelike panicles.
Numerous small inflorescences may be aggregated into a large or com- pound inflorescence. Many Andro- pogoneae have compound _inflores- cences, for example, the broomsedge (Andropogon virginicus).
Panicles often expand at the time of flowering (anthesis). Such expan- sion or spreading of the branches and branchlets is brought about by the swelling of motor organs (pulvini) in the axils of the inflorescence.
Sometimes the ultimate branches of an inflorescence are sterile instead of bearing spikelets. The sterile branch- lets of Setaria, Pennisetum, and Cen- chrus are modified into bristles around the spikelets.
THE SPIKELET
A typical spikelet consists of a short axis (rachilla) on which the flowers are borne in the axils of 2-ranked imbricate bracts. The spike- let is, therefore, a reduced modified shoot in which the rachilla is a stem bearing at each node a reduced leaf (bract). The flowers are secondary re- duced shoots borne in the axils of the bracts, the first bract (palea) on the secondary shoot being a modified pro- phyllum and the stamens and pistil being modified leaves or bracts. The bracts of the lowest pair on the rachilla, being always empty, are dis- tinguished as glumes. The succeeding bracts are called lemmas (flowering glumes of some authors). The glumes and lemmas represent the sheath of the leaves, the blades not developing (in proliferous spikelets the parts are partially developed into typical
8 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U. 8S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
leaves). The lemma, palea, and in- cluded flower are called the floret. The branchlet bearing the spikelet is the pedicel.
The spikelet may be reduced to a single floret (Agrostideae), sometimes with a prolongation of the rachilla be- hind, as in Calamagrostis. In Andro- pogon a fertile spikelet is paired with a sterile one in which the pistil or both pistil and stamens are wanting. The upper florets of the spikelet are often reduced in Festuceae, and the lower lemmas may be empty in some genera (Uniola, Blepharidachne). In Melica and Chloris the upper florets may bereduced and form a club-shaped body. In Phalaris there is one fertile floret with a pair of sterile florets below, each reduced to a small ap- pressed scale. In Lamarckia and Cynosurus there are prominent sterile spikelets mixed with the fertile ones.
In Paniceae the spikelet has a per- fect terminal floret and below this a sterile floret, consisting of a sterile lemma similar to the glumes, either empty or with a hyaline palea or sometimes with a staminate flower.
*In a few grasses (Amphicarpum, Chloris chloridea) there are, in addi- tion to the usual inflorescence above ground, cleistogamous spikelets borne on underground culms.
RACHILLA
The axis bearing the florets, the rachilla, usually disarticulates be- tween the florets when the spikelet is more than 1-flowered. In many species of Eragrostis it is continuous, usually bearing the persistent paleas, after the remainder of the florets have fallen. When the rachilla disarticu- lates the break is usually just below the florets so that the rachilla joint remains attached as a little stipe back of the palea. The disarticulation is near the middle of the internode in Trichoneura and Festuca subulzflora. The rachilla disarticulates just above the floret in Phragmites, the rachilla remaining as a plumose stipe below it. The rachilla is short-villous or pilose
in many genera of Aveneae (the callus of the floret often pilose also).
In some genera with 1-flowered spikelets (Calamagrostis, Cinna, Cyno- don) the rachilla is prolonged behind the floret as a slender, often villous, stipe or bristle, and in several genera with several-flowered spikelets ( Koe- leria, Poa) it is prolonged, beyond the uppermost floret.
GLUMES
The glumes are usually similar in shape and texture, tlhe first often smaller and with fewer nerves. Rarely the first glume is longer than the sec- ond (species of Aristida). The first may be much reduced or wanting (Azonopus, Paspalum, Digitaria). Rarely both glumes are wanting (Leersia, Reimarochloa). In Eriochloa the first glume is reduced or wanting, the first rachilla joint being a hard ring below the spikelet. In Andro- pogoneae the first glume is usually in- durate, sometimes strongly so. In some Hordeae the glumes are bristle- like.
LEMMAS
The lemmas in the more primitive grasses are typically similar to the glumes but may be variously modi- fied. In Panicum the fertile lemma is much harder than the glumes; in An- dropogoneae they are much thinner than the glumes, often hyaline. The indurate cylindric lemma, of Stipa and Aristida bears a sharp callus at base, formed by the oblique articulation with the rachilla.
PALEA
The palea is mostly 2-keeled and often concave between the keels. It is homologous with the prophyllum. Sometimes the 2 nerves of the palea are so close together as to appear like a single nerve (Cinna) ; sometimes the 2 nerves are marginal and widely sep- arated as in rice. The keels may be ciliate (Hragrostis), bearded (T77- plasis), or winged (Pleuropogon). The palea is much reduced or wanting in
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 9
species of Agrostis. Usually the palea falls with its lemma, but in many species of Hragrostzs it persists upon the rachilla after the fall of the lemma.
FLOWER
The flower proper consists of the stamens and pistil. The stamens are usually 3 but may be 1 to 6, rarely more. The slender filaments bear 2-celled anthers which are basifixed but so deeply sagittate as to appear versatile. The pistil is 1-celled, with 1 ovule; the styles are usually 2 but may be 1 or 3; the stigmas may arise from a single style or directly from the ovary. The style of Zea is greatly elongated and stigmatic over much of the exserted surface.
The lodicules are small organs found at the base of the flower outside the stamens. There are usually 2, rarely 3, the function of which is to open the floret at anthesis by their turgidity. They probably represent much reduced divisions of a perianth.
Typically the grasses are adapted to cross-pollination, but many species are cleistogamous in part. The axillary inflorescences of some species (Pani- cum clandestinum and allies, Leersia oryzoides) are enclosed in the sheaths and are self-pollinated. The florets of wheat expand for only a short time, when cross-pollination may take place, but for the most part are self- pollinated.
The fruit of the grasses is usually a caryopsis, in which the single seed is grown fast to the pericarp, forming a seedlike grain. In a few genera (Sporo- bolus, Eleusine), the seed is free from the pericarp. The caryopsis may be free from the lemma and palea, as in wheat, or it may be permanently en- closed, as in the oat and in the Pan- iceae. The grain (caryopsis) may en- large during ripening and greatly ex- ceed the glumes, lemma, and palea, as in maize and Pennisetum glaucum.
The embryo lies on the side of the caryopsis next to the lemma, and can be easily seen as an oval depression (the “germ” of maize and wheat). The hilum is the dot or line opposite
the embryo which marks the point of attachment of the seed to the peri- carp. The part of the caryopsis not occupied by the embryo is the endo- sperm, or nourishment for the ger- minating seed.
CLASSIFICATION OF GRASSES
A natural classification of plants is one in which the different kinds or species are arranged in groups ac- cording to their resemblances as shown by their structure, especially (in the grasses and other flowering plants) by the structure of their flowers. The plants of today repre- sent a cross section of the lines of descent from countless generations that have preceded them. It is gener- ally accepted that there has been much variation during the evolution- ary process, and that all living plants are genetically connected through their lines of descent. Some of the gaps in present-day knowledge of relationship are filled by fossil re- mains, but relatively few of the an- cestors of living plants are repre- sented by fossils. Knowledge of the ancestry of the kinds of plants now on the globe is necessarily very in- complete. Hence, ideas of the rela- tions of groups to each other are largely inferences based upon mor- phological resemblances. Those indi- viduals which are so much alike as to appear to be of one kind, with, presumably, a common ancestor in recent geological times, are regarded as belonging to the same species. The species is the unit of classifica- tion. For convenience, species are grouped into genera and genera into families. For example, the white oak, red oak, black oak, and other kinds or species of oak belong to the oak genus (Quercus), all the species of which have one character in common —the fruit is an acorn. The oak genus, the beech genus, the chestnut genus, and a few allied genera are grouped together as a family.
The grass family (Gramineae or Poaceae) is one of the largest in number of genera and species, and,
10 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U. 8. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
among flowering plants, is probably the largest in the number of indi- viduals and is one of the most widely distributed. Some genera, such as the bluegrasses (Poa), the bromegrasses (Bromus), and the immense genus Panicum, contain numerous often closely allied species. Some genera contain but a few species or only one.
When an attempt is made to classify a group of related variable species the question always arises whether there are several closely re- lated but distinct species or a few distinct species, each of which shows great variation. It is but natural that botanists should differ in their con- clusions. This explains in part the different classifications of the same group given by botanists of different periods or even of the same period. A satisfactory classification depends upon the study of abundant material both in the field and in the herbarium. By observation in the field one learns the range of variability of a species, while in the herbarium one can com- pare plants from different localities, interpreting the dried specimens in the light of field experience.
In the classification of variable species it is found convenient some- times to separate variants as varieties. A variety comprises those individuals of a species that show a definite tendency to vary in a certain direc- tion, but which are connected with the species by rather numerous inter- grades. Sometimes a variety is found- ed on a single variation which is distinct but trivial, for example, pubescent specimens of a glabrous species. A variation supported by a distinct geographical range or even by a distinct habitat is given greater weight than is a variation found in a few individuals growing among plants of the typical form.
The study of a vast amount of material in field and _ herbarium during some 40 years has resulted in the recognition of relatively few va- rieties, the intergrades proving to be
more numerous than fairly clear-cut variants. Well-marked varieties are given a separate paragraph in the text, but are not usually given in the keys. Less well-marked varieties are given in the paragraph with the species. Many additional forms are indicated in a descriptive statement without being formally recognized as species or varieties. For example, under Digitaria gracillima appears, “A tall plant with * * * has been called D. bakeri (Nash) Fernald’; and under Eriochloa michauxu, “a form with * * * has been described as E. mollis var. longifolia Vasey.”
The arrangement of the genera in this manual is, in general, trom the simple to the complex. It is, of course, impossible to arrange all the genera in linear sequence and at the same time represent a gradual increase in complexity because plants have not developed in a single line, but have diverged in all directions, their rela- tionships being a complex network. The highest genus of one tribe may be much more complex than the lowest genus of the next tribe above. On the average the Bambuseae seem to be the most primitive and the Tripsaceae the most complex. A grass with a spikelet consisting of glumes and several florets, the lem- mas and glumes being similar and resembling bracts, is a primitive form, Grasses with spikelets in which the parts are reduced, enlarged, or much differentiated, are derived or complex forms. Derived forms may be simple from the reduction of parts and yet not be primitive. In the main the genera of grasses fall readily into a few large groups or tribes, but several genera of uncertain affinities are, for convenience, placed in the recognized tribes on artificial characters, with the hope that further study and exploration will bring to light their true relationships.
The grasses of the world (some 600 genera) have been grouped into 14 tribes, all of which are represented in the United States.
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 11
The sequence of tribes and genera in the manual with a few minor changes, is that found in The Genera of Grasses of the United States.?
NOMENCLATURE
The cooperative study of botany depends for progress and success on definiteness in the application of the names of plants. Research workers in all branches of botany must use the names of plants in the same sense, or serious misunderstandings will result. One of the functions of systematic botany is to determine the correct names of plants. The study of the application of plant names is nomenclature. By common consent of the botanists of the world Latin has been accepted as the language for technical plant names.
Modern nomenclature commences with the publication in 1753 of Linnaeus’ Species Plantarum in which the binomial system of naming plants was first proposed. During the nearly 200 years following that date many thousands of plants have been de- scribed. During this time there has been a lack of uniformity in the use of names, causing much confusion and resulting in frequent changes. The same species has been described under different names at different times, and the same name has been given to different plants. This con- fusion has been especially embarrass- ing to the agriculturist, ranger, seeds- man, pathologist, entomologist, and to all others interested in plants but not familiar with nomenclature and the history of the names used.
The difference in the Latin names applied in different books to the same kind of grass is due to several causes.
(1) A species is described as new by one author without knowing that the same spe- cies had been previously described by an- other author. The second name is known as a synonym.
(2) An author applies a new name to a variant of a species already described. The
2 Hitcucocs, A. 8. THE GENERA OF GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE ECONOMIC SPECIES. U.S. Dept. Agr. Bul. 772, 307 pp., illus. 1920, revised 1936,
author recognizes the variant as a distinct species. Other botanists may consider it to be only a variety of the older species or may consider it as a variant not sufficiently dis- tinct to be worthy of varietal rank.
(3) Authors have different concepts of the limits of genera. The genus Triticum was described by Linnaeus. A later botanist thought that many of the species of this genus were different enough to constitute a distinct genus, Agropyron, and transferred quackgrass, first described as Triticum re- pens to Agropyron, as A. repens.
(4) Authors sometimes misidentify spe- cies. Linnaeus described one of the cord- grasses as Spartina cynosuroides. Later, Michaux used the specific name for a differ- ent species (T’rachynotia cynosuroides, based on S. cynosuroides L.) This error was cor- rected and the species described by Michaux was given a new name, S. michauxiana. Later the loan of the type of Spartina pec- tinata Link, poorly described many years earlier, shows that that name is the valid one for the species.
It will be seen that the differences in names are due in part to differences of opinion as to the generic, specific, or varietal distinctness of forms; in part to lack of knowledge as to what plants have been described previously ; and in part to errors of identification.
All the preceding shows the need of rules of nomenclature. To enable users of this manual to coordinate the names published to date a syn- onymy has been appended in which all the names published for grasses in the United States have been ar- ranged under the names here adopted, that is, under the oldest valid name for each species. In determining the valid names of the species the Inter- national Rules of Botanical Nomen- clature have been followed. Under these rules certain generic names are conserved though they are not the earliest. The names of genera of grasses on the conserved list are as follows: Chrysopogon, Tragus, Zoysia, Setaria, Leersia, Ehrharta, Hierochloé, Crypsis, Coleanthus, Corynephorus, Cynodon, Ctenitum, Buchloé, Diarrhe- na, Lamarckia, Glyceria, Scolochloa.
Certain other names of genera are used for different reasons. Digitaria antedates Syntherisma with which it is synonymous. It was proposed at the Cambridge International Botan-
12 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
ical Congress (and referred to a committee) that the standard species of Holcus be H. lanatus and of Aira be A. praecox, thus leaving Sorghum and Deschampsia the valid names for their respective genera.
The synonymy attempts to record all the effectively published names given to species and varieties de- scribed from the United States or known to grow in the United States. In addition many names are given that have been published as syno- nyms or without sufficient description (nomina nuda). Whether such names are included depends upon whether they have appeared in such works as the Index Kewensis or have some connection with effectively published names. When a species is transferred from one genus to another, a new name results. The basis of the trans- fer is given in each case. If the name was published as new the original published locality is given. State- ments enclosed in brackets following the original locality ‘are based upon unpublished evidence.
Forms (formae) are included in the Synonymy so far as they have been indexed in the grass herbarium. The index includes all forms recently published in this country. Misapplied names have not been included among the synonyms but are mentioned in a paragraph at the end of the syn- onymy of the valid species, and then only names that have appeared in recent manuals are given. For con- venience the names of the genera are arranged alphabetically and under each genus the valid names of the Species are given in alphabetic order in boldface type, the synonyms of each species (in italics) being arranged chronologically under the valid name.
So far as possible the names have been confirmed or identified by exam- ination of the types. The type of a Species or variety is the specimen which an author had chiefly in mind when he wrote the original descrip- tion. The type specimen determines
the application of the name. The type specimens of the early American bot- anists are mostly in European her- baria. The types of species described by Vasey and other botanists con- nected with the Department of Agri- culture are mostly in the United States National Herbarium. Types not in Washington have been studied in other herbaria and photographs and drawings made of them by the agrostologists of the Department of Agriculture, or have been lent by the curators of the herbaria in which they are deposited. Through the courtesy of these curators many fragments of types have been deposited in the United States National Herbarium. A few type specimens have not been located, and doubtless in some of these cases there are no types in exist- ence to confirm original descriptions. A relatively small number of pub- lished names still remain unidentifi- able. These names are listed following the synonymy. Certain exotic species, occasionally cultivated for ornament or for trial, have been included in notes appended to the genera to which they belong. It has not been practicable in all cases to verify the application of the names on a type basis, and the species are admitted under the names they bear in culti- vation. COMMON NAMES
The common or English names of plants are often uncertain in their ap- plication, different plants bearing the same name or the same plant bearing different names in different localities. A recent work, Standardized Plant Names,*® recently reissued, has coor- dinated and standardized the com- mon names. One of the authors of this work, Frederick V. Coville, standard- ized the common names of the grasses for the first edition of this Manual.
3 AMERICAN JOINT COMMITTEE ON HORTICULTURAL NOMENCLATURE. STANDARDIZED PLANT NAMES. Pre- pared by Olmsted, F. L., Coville, F. V., and Kelsey, H. P. 546 pp. Salem, Mass. 1923. (Revised by Kelsey,
. P., and Dayton, W. A. 675 pp. Harrisburg, Pa. 1942.)
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 13
SCOPE OF THE MANUAL
,The manual includes descriptions of all grasses known to grow in the continental United States, excluding Alaska. There are 169 numbered gen- era and 1,398 numbered species. Of these, 46 genera and 156 species are introduced, mostly from the Eastern Hemisphere.
In addition to the numbered spe- cies, which may be considered per- manent constituents of the flora of the United States, there are 16 genera and 120 species that are known only as ballast plants, or as waifs, or are only rarely cultivated. These appear not to be established and are men- tioned, without numbers, in para- graphs appended to their nearest al- lies. They are not included in the keys.
The manual is based mainly on the material in the United States Na- tional Herbarium, the grass collection of which is the largest in the world, numbering more than 320,000 sheets. In addition, all the larger collections of grasses in the United States have been consulted and the curators have lent specimens for study and have aided in other ways. Many smaller collections have contributed informa- tion, especially on the ranges of spe- cies. The cooperation of the Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture, has been invaluable. The Forest Service maintains in its Wash- ington office a range-plant her- barium consisting of the collections made by forest officers, especially those located in western national forests and forest experiment stations. The grasses of this range-plant her- barium have been examined and have furnished important data on distribu- tion.
Many botanists throughout the country have rendered valuable as- sistance in recent years by contribut- ing specimens that have added spe- cies previously unknown from the United States, have extended ranges, and have helped to solve the position of puzzling species and varieties.‘
Nearly all the numbered species are illustrated.6 About half are accom- panied by a map, giving the distribu- tion of that species in the United States.
To aid the users of this work in pro- nouncing the Latin names the ac- cented syllable is indicated. The ac- cent mark is used to show the ac- cented syllable without reference to the length of the vowel.
GRAMINEAE (POACEAE), THE GRASS FAMILY
Flowers perfect (rarely unisexual), small, with no distinct perianth, ar- ranged in spikelets consisting of a shortened axis (rachilla) and 2 to many 2-ranked bracts, the lowest 2 being empty (the glumes, rarely one or both obsolete), the 1 or more suc- ceeding ones (lemmas) bearing in their axils a single flower, and, be- tween the flower and the rachilla, a second 2-nerved bract (the palea), the lemma, palea, and flower together constituting the floret; stamens 1 to 6, usually 3, with very delicate fila- ments and 2-celled anthers; pistil 1, with a 1-celled 1l-ovuled ovary, 2
4 The more important are: A. A. Beetle, from Cali- fornia; E. E. Berkeley, from West Virginia; H. L. Blomquist, from North Carolina; W. E. Booth, from Montana; Clair Brown, from Louisiana; V. H. Chase, from Illinois, Arkansas, and Idaho; Earl Core, from West Virginia; R. A. Darrow, from Arizona; Davis, from Idaho; Charles C. Deam and J. E. Potzger, from Indiana; H. I. Featherly, from Okla- homa; M. L. Fernald, from Northeastern States and Virginia; A. O. Garrett, from Utah; L. N. Goodding, from the Southwest; F. W. Gould, from Arizona and California; C. R. Hanes, from Michigan; H. Harrington, from Colorado; Bertrand Harrison, from Utah; R. F. Hoover and John Thomas Howell, from California; T. H. Kearney, from Arizona; John and Charlotte Reeder, California to Michigan; and W. A. Silveus, from Texas and other Southern States.
Jason R. Swallen, Curator, Division of Grasses, U.S. National Museum, has given valuable assistance. The bibliography is based on the catalog of grass names maintained in the Division of Grasses, this catalog being the work, over some 35 years, of Cornelia D. Niles, bibliographer. F. A. McClure, bamboo spe- cialist, U.S. Department of Agriculture, contributed the economic notes on bamboos and has aided in the elucidation of the native species of bamboos.
5 The drawings illustrating the genera (previously published in the U. S. Department of Agriculture Bulletin 772, the Genera of Grasses of the United States...) and nearly half of the others were made by Mary Wright Gill; the rest were drawn by Edna May Whitehorn, Frances C. Weintraub, Leta Hughey, and Agnes Chase. The last-named made most of the spikelet drawings. In each case the specimen from which the drawing was made is cited, for example (Nash 2198, Fla.),
14 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U
(rarely 1 or 3) styles, and usually plumose stigmas; fruit a caryopsis with starchy endosperm and a small embryo at the base on the side oppo- site the hilum.
Herbs, or rarely woody plants, with hollow or solid stems (culms) closed at the nodes, and 2-ranked usually parallel-veined leaves, these consist- ing of 2 parts, the sheath, enveloping the culm, its margins overlapping or sometimes grown together, and the blade, usually flat; between the 2 on the inside, a membranaceous hyaline or hairy appendage (the ligule).
The spikelets are almost always ag- gregated in spikes or panicles at the ends of the main culms or branches. The perianth is usually represented by 2 (rarely 3) small hyaline scales (the lodicules) at the base of the flower inside the lemma and _ palea. The grain or caryopsis (the single seed and the adherent pericarp) may be free, as in wheat, or permanently en- closed in the lemma and palea, as in the oat. Rarely the seed is free from the pcricarp, as in species of Sporo-
. 8. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
bolus and Eleusine. The culms of bam- boos are woody, as are also those of a few genera, such as Olyra and Las- acis, belonging to other tribes. The culms are solid in our species of the tribes Tripsaceae and Andropogoneae and in several other groups. The mar- gins of the sheaths are grown together in some species of Bromus, Danthonia, Festuca, Melica, Glyceria, and other genera.
The parts of the spikelet may be modified in various ways. The first glume, and more rarely also the sec- ond, may be wanting. The lemmas may contain no flower, or even no palea, or may be reduced or rudi- mentary. Rarely, as in species of Agrostis and Andropogon, the palea is obsolete.
The division of the family into two subfamilies is somewhat artificial. The tribes Zoysieae, Oryzeae, Zi- zanieae, and especially Phalarideae, do not fall definitely into either of the recognized subfamilies. They are placed as indicated largely for con- venience.
DESCRIPTIONS OF THE SUBFAMILIES AND KEYS TO THE TRIBES SUBFAMILY 1. FESTUCOIDEAE
Spikelets 1- to many-flowered, the reduced florets, if any, above the perfect
florets (except in Phalarideae; sterile lemmas below as well as above in Ctenzum,
Uniola, and Blepharidachne); articulation usually above the glumes; spikelets usually more or less laterally compressed.
Key to the tribes of Festucoideae
Plants woody, the culms perennial. Spikelets several-flowered........ ile
BAMBUSEAE (p. 27)
Plants herbaceous, the culms annual (somewhat woody and persistent in Arundo). Spikelets with 2 (rarely 1) staminate, neuter, or rudimentary lemmas unlike and below the fertile lemma; no sterile or rudimentary floret above......8.. PHALARIDEAE (p. 547) Spikelets without sterile lemmas below the perfect floret (or these rarely present and like the fertile ones, a dissimilar pair below and a rudimentary floret above in Blephari-
dachne).
Spikelets unisexual, falling entire, 1-flowered, terete or nearly so.
10. ZIZANIEAE (p. 561)
Spikelets perfect (rarely unisexual but then not as above), usually articulate above the
glumes. /
Spikelets articulate below the glumes, 1-flowered, very flat, the lemma and palea about equal, both keeled. Glumes small or wanting......-- 9. ORYZEAE (p. 556) Spikelets articulate above the glumes (rarely below, but the glumes, at least one,
well developed).
Spikelets 1-flowered (or the staminate 2-flowered) in groups (short spikes) of 2to 5 (single in Zoysia), the groups racemose along a main axis, falling entire; lemma and palea thinner than the glumes..................-.------------ 6. ZOYSIEAE (p. 482)
Spikelets not as above.
Spikelets sessile on a usually continuous rachis (short-pedicellate in Leptochloa
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 15
and Trichoneura; the rachis disarticulating in Monerma, Parapholis, Hor- deum, Sitanion, and in a few species of allied genera. See also Brachypo- dium in Festuceae.)
Spikelets on opposite sides of the rachis; spike terminal, solitary. 3. Horprak (p. 230) Spikelets on one side of the rachis; spikes usually more than 1, digitate or PACEMOSON 22 sete Be ae tal ee ol 7. CHLORIDEAE (p. 491) Spikelets pedicellate in open or contracted, sometimes spikelike, panicles, rarely racemes.
Spikelets 1-flowered (occasionally some of the spikelets 2-flowered in a few
species of Muhlenbergia)............------------------------ 5. AGROSTIDEAE (p. 313) Spikelets 2- to many-flowered.
Glumes as long as the lowest floret, usually as long as the spikelet (some- times shorter in Sphenopholis) ; lemmas awned from the back (spikelets awnless in species of T’risetum, Koeleria, Sphenopholis, and Schismus).
4. AVENEAE (p. 280)
Glumes shorter than the first floret (except in Dissanthelium with long rachilla joints, andin T'ridens strictus); lemmas awnless or awned from thetipior roma bifid} apex. 2. FestucBak (p. 31)
SUBFAMILY 2. PANICOIDEAE
Spikelets with 1 perfect terminal floret (disregarding those of the few monoecious genera and the staminate and neuter spikelets) and a sterile or staminate floret below, usually represented by a sterile lemma only, 1 glume sometimes (rarely both glumes) wanting; articulation below the spikelets, either in the pedicel, in the rachis, or at the base of a cluster of spikelets, the spikelets falling entire, singly, in groups, or together with joints of the rachis; spikelets, or at least the fruits, more or less dorsally compressed.
Key to the tribes of Panicoideae Glumes membranaceous, the sterile lemma like the glumes in texture.
Fertile lemma and palea thinner than the glumes. Sterile lemma awned from the notched
summit wi aa Mee “allies ONIN Mah aia, ree Meo tae aS ESV ANNO es eae 11. MELINIDEAE (p. 569) Fertile lemma and palea indurate or at least firmer than the glumes.
: 12. PAaNIcEAE (p. 569) Glumes indurate; fertile lemma and palea hyaline or membranaceous, the sterile lemmal ike the fertile one in texture.
Spikelets unisexual, the pistillate below, the staminate above, in the same inflorescence or in separate inflorescences............-...22-.222.2222ee2eeeeee eee 14. TRIPSACEAE (p. 789) Spikelets in pairs, one sessile and perfect, the other pedicellate and usually staminate or neuter (the pedicellate one sometimes obsolete, rarely both pedicellate). Lemmas | A/S OU Sy 5 ae a ol N a e Re c 13. ANDROPOGONEAE (p. 737)
DESCRIPTIONS OF THE TRIBES AND KEYS TO THE GENERA TRIBE 1. BAMBUSEAE
Culms woody, perennial, usually hollow; spikelets 2- to several-flowered, in panicles or racemes, or in close heads or fascicles; often 1 or more sterile lemmas at base of spikelet; lemmas usually awnless; blades usually articulated with the sheath, flat, rather broad. Only one genus, Arwndinaria, is native
within our limits. Several species of this and other genera are cultivated in the Southern States.
TRIBE 2. FESTUCEAE
Spikelets more than 1-flowered, usually several-flowered, in open, narrow, or sometimes spikelike panicles (rarely in racemes); lemmas awnless or awned from the tip, rarely from between the teeth of a bifid apex; rachilla usually disarticulating above the glumes and between the florets.
A large and important tribe, mainly inhabitants of the cooler regions. The lemma is divided into several awns in Pappophorum and its allies, is deeply 2-lobed in Triplasis and in a few species of T'ridens, 3-lobed in Blepharidachne,
16 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
several-toothed in Orcuttia, and slightly 2-toothed in Bromus and in a few other genera, the awn, when single, arising from between the teeth. The paleas are persistent upon the continuous rachilla in many species of Hragrostis. Scleropo- gon, Monanthochloé, Distichlis, Hesperochloa and a few species of Poa and Eragrostis are dioecious. Gyneritum, Cortaderia, Arundo, Phragmites, and Neyraudia are tall reeds. In Blepharidachne there is a pair of sterile florets at the base of the single fertile floret, and a rudiment above. In some species of Melica there is, above the fertile florets, a club-shaped rudiment consisting of 1 or more sterile lemmas. In Unzola there are 1 to 4 sterile lemmas below the fertile ones. In Melica imperfecta and M. torreyana there may be only 1 perfect floret.
Key to the genera of Festuceae
la. Plants dioecious, (sometimes monoecious), the sexes very dissimilar, the pistillate lem- mas with 3 long twisted divergent awns, the staminate lemma awnless or mucronate. 41. ScLEROPOGON. 1b. Plants with perfect flowers, or, if dioecious, the sexes not dissimilar in appearance. 2a. Lemmas divided at the summit into 5 to several awns or awnlike lobes. Awnlike lobes 5. Inflorescence an erect raceme or simple panicle........ 36. ORCUTTIA. Awns 9 or more. Awns unmixed with awned teeth; all the florets falling attached, their awns form- ing a pappuslike crown, the lower | to 3 fertile; panicles narrow. Spikelets 3-flowered, the first floret fertile; awns 9, plumose, equal. 40. ENNEAPOGON. Spikelets 4- to 6-flowered, the lower 1 to 3 fertile; awns numerous, not plumose,
UTC CU ec Dg de eee 39. PAPPOPHORUM. Awns mixed with awned teeth; florets not falling attached, the rachilla disarticulat- ing between them; panicles somewhat open...................----.-------- 38. CoTTEA.
2b. Lemmas awnless, with a single awn, or, if with 3, the lateral awns minute. 3a. Tall stout reeds with large plumelike panicles. Lemmas or rachilla with long silky hairs as long as the lemmas.
Leaves crowded at the base of the culms........-.....222222---o.2----ee------ 27. CORTADERIA. Leaves distributed along the culms. Lemmas naked. Rachilla hairy......-2.2.. ee 28. PHRAGMITES. Lemmas hairy. Rachilla naked *:......3.22 2.8 0 See 26. ARUNDO. Rachillaybairy.....-f2: ce 5 nee a sl a 29. NEYRAUDIA.
3b. Low or rather tall grasses, rarely more than 1.5 m. tall. 4a. Plants dioecious, perennial. Plants densely tufted, rather coarse, erect from short rhizomes; lemmas scabrous; grasses of dry mountain slopes.._........-..-..---------e-eene eee 11. HESPEROCHLOA. Plants not densely tufted, spreading by stolons or extensively creeping rhizomes; lemmas glabrous; grasses of salt or alkaline soil. Plants low, stoloniferous; spikelets obscure, scarcely differentiated from the short crowded rivid leaves=:2.. \is 2) ar ee ee 20. MoNANTHOCHLOE. Plants erect from creeping rhizomes; spikelets in narrow simple exserted panicles. 21. DIsTIcHLISs. 4b. Plants not dioecious (except in a few species of Poa with villous lemmas and in an annual species of Hragrostis). 5a. Spikelets of two forms, sterile and fertile intermixed. Panicle dense, somewhat
one-sided. Fertile spikelets 2- or 3-flowered; sterile spikelets with numerous rigid awn- tipped lemmas; panicle dense, spikelike.............-..--_-----.--.- 24. CYNOSURUS.
Fertile spikelets with 1 perfect floret, long-awned; sterile spikelets with many obtuse sterile lemmas; panicle branchlets short, nodding.... 25. LAMARCKIA. 5b. Spikelets all alike in the same inflorescence. 6a. Lemmas 3-nerved, the nerves prominent, often hairy. 7a. Inflorescence a few-flowered head or capitate panicle overtopped by the leaves or partly concealed in them. Lemmas toothed or cleft; low plants of the arid regions. Inflorescence hidden among the sharp-pointed leaves, not woolly; plants annual (Chlorides): eet rsest or a ieee eee 114. Munroa. Inflorescence a capitate woolly panicle, not concealed; plants perennial. Lemmas cleft either side of the midnerve to near the base, the lower two
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 17
sterile, the third floret fertile, the fourth reduced to a 3-awned rudi- TVET Geet nes We eA NEAT SAILS NOT WSO we oa 37. BLEPHARIDACHNE. Lemmas 2-lobed but not deeply cleft, all fertile but the uppermost. 33. TRIDENS. 7b. Inflorescence an exserted open or spikelike panicle. 8a. Lemmas pubescent on the nerves or callus (except in Tridens albescens), the midnerve usually exserted as an awn or mucro. Nerves glabrous. Callus densely hairy; lemmas firm; panicle large, diffuse. REDFIELDIA. Nerves hairy at least below, the lateral ones often conspicuously so. Palea densely long-ciliate on the upper half_._............. 34. TRIPLASIS. Palea sometimes villous but not long-ciliate on the upper half. Peren- sad Pe4 [oj U yas Sas UBS EE) a Ae ies ke am 8 04 pee acct 2 E46 2 ea 33. ‘TRIDENS. 8b. Lemmas not pubescent on the nerves nor callus (the internerves some- times pubescent), awnless. Glumes longer than the lemmas; lateral nerves of lemma marginal, the internerves pubescent............-...-...-------2----------- 18. DISSANTHELIUM. Glumes shorter than the lemmas; lateral nerves of lemma not marginal, the internerves glabrous. Lemmas chartaceous; grain large, beaked, at maturity forcing the lemmiasand*paleaopent:: 22906 oo 17. DIARRHENA. Lemmas membranaceous; if firm, the grain neither large nor beaked. Spikelets subterete; palea longer than the lemma, bowed out below. 16. Mouinta. Spikelets compressed; palea not longer than the lemma, not bowed out below (except in Hragrostis oxylepis and E. sessilispica). Lemmas truncate; spikelets 2-flowered... 15. CATABROSA. Lemmas acute or acuminate; spikelets 13 to many-flowered. Rachilla continuous, the paleas persistent after the fall of the lemmas (rachilla disarticulating in Sect. Cataclastos). 14. ERAGROSTIS. 6b. Lemmas 5- to many-nerved, the nerves sometimes obscure. Spikelets with 1 to 4 empty lemmas below the fertile florets; nerves obscure; lemmrimar starry 17 2b wir Bak Wreath ELT eh Lae 2g ee 22. UNIOLA. Spikelets with no empty lemmas below the fertile florets; nerves usually prominent; lemmas membranaceous (firm in a few species of Bromus and
Festuca). Lemmas flabellate; glumes wanting; inflorescence dense, cylindric. Low Pa TUS CuI eC eee Oe hg Ot Ne a a 35. NEOSTAPFIA.
Lemmas not flabellate; glumes present; inflorescence not cylindric. Lemmas as broad as long, the margins outspread; florets closely imbricate, horizontallivispreading. ors A ee ers tise Shei s a 13. Briza. Lemmas longer than broad, the margins clasping the palea; florets not horizontally spreading. Callus of florets bearded. Lemmas erose at summit, awnless._.......------- 9. ScoLocHLoa. Lemmas bifid at summit, awned.._..........-.---... 31. SCHIZACHNE. Callus not bearded (lemmas cobwebby at base in Poa). Lemmas not erose (slightly in Puccinellia). 9a. Lemmas keeled on the back (somewhat rounded in Poa scabrella and its allies).
Spikelets strongly compressed, crowded in 1-sided clusters at the ends of the stiff, naked panicle branches ...... 23. DacryY.is.
Spikelets not strongly compressed, not crowded in 1-sided clusters.
Lemmas awned from a minutely bifid apex (awnless or nearly so in Bromus catharticus and B. brizaeformis); spikelets targeue isk cies Manet) AE PATTIE US SOL RE EEN | 2. Bromus.
Lemmas awnless; spikelets small... 12) e-ROAS
9b. Lemmas rounded on the back (slightly keeled toward the summit in Festuca and Bromus).
Glumes papery; lemmas firm, strongly nerved, scarious-margined ; upper florets sterile, often reduced to a club-shaped rudiment infolded by the broad upper lemmas. Spikelets tawny or pur- Plush susually mot.ereemis fe i) sl ee be a 30. MbBu.ica.
Glumes not papery; upper florets not unlike the others.
Nerves of lemma parallel, not converging at summit or but slightly so,
18 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
Spikelets in racemes. Racemes short, dense, overtopped by the leaves; spikelets
BWHICSS hoe ee eee 8. ScLEROCHLOA. Racemes elongate, loose, exserted; spikelets awned or mu- Cronate15 3 tie Fe re 10. PLEUROPOGON.
Spikelets in open or contracted panicles. Nerves prominent; plants usually rather tall, growing in woods or fresh-water marshes.............. 7. GLYCERIA. Nerves faint; plants low, growing in saline soil. 6. PUCCINELLIA. Nerves of lemma converging toward the summit, the lemmas narrowed at apex.
Lemmas awned or awn-tipped from a minutely bifid apex (awnless in Bromus brizaeformis); palea adhering to the caryopsis.
Spikelets in open to contracted panicles; stigmas borne at the sides of the summit of ovary............ 2. Bromus. Spikelets nearly sessile in a strict raceme; stigmas terminal on the ovary= a2 ae een 3. BRACHYPODIUM.
Lemmas entire, pointed, awnless or awned from the tip (mi-
nutely toothed in Festuca elmeri and F. gigantea). Spikelets awned (awnless in a few perennial species) ; lem- FAAS DOMbC Gs ee ee 4, FESTUCA. Spikelets awnless. Second glume 5- to 11-nerved; spikelets mostly 1 cm. or more long; lemmas broad. Florets persistent on the continuous rachilla, the cary-
opsis falling free. == 2-2 32A. EcToSPERMA. Florets falling together with the joints of the articulate rachllas 22ers 32. VASEYOCHLOA.
Second glume 1- to 3-nerved; spikelets smaller; lemmas 5-nerved, membranaceous, not pointed.
Spikelets on slender pedicels in compound panicles;
perennials 4... =... oe eee A A ef aye
Spikelets on thick short pedicels in simple panicles;
annual. Rachilla disarticulating at the base, form-
ing a stipe to the floret above... 5. ScLEROPOA.
TRIBE 3. HORDEAE
Spikelets 1- to several-flowered, sessile on opposite sides of a jointed or con- tinuous axis forming symmetrical spikes (not 1-sided, but spikelets sometimes turned to one side in some species).
This small but important tribe, found in the temperate regions of both hemispheres, includes our most important cereals, wheat, barley, and rye. The rachis is flattened or concave next to the spikelets, or in some genera is thickened and hollowed out, the spikelets being more or less enclosed in the hollows. In Tritzcwm and its allies there is 1 spikelet at each node of the rachis; in Hordeum and its allies there are 2 or 3 at each node. In Lolium and its allies the spikelets are placed edgewise to the rachis, and the first or inner glume is suppressed except in the terminal spikelet. The rachis of the spikes disarticulates at maturity in several genera. In some species of Elymus and especially in Sztanion the glumes are very slender, extending into long awns, in the latter genus sometimes divided into several slender bristles. The spikes are rarely branched or compound, especially in Elymus condensatus. In this tribe the blades of the leaves usually bear on each side at the base a small appendage or auricle.
Key to the genera of Hordeae la. Spikelets solitary at each node of the rachis (rarely 2 in species of Agropyron, but never throughout).
2a. BPE ee LOmerets sunken in hollows in the rachis. Spikes slender, cyclindric; low annuals.
——
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 19
Lemmas awned; florets lateral to the rachis.................0..20-.2222...--. 53. SCRIBNERIA. Lemmas awnless; florets dorsiventral to the rachis. Binstre lumenal tin pet sey eeen ee ee UAE Su ee he eh Meise aa 51. MonerMa. First glume present, the pair standing in front of the spikelet...... 52. PARAPHOLIS.
2b. Spikelets 2- to several-flowered, not sunken in the rachis. Spikelets placed edgewise to the rachis. First glume wanting except in the terminal SJL Sie eee Ue TN TT ee Sos Nig 2 Re Oa ae SI ey os) 50. Lo.uium. Spikelets placed flatwise to the rachis.
Reet sape Ge Tara Net lees sa Siete at EN eae Noh SOR Ui ts ei 42. AGROPYRON. Plants annual.
Spikelets turpi drone ydamedric iss ne eh eee ha 44, A®GILOPS. Spikelets compressed. Clummesiovaterd-nenved 222i ie ecu tN ia ye eats Se ee 43. TRITICUM. Ghimesicubulate; lenerveds 20nd ve eee el 45. SECALE.
1b. Spikelets more than 1 at each node of the rachis (solitary in part of the spike in some species of Hlymus). Spikelets 3 at each node of the rachis, 1-flowered, the lateral pair pediceled, usually re- auCedEtorawaise Sener neh ty poe Ne ie ee 49. HorpEvumM. Spikelets 2 or more (sometimes solitary in Hlymus) at each node of the rachis, alike, 2- to 6-flowered. Glumes wanting or reduced to 2 short bristles; spikelets horizontally spreading or ascending at maturity. Spikes very loose...................2--.2------------------- 48. Hysrrix. Glumes usually equaling the florets (reduced in Elymus interruptus) ; spikelets appressed or ascending. Rachis continuous (rarely tardily disarticulating); glumes broad or narrow, entire. 46. KELyMus. Rachis disarticulating at maturity; glumes subulate, extending into long awns, these and the awns of the lemmas making the spike very bristly........ 47. SITANION.
TRIBE 4. AVENEAE
Spikelets 2- to several-flowered in open or contracted panicles, or rarely in racemes (solitary in Danthonia unispicata), glumes usually as long as or longer than the first lemma, commonly longer than all the florets; lemmas usually awned from the back or from between the teeth of a bifid apex, the awn usually bent, often twisted, the callus and rachilla joints usually villous.
A rather small tribe widely distributed in both warm and cool regions. In our genera the rachilla is prolonged beyond the upper floret as a slender stipe (except in Azra and. Holcus). The lemma is awnless or nearly so in Schismus, two species of Trisetwm, one species of Koeleria, and in most of the species of Sphenopholis. Koeleria and Sphenopholis are placed in this tribe because they appear to be closely allied to T'risetum with which they agree in having oblan- ceolate glumes about as long as the first floret.
Key to the genera of Aveneae Florets 2, one perfect, the other staminate. Lower floret staminate, the awn twisted, geniculate, exserted.... 63. ARRHENATHERUM. Lower floret perfect, awnless; upper floret awned...................2..---------2--------+ 64. Ho.cus. Florets 2 or more, all alike except the reduced upper ones. Articulation below the glumes, the spikelets falling entire. Lemmas, at least the upper, with a conspicuous bent awn; glumes nearly alike. 57. TRISETUM. Lemmas awnless or (in S. pallens) the upper with a short awn; second glume much MAC eLRUOamntiNe Mis Gc Ni MeN ac Si ee ae 56. SPHENOPHOLIS. Articulation above the glumes, the glumes similar in shape. Lemmas bifid at apex, awned or mucronate between the lobes. Spikelets several-
flowered. Awns conspicuous, flat, bent. Spikelets 1 cm. or more long............ 66. DANTHONIA. Awns minute or nearly obsolete.
Spilkeletskencoulaumm, Jonge: 0.02 ce eee OU 65. SIEGLINGIA.
Spikelets not more than 5 mm. long; awns, when present, slender, rounded. 54. ScHISMUS. Lemmas toothed, but not bifid and awned or mucronate between the lobes. Glumes 2 to 3.5 cm. long, 7- to 9-nerved; spikelets 2-flowered, or with a rudimentary third sforet? pendulous; Plants annual! {2.40 . 61. AVENA.
20 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
Glumes not more than 1 em. long, 1- to 5-nerved; spikelets not pendulous.
Spikelets 3- to several-flowered, 1 to 1.5 cm. long..-........... 62. HELICTOTRICHON. Spikelets 2-flowered (or 3-flowered in Trisetum cernuum), mostly less than 1 cm. long.
Lemmas keeled, the awn when present from above the middle. Rachilla joints very short, glabrous or minutely pubescent; lemmas awnless
or with a straight awn from a toothed apex.................... 55. KOELERIA. Rachilla joints slender, villous; lemmas with a dorsal bent awn (awnless or nearly so in 2 'species) -2---: 02: ee ee eee 57. TRISETUM.
Lemmas convex, awned from below the middle. Rachilla prolonged behind the upper floret; lemmas truncate and erose-dentate
at summit. Awnslender: not: jointed:2_- sa ee eee 58. DESCHAMPSIA. Awn clavate, jointed near the middle... 60. CORYNEPHORUS. Rachilla not prolonged; lemmas tapering into 2 slender teeth... 59. AIRA.
TRIBE 5. AGROSTIDEAE
Spikelets 1-flowered, usually perfect, in open, contracted, or spikelike pan- icles, but not in true spikes nor in 1|-sided racemes.
A large and important tribe, inhabiting more especially the temperate and cool regions. The articulation of the rachilla is usually above the glumes, the mature floret falling from the persistent glumes, but in a few genera the articu- lation is below the glumes, the mature spikelet falling entire (Alopecurus, Cinna, Polypogon, Lycurus, and Limnodea). The palea is small or wanting in Alopecurus and in some species of Agrostis. In a few genera the rachilla is pro- longed behind the palea as a minute bristle, or sometimes as a more pro- nounced stipe (Brachyelytrum, Limnodea, Cinna, Gastridium, Calamagrostis, Ammophila, Lagurus, Apera, and a few species of Agrostis). In some genera the rachilla joint between the glumes and the lemma is slightly elongated, forming a hard stipe-which remains attached to the mature fruit as a pointed callus. The callus is well marked in Stipa (especially in S. spartea and its allies) and in Arvzstida, the mature lemma being terete, indurate, and con- volute, the palea wholly enclosed. In many genera the lemma is awned either from the tip or from the back, the awn being trifid in Aristida.
Key to the genera of Agrostideae
Glumes wantine. Low annuaglas 2 2. hs oats ce ee ee 73. COLEANTHUS. Glumes present (the first obsolete in Muhlenbergia schreberi and sometimes in Brachyelytrum and Phipps7a). la. Articulation below the glumes, the spikelets falling entire. Spikelets in pairs in a spikelike panicle, one perfect, the other staminate or neuter, the
pair falling torether.....22:' 5) = eee A ee 78. Lycurus. Spikelets all alike. Glumes:long-a wed... see F inp ee ae eee leg eel 77. POLYPOGON.
Glumes awnless. Rachilla not prolonged behind the palea; panicle dense. Glumes united toward the base, ciliate on the keel; inflorescence not capitate and. bracteates 2.0:55.5 ficient aa Pe eee 76. ALOPECURUS. Glumes not united, glabrous; inflorescence capitate in the axils of broad bracts. 85. CRYPSIS. Rachilla prolonged behind the palea; panicle narrow or open, not dense; glumes not united, not ciliate on the keel.
Panicle narrow; lemma with a slender bent twisted awn from the bifid apex. 75. LIMNODEA. Panicle open, drooping; lemma with a minute straight awn just below the entire
apex (rarely awnless) 22<...6:2 5 ee Ee 74. CINNA. ib. Articulation above the glumes. Fruit dorsally compressed, indurate, smooth, and shining, awnless.......... 88. Mitrum.
Fruit laterally compressed or terete, awned or awnless. : 2a. eeu indurate, terete, awned, the nerves obscure; callus well developed, oblique, earded. Awn trifid, the lateral divisions sometimes short, rarely obsolete (when obsolete no
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 21
line of demarcation between awn and lemma as in the next).... 92. ARISTIDA.
Awn simple, a line of demarcation between the awn and the lemma.
Awn persistent, twisted, and bent, several to many times longer than the drat Edges of lemma overlapping (rarely only meeting), enclosing the palea; callus sharp-pointed, usually narrow and acuminate.............-....--.-.-.- 91. Stipa. Edges of lemma not meeting, exposing the indurate sulcus of the palea, this
projecting from the summit as a minute point; callus short, acutish. 90. PIPTOCHAETIUM. Awn deciduous, not twisted, sometimes bent, rarely more than 3 or 4 times as long as the plump fruit; callus short, usually obtuse ........ 89. ORyzopsIs.
2b. Fruit thin or firm, but not indurate; callus not well developed.
Lemma firm, subindurate at maturity, bearing a long delicate straight awn just below the tip; palea about as long as the lemma, the naked rachilla produced Dae KeOle tei all Ca we ere ie ee GS Te ee 70. APERA.
Lemma thin or membranaceous.
3a. Glumes longer than the lemma (nearly equal in Agrostis thurberiana and A. aequivalis). Panicle feathery, capitate, nearly as broad as long; spikelets woolly. 81. Lacurus. Panicle not feathery; spikelets not woolly. Glumes compressed-carinate, stiff-ciliate on the keel; panicle dense, cylin- Grichorrellipsoidincie | iti oes eee Ol ee 79. PHLEUM. Glumes not compressed-carinate, not ciliate. Glumes saccate at base; lemma long-awned; panicle contracted, shining. 80. GASTRIDIUM. Glumes not saccate at base; lemma awned or awnless; panicle open or contracted.
Floret bearing a tuft of hairs at the base from the short callus; palea well developed, the rachilla prolonged behind the palea (except in Calamagrostis epigetos) as a hairy bristle.... 67. CALAMAGROSTIS.
Floret without hairs at the base or with short hairs (nearly half as long as the lemma in A. halliz); palea usually small or obsolete (developed and with a minute rachilla back of it in Nos. 1 to 8).
71. AGROSTIS. 3b. Glumes not longer than the lemma, usually shorter (the awn tips longer in Muhlenbergia racemosa and M. glomerata). Lemma awned from the tip or mucronate, 3- to 5-nerved (lateral nerves obscure in a few species of M uhlenbergia). Rachilla prolonged behind the palea; floret stipitate; glumes minute or OW SOle te ere et ee Eee NE eee OT 87. BRACHYELYTRUM. Rachilla not prolonged; floret not stipitate................ 82. MUHLENBERGIA. Lemma awnless or awned from the back. Floret bearing a tuft of hairs at the base from the short callus; lemma and palea chartaceous, awnless.
Panicle spikelike; rachilla prolonged. 32 0226s 68. AMMOPHILA.
Panicle open; rachilla not PKOLOMP Ed eee oe es 69. CALAMOVILFA. Floret without hairs at base.
Nerves oflemmia, silky! ost oe ee eo 84. BLEPHARONEURON.
Nerves of lemma not silky.
Caryopsis at maturity falling from the lemma and palea; seed loose in
the pericarp, this usually opening when ripe; lemma 1-nerved. 83. SPOROBOLUS. Caryopsis not falling from the lemma and palea, remaining permanently
enclosed in them; seed adnate to the pericarp. Panicle few-flowered, slender, rather loose; glumes minute, unequal, the first often wanting. Low arctic-alpine perennial.
72. PHIPPSIA. Panicle many-flowered, spikelike; glumes well developed, about
equal. Panicle short, partly enclosed in the sheath; low annual. HELEOCHLOA. Panicle elongate; perennial.......................... 82. MUHLENBERGIA.
TRIBE 6. ZOYSIEAE
Spikelets subsessile in short spikes of 2 to 5 (single in Zoysia), each spike falling entire from the continuous axis, usually 1-flowered, all perfect, or perfect
22 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U. 8. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
and staminate together in the same spike; glumes usually firmer than the lemma and palea, sometimes awned, the lemma awnless.
This small and unimportant tribe is known also as Nazieae. In Zoysia the spikelets are single and have only 1 glume, this coriaceous, much firmer than the lemma and palea, the palea sometimes obsolete.
Key to the genera of Zoysieae
Spikelets single: first slume wanting... ee 94. Zoysta. Spikelets in clusters of 2 to 5; first glume present.
Spikelets bearing hooked spines on the second glume, the group forming a little bur. 93. TrRaGuUs.
Spikelets not bearing hooked spines, the second glume mostly cleft and awned. Groups of spikelets erect, the inflorescence not 1-sided...._...................---- 95. HILARIA. Groups of spikelets nodding along one side of the delicate axis............ 96. AEGOPOGON.
TRIBE 7. CHLORIDEAE
Spikelets 1- to several-flowered, in 2 rows on one side of a continuous rachis, forming l-sided spikes or spikelike racemes, these solitary, digitate, or racemose along the main axis.
A large and rather important tribe, confined mostly to warm regions. The group is heterogeneous, the only common character of the genera (aside from the characters that place them in Festucoideae) being the arrangement of the spikelets in 1-sided spikes. Chloris and the allied genera form a coherent group, in which the spikelet consists of 1 perfect floret and, above this, 1 or more modified or rudimentary florets. Leptochloa, Eleusine, and their allies, with several-flowered spikelets, are more nearly related to certain genera of Festuceae. The spike is reduced to 2 or 3 spikelets or even to 1 spikelet and is sometimes deciduous from the main axis (Cathestecum and Sect. Atheropogon of Bouteloua). In Cteniwm there are 2 sterile florets below the perfect one.
Key to the genera of Chlorideae
Plants monoecious or dioecious. Low stoloniferous perennial....................-. 115. BUCHLOE. Plants with perfect flowers. la. Spikelets with more than 1 perfect floret. ; Inflorescence a few-flowered head or capitate panicle hidden among the sharp-pointed leaves: Low spreading annual... ee ee ee 114. Muwnroa. Inflorescence exserted. Spikes solitary, the spikelets distant, appressed, several-flowered.... 99. TRIPOGON. Spikes more than 1 (sometimes 1 in depauperate Eleusine). Spikes numerous, slender, racemose on an elongate axis. Rachilla and callus of floret glabrous or nearly so; glumes acute, less than 5 mm.
Ka 0: ae PS sea eer |r rae RCO ee 2 97. LEPTOCHLOA. Rachilla and callus of floret strongly pilose; glumes long-acuminate, about 1 cm. VT geen Neh en eee 98. TRICHONEURA. Spikes few, digitate or nearly so. Rachis of spike extending beyond the spikelets.......... 101. DDAcTYLOCTENIUM. Rachis not prolongeds = 2. a= ee ee eS eee 100. ELEUSINE. 1b. Spikelets with only 1 perfect floret, often with additional imperfect florets above or
below. 2a. Spikelets without additional modified florets, the rachilla sometimes prolonged. Rachilla articulate below the glumes, the spikelets falling entire.
Glumes unequal; narrow. 05 24 2a. ee eee 107. SPARTINA. Glumes equal, broad, boat-shaped.- 3. 106. BECKMANNIA. Rachilla articulate above the glumes. Spike solitary, slender, arcuate............-...-.-------0--------- pa 102. MricrocHLoa. Spikes 2 to many. Spikes digitate; rachilla prolonged.:.2....he.<--.2e es 103. CYNODON.
Spikes racemose along the main axis; rachilla not prolonged. j Spikes slender, divaricate, the main axis elongating and becoming loosely Spitalin fruity <2. ae ee eee 105. ScHEDONNARDUS. Spikes short and rather stout, appressed, the axis unchanged in fruit. . 104. WILLKOMMIA.
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 23
2b. Spikelets with 1 or more modified florets above the perfect one. Spikelets with 2 sterile florets below the perfect one; second glume bearing a squarrose spine on the back; spike single, arcuate...............-......2..2212----02 108. CTENIUM. Spikelets with no sterile florets below the perfect one; second glume without a squarrose spine. Spikes digitate or nearly so.
Fertile lemma l-awned or awnless..........-...-------.-------0+--eccseeesneceeees 110. CuHutoris. ertilevlenma;s-awneds. 2.) eR ee Oe ase 111. TRicHLoris. Spikes racemose along the main axis. Spikelets distant, appressed; spikes slender, elongate....... 109. GyMNoPoGoN. Spikelets approximate or crowded, not appressed; spikes usually short and rather stout.
Spikelets 3 in each spike, the 2 lateral staminate or rudimentary; spikes falling
CE OTF St tet ne ek ee NB Coe a POE 113. CaATHESTECUM. Spikelets 2 to many (rarely 1) in each spike, all alike; spikes falling entire or persistent, the florets falling... 3.0)... i aa 112. BovurTE.ova.
TRIBE 8. PHALARIDEAE
Spikelets with 1 perfect terminal floret and, below this, a pair of staminate or neuter florets (1 sometimes obsolete in Phalaris).
A small tribe of about 6 genera, 4 of which are found in the United States. In Phalaris the lower florets are reduced to minute scalelike lemmas closely appressed to the edges of the fertile floret. In Hierochloé the lateral florets are staminate and as large as the fertile floret.
Key to the genera of Phalarideae
Lower florets staminate; spikelets brown, shining...............-....----.------- 116. H1eROcHLOE. Lower florets neuter; spikelets green or yellowish. Lower florets consisting of awned hairy sterile lemmas exceeding the fertile floret. 117. ANTHOXANTHUM. Lower florets reduced to small awnless scalelike lemmas, much smaller than the fertile | BLOUSE cea sel a Cea 8 ele SS ae A ena ee Ra 118. PHALARIS.
TRIBE 9. ORYZEAE
Spikelets 1-flowered, perfect, strongly laterally compressed, paniculate; glumes reduced or wanting; palea apparently 1-nerved; stamens 6.
A small tribe whose affinities are not evident. It includes rice, the im- portant food plant.
Key to the genera of Oryzeae
Glumes minute; lemma often awned........................0--222se0ceeeeeeeeneeeeeeeneneceeeeeeneeeee 119. Oryza. Glumesswanting lemma, awnless. i. 0 ee 120. Leerrsta.
TRIBE 10. ZIZANIEAE
Spikelets unisexual, the pistillate terete or nearly so; glumes shorter than the lemma, usually 1 or both obsolete, the pedicel disarticulating below the spikelet. Glumes well developed in Pharus, a tropical genus placed in this tribe provisionally.
A small tribe of uncertain affinities, aquatic or subaquatic grasses (except Pharus) of no economic importance except the Indian rice (Zzzania).
Key to the genera of Zizanieae
Bladesrelliqnttes.2.to:4emewide: 2.00... sn veh a es oe ed 125. PHARUS. Blades much longer than wide. Culms slender; plants low; staminate and pistillate spikelets borne in separate inflores-
cences. Inflorescence a few-flowered raceme; floating aquatic.................... 124. Hyprocuioa. Inflorescence a panicle; plants stoloniferous....................-.---------------------- 128. Luzioua.
Culms robust; plants tall; staminate and pistillate spikelets borne in the same panicle. Pistillate spikelets on the ascending upper branches, the staminate on the spreading
24 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
_ lower branches of the panicle; plants annual or perennial... 121. ZIZANTA. Pistillate spikelets at the ends, the staminate below on the same branches of the panicle; plants perennial 2... 2 ee i eas, perm ieeeee 122. ZIZANIOPSIS.
TRIBE 11. MELINIDEAE
Spikelets disarticulating below the glumes, these very unequal, the first minute, the second and the sterile lemma equal, membranaceous, strongly nerved, the latter bearing a slender awn from the notched summit; fertile lemma and palea thinner in texture, awnless.
A tribe of about a dozen genera represented in the United States by an in- troduced species, Melinis minutiflora.
TRIBE 12. PANICEAE
Spikelets with 1 perfect terminal floret and below this a sterile floret and 2 glumes; fertile lemma and palea indurate or at least firmer than the glumes and sterile lemma, a lunate line of thinner texture at the back just above the base, the rootlet protruding through this at germination; articulation below the spikelet.
A large tribe, confined mostly to warm regions, and containing relatively few economic species. The first glume is wanting in some genera, such as Paspalum, and rarely the second glume also (Rezmarochloa). The spikelets are usually awnless, but the glumes and sterile lemma are awned in Echinochloa and Oplismenus, and the second glume and sterile lemma in Rhynchelytrum. In Eriochloa and in some species of Brachiaria the fertile lemma is awn-tipped. In Setaria there are, beneath the spikelet, 1 or more bristles, these repre- senting sterile branchlets. In Pennisetum similar bristles form an involucre, falling with the spikelet. In Cenchrus the bristles are united, forming a bur. The spikelets are of 2 kinds in Amphicarpum, aerial and subterranean. The culms are woody and perennial in Lasiaczs and Olyra.
Key to the genera of Paniceae Spikelets of two kinds. Spikelets all perfect, but those of the aerial panicle rarely perfecting grains, the fruitful
spikelets borne on subterranean branches............-.---.--------------- 146. AMPHICARPUM. Spikelets unisexual, the pistillate above, the staminate below on the branches of the same panicle: Blades broad, elliptic: — 2 ee a ee ee 147. OLyra. Spikelets all of one kind. Spikelets sunken in the cavities of the flattened corky rachis........ 131. STENOTAPHRUM.
Spikelets not sunken in the rachis. la. Spikelets subtended or surrounded by 1 to many distinct or more or less connate bristles, forming an involucre.
Bristles persistent, the spikelets deciduous................--..------------------------ 148. SETARIA. Bristles falling with the spikelets at maturity. Bristles not united at base, slender, often plumose.................- 144. PENNISETUM.
Bristles united into a burlike involucre, the bristles retrorsely barbed.
145. CENCHRUS. 1b. Spikelets not subtended by bristles. Glumes or sterile lemma awned (awn short and concealed in the silky hairs of the spikelet in Rhynchelytrum; awn reduced to a point in Echinochloa colonum). Inflorescence paniculate; spikelets silky.................-----.---- 142. RHYNCHELYTRUM. Inflorescence of unilateral simple or somewhat compound racemes along a common axis; spikelets smooth or hispid, not silky.
Blades lanceolate, broad, thin; culms creeping..............-------- 140. OPpLISMENUS. Blades long, narrow; culms not creeping..........------------------- 141. EcHINOcHLOA.
Glumes and sterile lemma awnless. 2a. Fruit cartilaginous-indurate, flexible, usually dark-colored, the lemma with more or less prominent white hyaline margins, these not inrolled. Spikelets covered with long silky hairs, arranged in racemes, these panicled. 128. TRICHACHNE. Spikelets glabrous or variously pubescent but not long-silky (somewhat silky in Digitaria villosa).
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 25
Spikelets in slender racemes more or less digitate at the summit of the culms. 129. Dierrarta. Spikelets in panicles. Fruiting lemma boat-shaped; panicles narrow........ 127. ANTHAENANTIA. Fruiting lemma convex; panicles diffuse.............-..-..------- 130. Leprotoma. 2b. Fruit chartaceous-indurate, rigid.
Spikelets placed with the back of the fruit turned away from the rachis of the
racemes, usually solitary (not in pairs). First glume and the rachilla joint forming a swollen ringlike callus below the
SDIKClEb: eee ca ei ers oh iene te re loidee 132. ERIOCHLOA.
First glume present or wanting, not forming a ringlike callus below the spike- let.
First glume present (next to the axis); racemes racemose along the main
URIS ee Meee NADA DANG 4 wuetay bao Wes a Jlney ate ne ud 133. BRACHIARIA.
First glume wanting; racemes digitate or subdigitate.._... 134. AXONOPUS.
Spikelets placed with the back of the fruit turned toward the rachis (first glume, when present, away from the rachis) of the spikelike racemes or pedicellate in panicles.
Fruit long-acuminate; both glumes wanting................ 185. REIMAROCHLOA. Fruit not long-acuminate; at least one glume present. First glume typically wanting; spikelets plano-convex, subsessile in spikelike MACOCTVOS tine NE Os ella alah bao ed ha al eee Viehaee tit 136. PASPALUM. First glume present; spikelets usually in panicles. Second glume inflated-saccate, this and the sterile lemma much exceeding the stipitate fruigic fa ae 139. SaccroLEPis. Second glume not inflated-saccate. Culms woody, bamboolike; fruit with a tuft of down at the apex. 138. Lasracis. Culms herbaceous; no tuft of down at the apex of the fruit. 137. Panicum.
TRIBE 13. ANDROPOGONEAE
Spikelets in pairs along a rachis, the usual arrangement being one of the pair sessile and fertile, the other pedicellate and staminate or neuter, rarely wanting, only the pedicel present; fertile spikelet consisting of 1 perfect terminal floret and, below this, a staminate or neuter floret, the lemmas thin or hyaline, and 2 awnless glumes, 1 or usually both firm or indurate.
A large tribe, confined mostly to warm regions. The rachis is usually jointed, disarticulating at maturity, with the spikelets attached to the joints. In a few genera it is thickened. Sometimes the racemes are shortened to 1 or 2 joints and borne on branches, the whole forming a panicle (as in Sorghum and Sorghastrum) instead of a series of racemes. In a few genera the spikelets of the pair are alike. In Trachypogon the fertile spikelet is pedicellate and the sterile one nearly sessile. The most important economic plants in this tribe are sugarcane and sorghum.
Key to the genera of Andropogoneae
la. Spikelets alike, all perfect. (See also Arthraxon and Sorghastrum in which pedicellate spikelets are not developed.) Spikelets surrounded by a copious tuft of soft hairs.
Rachis continuous, the spikelets falling; the spikelets of the pair unequally pedicellate. Racemes in a narrow spikelike panicle; spikelets awnless................. 148. ImPHRATA. Racemes in a broad fan-shaped panicle; spikelets awned............ 149, MIscaNnTHUS.
Rachis breaking up into joints at maturity with the spikelets attached; one spikelet
sessile, the other pedicellate.
P| DL CEIUSHUS FEA ATU ISS HAS ae ae lane Ne LP 150. SaccHARUM. Beopicelets apiece sens ta se 151. ERIANTHUS. Spikelets not surrounded by turfs of hairs; racemes few...............- 152. MicrosTEGium.
lb. Spikelets unlike, the sessile perfect, the pedicellate sterile (sessile spikelet staminate, pedicellate spikelet perfect in Trachypogon. 2a. Pedicel thickened, appressed to the thickened rachis joint (at least parallel to it) or adnate to it; spikelets awnless, appressed to the joint.
26 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U. 8. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
Rachis joint and pedicel adnate. Annuals.
Perfect spikelet globose; sterile spikelet conspicuous.............. 164. HAcKELOCHLOA.
Perfect spikelet oblong; sterile spikelet minute.. PATE 162. RorTrBoELtLtia.
Rachis joint and pedicel distinct, the sessile spikelet appressed to them, its first glume lanceolate.
Racemes subcylindric; rachis joints and pedicels glabrous, much thicker at the sum- mit, the spikelets sunken in the hollow below; sterile spikelet rudimentary. 163. MANISURIS. Racemes flat; rachis joints and pedicels woolly, not much thicker at the summit; sterile spikelet staminate or neuter......-...2222--.22-2eee eee 161. ELYoNnuRvs. 2b. Pedicel not thickened (if slightly so the spikelets awned), neither appressed nor adnate to the rachis joint, this usually slender; spikelets usually awned. 3a. Fertile spikelet with a hairy-pointed callus, formed of the attached supporting rachis joint or pedicel; awns strong. Racemes reduced to a single joint, long-peduncled in a simple open panicle. 158. CHRYSOPOGON. Racemes of several to many Joints, single. Primary spikelet subsessile, sterile, persistent on the continuous axis after the fall
of the fertile pedicellate spikelet.} 2 bos Shares 160. TRACHYPOGON. Primary spikelet sessile, fertile; pedicellate spikelet sterile. Lower few to several pairs of spikelets all staminate or neuter... 159. HbrTEROPOGON.
3b. Fertile spikelet without a callus (a short callus in Hyparrhenia), the rachis disarticu- lating immediately below the spikelet; awns slender. Blades ovate: Annual... 0G uoess Se eats) ere ime 153. ARTHRAXON. Blades narrow, elongate. Racemes of several to many joints, solitary, digitate, or aggregate in panicles.
Lower pair of spikelets like the others of the raceme.......... 154. ANDROPOGON. Lower pair of spikelets sterile, awnless. Racemes in pairs on slender flexuous POCUNCIES sss 2 eee BCS Gt ht T, 5 Ree ics dee den eee 155. HypaRRHENIA.
Racemes reduced to one or few joints, these mostly peduncled in a subsimple or compound panicle. - Pedicellate spikelets stamimate:..- 22.2:.-.-..-22s.-2.-0be-ccesceeceneneeeeeeo ee 156. SoRGHUM. Pedicellate spikelets wanting, the pedicel only present.-..... 157. SoRGHASTRUM.
TRIBE 14. TRIPSACEAE
Spikelets unisexual, the staminate in pairs, or sometimes in threes, 2-flow- ered, the pistillate usually single, 2-flowered, the lower floret sterile, em- bedded in hollows of the thickened articulate rachis and falling attached to the joints, or enclosed in a thickened involucre or sheath or, in Zea, crowded in rows on a thickened axis (cob); glumes membranaceous or thick and rigid, awnless; lemmas and palea hyaline, awnless. Plants monoecious.
This small tribe of seven genera is scarcely more than a subtribe of Andro- pogoneae, differing chiefly in the total suppression of the sterile spikelet of a pair, the fertile spikelet being pistillate only and solitary; staminate spikelets paired. It is also known as Maydeae.
Key to the genera of Tripsaceae
Staminate and pistillate spikelets in separate inflorescences, the first in a terminal tassel, the second in the axils of the leaves. Pistillate spikes distinct, the spikelets embedded in the hardened rachis, this disarticulat- BAG: iG TATUNG =. ce es 167. EUCHLAENA. Pistillate spikes grown together forming an ear, the grains at maturity much exceeding the-@ltimes) 2.28 he Oa ee eee 168. Za. pe and pistillate spikelets in separate portions of the same inflorescence, the pistillate elow Spikes short, the 1- or 2-flowered pistillate portion enclosed in a beadlike shesune pred, 165 OIx Spikes many-flowered, the pistillate portion breaking up into several 1-seeded joints; no beadlike sheathing bracts ee ee 166. TRIPSACUM.
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 27
DESCRIPTIONS OF GENERA AND SPECIES TRIBE 1. BAMBUSEAE 1. ARUNDINARIA Michx. Cane
Spikelets 8- to 12-flowered, large, compressed, the rachilla disarticulating above the glumes and between the florets; glumes unequal, shorter than the lemmas, the first sometimes wanting; lemmas papery, rather fragile, about 11-nerved, acute, acuminate, mucronate or awn-tipped; palea about as long as the lemma or a little shorter, prominently 2-keeled, deeply sulcate between the keels; rachilla joints rather thick, appressed-hirsute; stamens 3; caryopsis narrowly elliptic, terete, 1 to 1.2 cm. long. Shrubs or tall reeds with extensively creeping horizontal rhizomes 5 to 10 mm. thick, the woody perennial branching culms erect, 2 to 5 m., sometimes to 8 m., tall and 2 em. thick, freely branch- ing, the flowering branchlets borne in fascicles on the main culm or on primary branches, their sheaths bladeless or nearly so, flowering shoots also arising from the rhizomes, their sheaths bladeless; flowering at infrequent intervals, usually each species over a wide area simultaneously, the flowering period apparently continuing for about a year; the flowering culms apparently dying after setting seed; sterile branches numerous and repeatedly branching, the basal shoots and primary branches with 6 to 10 loose, papery culm- sheaths with narrow rudimentary blades 2 to 20 mm. long, not petiolate at base, and 4 to 10 large petiolate tessellate blades toward the ends, their sheaths overlapping, the upper blades crowded, the lower papery sheaths finally falling, the leaf-sheaths bearing several flat scabrous bristles at the summit, these readily falling in age. Type species, Arundinaria macrosperma Michx. (A. gigantea). Name from Latin Arundo, a reed.
Primary branches erect or nearly so, the individual culm with its branches oblong-linear in outline; spikelets usually rather loose; lemmas appressed-hirsute or canescent, at least
_ toward the base, greenish tawny to bronze-russet............----2-----2------- 1, A. GIGANTEA. Primary branches ascending at an angle of about 45°, the individual culm with its branches broadly lanceolate in outline; spikelets rather compact; lemmas glabrous or obscurely pubescent at base only, usually livid-purple....................2.22.2..--2-20-2-0----- 2A; TECTA,
1. Arundinaria gigantéa (Walt.)
Muhl. Giant cans. (Fig. 1.) Culms as much as 2 cm. thick and 2 to 8 m. tall, smooth; lower sheaths about half as long as the internodes, finally fall- ing, the upper 6 to 10 sheaths striate, tessellate, usually hirsute, becoming glabrous or nearly so, densely ciliate, canescent at base, the 10 to 12 bris- tles at the summit 5 to 9 mm. long, these often borne from the margin of a rather firm auricle, this sometimes prominent but often obscure or want- ing, a dense band of stiff hairs across the collar; ligule firm, scarcely 1 mm. long; blades of main culm and pri- mary branches 15 to 27 cm. long, 2.5 to 4 cm. wide, rounded at base (peti- ole 1 to 2 mm. long), strongly finely
tessellate, acuminate, pubescent to glabrous on the lower surface, puberu- lent to glabrous on the upper, the margin finely serrulate; blades of ulti- mate branchlets much smaller, often crowded in flabellate clusters, com- - monly glabrous or nearly so; flowering branchlets finally crowded toward the ends of the branches, the racemes or simple panicles with few to several spikelets on slender angled pedicels 2 to 80 mm. long, hirsute to nearly glabrous; spikelets 4 to 7 cm. long, about 8 mm. wide, mostly 8- to 12- flowered, rather loose; glumes distant, acuminate, pubescent, the lower min- ute, sometimes wanting; lemmas broadly lanceolate, keeled, mostly 1.5
MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
28
| e, showing ~
ia gigantea. Flowering shoot, X 14; summit of culm sheath, outer and inner fac nd ligule, and two views of floret, X 2. (Swallen 6717, Miss.)
uricles a
Fiaurep 1.—Arundinar
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 29
to 2 cm. long, sometimes tapering into an awn 4 mm. long, ciliate, appressed- hirsute to canescent, rarely glabrous except toward the base and margins, faintly to clearly tessellate; rachilla segments densely hirsute; palea scab- rous on the keels. 2 M—Forming extensive colonies in low woods, river banks, moist ground, southern Ohio, - Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and Okla- homa to North Carolina, Florida, and Texas, mostly above the Coastal Plain. Livestock eagerly eat the young plants, leaves, and seeds, and canebrakes furnish much forage. The young shoots are sometimes used as a pot- herb. The culms are used for fishing rods, pipestems, baskets, mats, and a variety of other purposes. Early trav- elers speak of the abundance of this species and state that the culms may be as much as 2 or even 3 inches in diameter. It is said that the plants are easily destroyed by the continuous grazing of cattle and by the rooting of swine.
2. Arundinaria técta (Walt.) Muhl. SwitcH CANE. (Fig. 2.) Similar to A. gigantea, the culms usually not more than 2 m. tall, the sheaths more com- monly as long as the internodes; au- ricle at summit of sheaths only rarely developed, the bristles 2 to 6 mm. long, a very short firm erose to ciliate membrane across the collar; blades on the average a little longer and nar- rower; inflorescence similar, the spike- lets 3 to 5 cm. long, 6- to 12-flowered, relatively compact and less com- pressed than in the preceding; glumes obtuse to acuminate, often glabrous or nearly so; lemmas scarcely keeled, 12 to 15 mm. long, glabrous or mi- nutely canescent at the base, rarely very faintly tessellate toward the summit; the rachilla strigose. 2 —Forming colonies in swampy woods, moist pine barrens and live oak woods, and sandy margins of streams,
Coastal Plain, southern Maryland to Alabama and Mississippi. Two collec- tions from northwest Florida appear to be intermediate between the two species.
A great many exotic species of bamboo have been introduced into cultivation in the United States, par- ticularly from China, Japan, India, and Java. Arundinaria, Bambusa, Cephalostachyum, Chimonobambusa, Dendrocalamus, Gigantochloa, Guadua, Indocalamus, Lingnania, Oxytenan- thera, Phyllostachys, Pleioblastus, Pseu- dosasa, Sasa, Schizostachyum, Sema- arundinaria, Shibataea, Sinarundi- naria, Sinobambusa, Sinocalamus, and Thamnocalamus are the principal gen- era represented. In southern Florida the commonest introduced species are Bambusa multiplex (Lour.) Raeusch., B. bambos (L.) Voss,§ B. vulgaris Schrad. ex Wendl., and Sinocalamus oldhami (Munro) McClure (“‘Dendro- calamus latiflorus’’. of California and Florida gardens). Farther north, where the minimum winter temperatures are lower, Arundinaria semoni (Carr.) A. and C. Riv., Phyllostachys aurea A. and C. Riv., and P. bambusozdes Sieb. and Zucc. are the commonest, and in regions where the winters are still more severe Pseudosasa japonica (Sieb. and Zucc.) Makino is the species most commonly found in culti- vation in the open air; escaped in Philadelphia. In California, Szno- calamus oldhami, Bambusa multiplex, and several species of Phyllostachys are about equally popular. The most recent systematic treatment of the species of bamboo cultivated in the United States is that of Rehder.’
6 Contributed by F. A. McCuure; see also McCuovrg, F. A. THE GENUS BAMBUSA AND SOME OF ITS FIRST-KNOWN SPECIES. Blumea Sup. 3. (Henrard Jubilee vol.) : 90-112, pl. 1-7, 1946; and Young, R. A. BAMBOOS IN AMERICAN HORTICULTURE. Nat. Hort. Mag. 1945: 171-196; 274-291; 1946: 40-64; 257-283; 352-365, illus.
7 REHDER, ALFRED. MANUAL OF CULTIVATED TREES AND SHRUBS. Ed. 2, 996 pp. New York. 1940.
30 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U. 8S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
Fiaure 2.—Arundinaria tecta. Flowering and leafy shoot, X 14; spikelet and floret, X 2. Soe 5881, Va.); |
summit of culm sheath, outer and inner face, X 2. (Amer. Gr. Natl. Herb. 498, Va.
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES ol
TRIBE 2. FESTUCEAE 2. BROMUS L. Bromecrass
Spikelets several- to many-flowered, the rachilla disarticulating above the glumes and between the florets; glumes unequal, acute, the first 1- to 3-nerved, the second usually 3- to 5-nerved; lemmas convex on the back or keeled, 5- to 9-nerved, 2-toothed, awned from between the teeth or awnless; palea usually shorter than the lemma, ciliate on the keels. Low or rather tall annuals or perennials with closed sheaths, usually flat blades, and open or contracted panicles of large spikelets. Standard species, Bromus sterilis (type species, B. secalinus). Name from bromos, an ancient Greek name for the oat, from broma, food.
The native perennial species of bromegrass form a considerable portion of the forage in open woods of the mountain regions of the western United States. Bromus carinatus, California brome, and its more eastern ally, B. marginatus, are abundant from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific coast. Before maturity, they are relished by all classes of stock. Horses and sheep are particularly fond of the seed heads. Bromus anomalus, B. pumpellianus, and B. ciliatus, of the Rocky Mountain region, are abundant up to 10,000-11,000 feet altitude, and are of first rank for all classes of stock. Several other species are nutritious but are usually not abundant enough to be of importance in the grazing regions. The most important species agronomically is smooth brome, B. inermis, a native of Eurasia, which is cultivated for hay and pasture in the northern part of the Great Plains. It is more drought-resistant than timothy and can be grown farther west on the Plains, but does not thrive south of central Kansas. It is recommended for holding canal banks. Also called smooth, awnless, and Hungarian brome. Rescue grass, B. catharticus, is culti- vated for winter forage in the Southern States from North Carolina to Texas and in the coast district of southern California.
The annuals are weedy species introduced mostly from Europe. The best known of these is chess, Bromus secalinus, a weed of waste places sometimes infesting grainfields. Formerly it was believed by the credulous that under certain conditions wheat changed into chess or ‘‘cheat.”’ Chess in a wheatfield is due to chess seed in the soil or in the wheat sown. This species is utilized for hay in places in Washington, Oregon, and Georgia. On the Pacific coast the annual bromegrasses cover vast areas of open ground at lower altitudes where they form a large part of the forage on the winter range. They mature in spring or early summer and become unpalatable. Those of the section Eubromus are, at maturity, a serious pest. The narrow, sharp-pointed minutely barbed florets (or fruits) with their long rough awns work into the eyes, nostrils, and mouths of stock, causing inflammation and often serious injury. Sometimes the intestines are pierced, and death results. On the Pacific coast, B. rigidus, the chief offender, is called ripgut grass by stockmen, and the name is some- times applied to other species of the section.
Spikelets strongly flattened, the lemmas compressed-keeled..... Section 1. CBRATOCHLOA. eae oe before anthesis or somewhat flattened, but the lemmas not compressed- eeied.
1? ihewrantaiss 5 oxeyeCevawey bay | 2 Ea eR a LE Se Section 2. Bromopsis.
Plants annual. Introduced, mostly from Europe.
Awn straight or divaricate, sometimes minute or obsolete, not twisted and geniculate;
teeth of the lemma sometimes slender but not aristate. Lemmas broad, rounded above, not acuminate, the teeth mostly less than 1 mm. Gra Seem ene en nee gel OAL GRY Ne Section 3. Bromium. Lemmas narrow, with a sharp callus, gradually acuminate, bifid, the teeth 2 to 5 mm. long. Awns usually more than 1.5 cm. long... Section 4. Eusromus.
Awn geniculate, twisted below; teeth of the lemma aristate. Section 5. NEOBROMUS,
32 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
Section 1. Ceratochloa
Remmas' awnless or nearly ‘s0-:-:-5.--3 ee ee 1. B. CATHARTICUS. Lemmas awned, the awn more than 3 mm. long.
Panicle branches elongate, slender, drooping, bearing 1 or 2 large spikelets at the end, the
lowermost naked for as much as 10 to 15 em. Sheaths smooth; Washington and
Ore@on.e-n. . se oe 2. B. SITCHENSIS. Panicle branches not greatly elongate.
Panicle branches ascending, rather stiff, naked below, bearing 1 or 2 large spikelets.
Washington: ..°2.252 i) es Sen ee ee ee 3. B. ALEUTENSIS.
Panicle branches short and ascending or longer and drooping, with some short branches at the base.
Blades canescent, densely short-pilose, 2 to 5 mm. wide, often involute; panicle
SOON Sk Sot Soa S Pe wt ec 52h a: 25 4, B. BREVIARISTATUS. Blades not canescent, glabrous to puberulent or sparsely pilose, mostly 5 to 12 mm. wide. Sheaths strongly to sparsely retrorsely pilose; blades 4 to 12 mm. wide; lemmas usually pubescent, the awns mostly less than 7 mm. long; plants perennial. 7
] B. MARGINATUS. Sheaths scaberulous to pilose.
Plants annual or biennial; culms mostly 30 to 100 em. tall; spikelets rather open at anthesis, the rachilla joints relatively long; awns 7 to 15 mm. long. Spikelets 6- to 10-flowered; second glume shorter than the lowest lemma. 5. B. CARINATUS. Spikelets mostly 5- to 7-flowered; second glume nearly or quite equaling the length: of the lowest floret ste eee eee ee 6. B. ARIZONICUS. Plants perennial; awns mostly less than 15 mm. long. Culms erect, mostly 80 to 120 cm. tall; panicle mostly open; spikelets rather glossy, loose, the rachilla joints relatively long........ 9. B. POLYANTHUS. Culms subgeniculate and leafy at base, mostly 25 to 70 cm. tall; panicle rather dense; spikelets closely flowered.....................--------------- 8. B. MARITIMUS.
Section 2. Bromopsis
la. Creeping rhizomes present; lemmas awnless or short-awned; panicle erect, somewhat open, the branches ascending.
hemmias ¢labrous..: 2:27. a et), lee ba ee 10. B. INERMIS. Lemmas pubescent near the margins. ___.._-...--2:..-------ssssseec20----be=e 11. B. PUMPELLIANUS. 1b. Creeping rhizomes wanting (base of culm decumbent in B. laevipes).
2a. Panicle narrow, the branches erect.
Lemmas glabrous or evenly scabrous
Lemmas appressed-pubescent on the margins and lower part...... 13. B. SUKSDORFII. 2b. Panicle open, the branches spreading or drooping.
3a. Lemmas glabrous. ;
Blades broad and lax, more than 5 mm., at least some of them 10 mm., wide (var.
laevigltmis) ee ee, ee ee ee ee 20. B. PURGANS. Blades narrow, not more than 6 mm. Wide..........-....-------0--0--+------- 23. 3B. TEXENSIS. 3b. Lemmas pubescent.
4a. Lemmas pubescent along the margin and on lower part of the back, the upper part glabrous. First glume 3-nerved; plant mostly pale or glaucous. Culms decumbent at base. 17. B. LAEVIPES. First glume 1-nerved, or only faintly 3-nerved near the base; plants dark green. Ligule prominent, 3 to 5 mm. long; lemmas narrow; awn usually more than 5 mm. LON 2 23 ee Be ee Se eee 18. B. VULGARIS. Ligule inconspicuous, about 1 mm. long; lemmas broad; awn 3 to 5 mm. long. 19. B. CILIATUS. 4b, Lemmas pubescent rather evenly over the back, usually more densely so along the lower part of the margin (glabrous in B. purgans var. laeviglumis). Panicle branches short, stiffly spreading; blades short, mostly on lower part of CU. 225. chicas ae 14. B. ORCUTTIANUS. Panicle branches lax or drooping; blades along the culm, mostly elongate. Panicle small, drooping, usually not more than 10 cm. long. Spikelets densely and conspicuously pubescent. Sheaths and blades sparsely pilose to subglabrous; blades mostly 2 to 4 mm. wide (rarely 5 to 6:mm:)) 2. 2 eee 24. B. ANOMALUS.
Sheaths and blades (except uppermost in some) conspicuously pubescent; blades:5 to 10:mm. wide= - =e ee 25. B. KALMII.
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 33
Panicle larger, usually erect, the branches more or less drooping. Blades mostly wide and lax. Ligule 3 to 4 mm. long; blades pilose above, scabrous or smooth beneath; panicle large, open, the slender branches long, drooping. 16. B. PACIFICUS. Ligule short; blades pubescent or pilose on both surfaces, or glabrous or scabrous. Blades densely short-pubescent on both surfaces Blades more or less pilose or glabrous. Sheaths, at least the lower, retorsely pilose (rarely glabrous in B. purgans) blades mostly more than 5 mm. wide. Sheaths shorter than the internodes. Nodes 4 to 6.... 20. B. PURGANS. Sheaths as long as or longer than the internodes. Second glume 5-nerved; nodes 6 to 8; sheaths without flanges at the
Cena 15. B. GRANDIS.
TOU G errors ee. SE a ere 22. B. NOTTOWAYANUS. Second glume 3-nerved; nodes 10 to 20; sheaths with prominent Hangesratabne mouths. 2 == 8 oe 21. B. LATIGLUMIS.
Sheaths glabrous; bladesmostlylessthan 5mm. wide....26. B. FRONDOSUS.
Section 3. Bromium Panicle contracted, rather dense, the branches erect or ascending.
Hemmnunasie alyrOUsen eet se ee oe ea 37. B. RACEMOSUS. Lemmas pubescent. Spikelets compressed; lemmas rather thin and narrow.............. 31. B. MOLLIFORMIS. Spikelets turgid; lemmas rather thick, broader....................-...------------- 30. B. MOLLIS.
Panicle open, the branches spreading. Awn short or wanting; lemmas obtuse, inflated (see also short-awned forms of B. secalinus). 27. B. BRIZAEFORMIS. Awn well developed. HOMagerodaWROUSE mts wee ton Ma eet ee oe ee 28. B. SECALINUS. Foliage pubescent. Branches of the panicle rather stiffly spreading or drooping, not flexuous;awn straight. B. COMMUTATUS. Branches lax or flexuous, usually slender, but rather stout in B. squarrosus.
Spikelets inflated, 5 to 8 mm. or even 10 mm. wide; awns flattened, strongly divergent, about 1 cm. long; panicle branches stout but flexuous, bearing IBOTAZRS DIKE ets eater ee sic STM en es A ol 33. B. SQUARROSUS. Spikelets not inflated, usually less than 5 mm. wide, if more the spikelets pubescent ;
awn not strongly flattened, straight or somewhat spreading. Panicle 8 to 11 cm. (rarely to 15 cm.) long; branches and pedicels conspicu- ously flexuous or curled; lemmas pubescent.................- 36. B. ARENARIUS. Panicle 15 to 25 cm. long (smaller in depauperate specimens), the long branches spreading or drooping, somewhat flexuous but usually not curled; lemmas
glabrous or scaberulous.
Palea distinctly shorter than its lemma; awn flexuous, usually somewhat
divergent in drying; spikelets rather turgid................ 34. B. JAPONICUS. Palea about as long as its lemma; awn straight or nearly soindrying; spikelets thinner and flatter, scarcely turgid..........................-.-- 35. B. ARVENSIS.
Section 4. Hubromus Panicle contracted, erect; awn 12 to 20 mm. long. Culms pubescent below the dense panicle................ eats en ee aa 39. B. RUBENS.
Culms glabrous below the scarcely dense panicle...............------.- 40. B. MADRITENSIS. Panicle open, the branches spreading.
Second glume usually less than 1 cm. long; pedicels capillary, flexuous.
41. B. TEcTORUM.
Second glume more than 1 cm. long; pedicels sometimes flexuous but not capillary. Awnvabout)2 cm long; first glume 8 mm. long... .. 38. B. STERILIS. Awn 3 to 5 em. long; first glume about 15 mm. long....................-.--.- 37. 3B. RIGIDUS.
Section 5. Neobromus PESUNIPICISeClese ei mn cin fe 42. B. TRINII. SECTION 1. CERATOCHLOA (Beauv.) Griseb.
Annuals, biennials, or perennials; spikelets large, distinctly compressed; glumes and lemmas keeled, rather firm.
34 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
1. Bromus catharticus Vahl. Res- much as 100 em. tall; sheaths gla- cup Grass. (Fig. 3.) Annual or bi- brous or pubescent; blades narrow, ennial; culms erect to spreading, as glabrous or sparsely pilose; panicle
X 1. (Piper 3013, Alaska.)
Figure 4.—Bromus sitchensis,
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES BE)
open, as much as 20 cm. long, the branches as much as 15 cm. long, naked at base, in small plants the pan- icles reduced to a raceme of a few appressed short-pediceled spikelets; spikelets 2 to 3 cm. long, 6- to 12-flow- ered; glumes acuminate, about 1 cm. long; lemmas glabrous, scabrous, or sometimes pubescent, acuminate, 1.5 cm. long, closely overlapping, conceal- ing the short rachilla joints, awnless or with an awn 1 to3 mm. long; palea two-thirds as long as the lemma. © (B. unioloides H. B. K.)—Culti- vated in the Southern States as a winter forage grass. Escaped from cultivation or sparingly introduced in waste places throughout Southern States and rarely northward. Known also as Schrader’s bromegrass. Intro- duced from South America.
2. Bromus sitchénsis Trin. (Fig. 4.) Stout smooth perennial; culms 120 to 180 cm. tall; sheaths glabrous; blades elongate, 7 to 12 mm. wide, sparsely pilose on the upper surface; panicles large, lax, drooping, 25 to 39 cm. long, the lower branches (2 to 4) as much as 20 cm. long, naked below for as much as 10 or
15 cm., few-flowered; spikelets 2.5 to’
3.0 cm. long, 6- to 12-flowered, the rachilla joints longer than in B. catharticus, exposed at anthesis; lem- mas scabrous, sometimes hirtellous toward base; awn 5 to 10 mm. long. 21 —Woods and banks near the coast, Alaska to Oregon.
3d. Bromus aleuténsis Trin. ex Gri- seb. (Fig. 5.) Culms rather stout, erect from a usually decumbent base, 00 to 100 cm. tall; sheaths sparsely retrorse-pilose or glabrous; blades sparsely pilose, 5 to 10 mm. wide; panicle erect, loose, 10 to 20 cm. long, the branches rather stiffly as- cending, bearing 1 or 2 (rarely 3) spikelets, the lower as much as 10 em. long; spikelets 2.5 to 3.5 cm. long, 3- to 6-flowered; glumes sub- equal, the first 3-nerved, the second o- or indistinctly 7-nerved; lemmas broadly lanceolate, 7-nerved, scari- ous-margined, smooth to scabrous-
Figure 5.—Bromus aleutensis, X 1. (Evans 550, laska.)
pubescent, about 15 mm. long; awn mostiy about, i scm long. Ol = Open ground, Aleutian Islands to the Olympic Mountain region.
4, Bromus breviaristatus Buckl. (Fig. 6.) Erect tufted perennial; culms 25 to 50 cm. tall; sheaths ca- nescent to densely retrorse-pilose; blades narrow, becoming involute, canescent and also pilose with spread- ing hairs, mostly erect or ascending, often only 1 to 2 mm. wide; panicle narrow, erect, 5 to 15 em. long, the branches short, appressed, often bear- ing only 1 spikelet; spikelets 2 to 3 em. long; lemmas appressed-puber- ulent; awn 3 to 10 mm. long. 2 (B. subvelutinus Shear.)—Dry wooded hills and meadows, Wyoming to British Columbia, eastern Washing- ton, Nevada, and California.
5. Bromus carinatus Hook. and Arn. CALIFORNIA BROME. (Fig. 7.) Erect annual or mostly biennial; culms mostly 50 to 100 cm. (occasion- ally to 120 cm.) tall; sheaths scabrous to rather sparsely pilose; blades flat, mostly 20 to 30 cm. long, the lower shorter (those of the innovations numerous), scabrous or sparsely pilose,
36 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
mostly 3 to 10 mm. wide; panicle mostly 15 to 30 cm. long, with spread-
Figure 6.—Bromus breviaristatus. Plant, X 4%; spike- let, X 5. (Nuttall, Rocky Mts.)
ing or drooping branches, in small plants much reduced; spikelets (ex- cluding awns) 2 to 3 cm. long, mostly 6- to 10-flowered, the florets in anthe- sis not or scarcely overlapping, exposing the relatively long rachilla joints; glumes acuminate, the first 6 to 9 mm., the second 10 to 15 mm., long; lemmas minutely appressed- pubescent to glabrous, about 2 to 2.5 mm. wide as folded, 10 to 20 mm. long; awn 7 to 15 mm. long; palea acuminate, nearly as long as the lemma, the teeth short-awned. © —Open ground, open woods, and waste places, at low and middle alti- tudes, common on the Pacific coast, British Columbia to Idaho and Cali- fornia; New Mexico and Baja Cali- fornia. The species is extremely variable in size, in shape of panicle, and in pubescence, and intergrades freely with the following.®
6. Bromus arizonicus (Shear) Steb- bins. Annual, similar to the preceding, commonly shorter; panicle mostly
8 For variability in Bromus carinatus see HARLAN. J. R., Amer. Jour. Bot. 32: 142. 1945. For proposed varieties see SHEAR, C. L., U. S. Dept. Agr., Div. Agrost. Bul. 23. 1900. See also Stespins, G. L., Tosey, H. A., and Haruan, J. R., Calif. Acad. Sci. Proc. 25: 307-321. 1944.
Figure 7.—Bromus carinatus, X 1. (Hitchcock 2704, Calif.)
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES od
stiff, erect and relatively narrow; spikelets mostly 5- to 7-flowered; glumes less unequal, the second often equaling the length of the lowest lemma; lemmas hirsute toward the margin, occasionally sparsely so across the back, the teeth of the apex 0.7 to 2mm. long. © -—Open, mostly arid slopes and valleys, western Texas; Arizona to middle California and Baja California. Plants short- lived, flowering in the early spring rains and dying after seeding.
7. Bromus marginatus Nees. (Fig. 8.) Perennial, sheaths mostly con- spicuously retrorsely pilose; blades commonly pubescent, 6 to 12 mm. wide; panicles usually less open than in B. carinatus; spikelets mostly
SSPE Ss —=
eR eS
RASS Sy
—N
Figure 8.—Bromus marginatus, X 1. (Hunter 555, Oreg.)
closely flowered, lemmas more strong- ly pubescent, awns usually less than 7 mm. long. 2 —Open woods, open or wooded slopes, meadows, and waste places, British Columbia and Alberta to South Dakota, New Mex- ico, and California, mostly on the eastern slope; adventive in Maine (in wool waste); introduced in Illinois,
Iowa, and Kansas. Variable, inter- grading with 8B. carinatus and scarcely distinct, though extremes are very different in appearance.
8. Bromus maritimus (Piper) Hitche. Perennial; culms stout, 25 to 70 cm. tall, geniculate at base with numerous basal shoots; sheaths smooth or scaberulous; blades mostly 6 to 8 mm. wide, scabrous; panicle mostly 10 to 20 cm. long, the branches short, erect; spikelets 3 to 4 cm. long. 2 (B. marginatus maritimus Piper.) —Near the coast, Lane County, Oreg., to Monterey County, Calif.
9. Bromus polyanthus Scribn. (Fig. 9.) Perennial; culms robust, mostly 90
Fiaure 9.—Bromus polyanthus, X 1. (Chase 5349, Colo.)
to 125 cm. tall; sheaths glabrous; blades 6 to 15 mm. wide, scabrous; panicles commonly 15 to 25 cm. long, the branches ascending; spikelets glabrous or scaberulous, somewhat glossy, rather loose at anthesis; awns 4 to 6 mm. long. 2 —Open or sparsely wooded slopes, foothills, moist ground, Montana to Washing- ton, south to Texas and California (Yosemite National Park); Kansas (experiment station).
Bromus uaciniatus Beal. Tall slender perennial; blades flat; panicles 20 to 30 cm. long, open, drooping; spikelets flattened, about 3 cm. long, mostly purplish; lemmas keeled, awned. Y| (B. pendulinus Sessé, not
38 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
Schrad.)—Occasionally cultivated for orna- ment; Mexico.
Section 2. Bromépsis Dum. Perennials; panicles mostly open; spikelets rather elongate, sub- terete or slightly compressed be- fore flowering; florets closely overlapping.
10. Bromus inérmis Leyss. SMooTH BROME. (Fig. 10.) Culms erect, 50 to 100 cm. tall, from creeping rhizomes; ligule 1.5 to 2 mm. long; blades smooth or nearly so, 5 to 10 mm. wide; panicle 10 to 20 cm. long, erect,
Figure 10.—Bromus inermis. Plant, X 1%; spikelet, X 21%. (Deam 11633, Ind.)
the branches whorled, spreading in flower, contracted at maturity; spike- lets 2 to 2.5 cm. long, subterete be- fore flowering; first glume 4 to 5 mm. long, the second 6 to 8 mm. long; lemmas 9 to 12 mm. long, glabrous or somewhat scabrous, rarely villous, obtuse, emarginate, mucronate, or with an awn 1 to 2 mm. long. 2 —Cultivated as hay and pasture grass, especially from Minnesota and Kansas to Washington and California, occasionally eastward to Michigan and Ohio and south to New Mexico and Arizona, now running wild in these regions; introduced along roads and in waste places in the northern half of the United States; occasionally southward. Also used for reseeding western mountain ranges. Introduced from Europe.
11. Bromus pumpellianus Scribn. (Fig. 11.) Resembling B. inermis; culms 50 to 120 cm. tall, from creep- ing rhizomes; sheaths glabrous or pubescent; blades rather short, mostly glabrous beneath, scabrous or some- what pubescent on upper surface; panicle 10 to 20 cm. long, rather nar- row, erect, the branches short, erect, or ascending; spikelets 7- to 11- flowered, 2 to 3 cm. long; first glume l-nerved, the second 3-nerved; lem- mas 10 to 12 mm. long, 5- to 7-nerved, pubescent along the margin and across the back at base, slightly emarginate; awn mostly 2 to 3 mm. long. 2 —Meadows and _ grassy slopes, Colorado to the Black Hills of South Dakota, Idaho, and Alaska; in- troduced in Michigan. BRomus PUM- PELLIANUS var. TWEEDYI Scribn. Dif- fering in having lemmas more densely pubescent. 2 —Alberta to Col- orado.
12. Bromus eréctus Huds. Culms tufted, erect, 60 to 90 cm. tall, slen- der; sheaths sparsely pilose or gla- brous; ligule 1.5 mm. long; blades nar- row, sparsely pubescent; panicle 10 to 20 em. long, narrow, erect, the branches ascending or erect; spikelets 5- to 10-flowered; glumes acuminate, the first 6 to 8 mm., the second 8 to
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 39
10 mm. long; lemmas 10 to 12 mm. long, glabrous or evenly scabrous- pubescent over the back; awn 5 to 6
mm. long. 2 —Established in a few localities from Maine to New York; also in Washington, California, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Alabama; introduced from Eu- rope.
Bromus RAMOsus Huds. Tall slen- der perennial; blades flat; panicles 15 to 25 cm. long, open, drooping; spike- lets 2 to 3 cm. long, lemmas 12 to 15 mm.long,awned. 2 M—Introduced in Washington; Europe.
13. Bromus suksdorfii Vasey. (Fig. 12.) Culms 60 to 100 em. tall; panicle 7 to 12 cm. long, the branches erect or ascending; spikelets about 2.5 cm. long, longer than the pedicels; first glume mostly 1-nerved, 8 to 10 mm. long, the second 3-nerved, 8 to 12 mm. long; lemmas 12 to 14 mm. long, appressed-pubescent near the margin and on the lower part of midnerve; awn 2 to 4mm. long. 2 —Rocky woods and slopes, Washington to the
== ——
SS ———
y = =
SSS
:
—_S=
Figure 11.—Bromus pumpellianus, X 1. (Umbach 453, Mont.)
40 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
southern Sierra Nevada of California; Nevada (Lake Tahoe).
14. Bromus orcuttianus Vasey. (Fig. 13.) Culms 80 to 120 em. tall, erect, leafy below, nearly naked above, pubescent at and below the nodes; sheaths pilose or more or less velvety or sometimes glabrous; blades rather short and erect; panicle 10 to 15 em. long, narrow-pyramidal, the few rather rigid short branches finally divaricate; spikelets about 2 cm. long, not much flattened, on short pedicels; glumes narrow, smooth, or scabrous,
the first 6 to 8 mm. long, acute, 1- nerved, or sometimes with faint lat- eral nerves, the second 8 to 10 mm. long, broader, obtuse, 3-nerved; lem- mas 10 to 12 mm. long, narrow, in- rolled at margin, obscurely nerved, scabrous or scabrous-pubescent over the back; awn 5 to 7 mm. long. 2 —Open woods, Washington to Cali- fornia; Arizona.
BROMUS ORCUTTIANUS var. HALLII Hitche. Blades soft-pubescent on both surfaces; glumes and lemmas pubes- cent. 2 —Dry, mostly wooded
Figure 13.—Bromus orcuttianus, X 1. (Type.)
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 41
ridges and slopes, 1,500 to 3,000 m. elevation, California.
15. Bromus grandis (Shear) Hitche. (Fig. 14.) Culms 1 to 1.5 m. tall; sheaths softly retrorsely pubes- cent; blades elongate, rather lax, spreading, densely short-pubescent on both surfaces; panicle 15 to 20 cm. long, broad, open, the branches slen- der, drooping, naked below, the lower usually in pairs, as much as 15 cm. long; spikelets 2 to 2.5 cm. long, on subflexuous pedicels; first glume usu- ally distinctly 3-nerved, the second
10 mm. wide; panicle very open, 10 to 20 cm. long, the branches slender, drooping; spikelets 2 to 2.5 cm. long, coarsely pubescent throughout; lem- mas 11 to 12 mm. long, the pubes- cence somewhat dense on the margin; awn 4 to 6 mm. long. 2 —Moist thickets near the coast, southern Alaska to western Oregon.
17. Bromus laévipes Shear. (Fig. 16.) Light green or glaucous; culms 50 to 100 cm. tall, from a decumbent base, often rooting at the lower nodes; sheaths and blades glabrous; ligule 2
Jae
"iy
Figure 15.—Bromus pactficus, X 1. (Elmer 1957, Wash.)
d-nerved; lemmas 12 to 15 mm. long, densely pubescent all over the back; awn 5 to 7 mm. long. 2 —Dry hills at moderate altitudes, Monterey and Madera Counties, Calif., south to San Diego.
16. Bromus pacificus Shear. (Fig. 15.) Culms 1 to 1.5 m. tall, stout, erect, pubescent at the nodes; sheaths sparsely pilose; ligule 3 to 4 mm. long; blades sparsely pilose on upper sur- face, scabrous or smooth beneath, 8 to
to 3 mm. long; blades 4 to 8 mm. wide; panicles broad, 15 to 20 cm. long, the branches slender, drooping; first glume 3-nerved, 6 to 8 mm. long, the second 5-nerved, 10 to 12 mm. long; lemmas obtuse, 7-nerved, 12 to 14 mm. long, densely pubescent on the margin nearly to the apex and on the back at base; awn 3 to 5 mm. long. 2 —Moist woods and shady banks, southern Washington to Cali- fornia.
42 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U. 8S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
FicurRE 16.—Bromus laevipes, X 1. (Amer. Gr. Natl. Herb. 866, Calif.)
18. Bromus vulgaris (Hook.) Shear (Fig. 17.) Culms slender, 80 to 120 cm. tall, the nodes pubescent; sheaths pilose; ligule 3 to 5 mm. long; blades more or less pilose, to 12 mm. wide; panicle 10 to 15 em. long, the branches slender, drooping; spikelets narrow, about 2.5 cm. long; glumes narrow,
Figure 17.—Bromus vulgaris, X 1. (Chase 4945, Wash.)
the first acute, l-nerved, 5 to 8 mm. long, the second broader, longer, ob- tuse to acutish, 3-nerved; lemmas 8 to 10 mm. long, sparsely pubescent
over the back, more densely near the margin, or nearly glabrous; awn 6 to 8 mm. long. 2 —Rocky woods and shady ravines, western Montana and Wyoming to British Columbia and California. Two scarcely distinct robust varieties have been described: B. vulgaris var. eximius Shear, a form with glabrous sheaths and nearly glabrous lemmas, Washington to Mendocino County, Calif.; and B. vulgaris var. robustus Shear, with pilose sheaths and large panicle, British Columbia to Oregon.
19. Bromus ciliatus L. FRINGED
BROME. (Fig. 18.) Culms slender, 70 to 120 cm. tall, glabrous or pubescent at the nodes; sheaths glabrous or the lower short-pilose, mostly shorter than the internodes; blades rather lax, as much as | cm. wide, sparsely pilose on both surfaces to glabrous; panicle 15 to 25 cm. long, open, the branches slender, drooping, as much as 15 cm. long; first glume 1I-nerved, the second 3-nerved; lemmas 10 to 12 mm. long, pubescent near the margin on the lower half to three- fourths, glabrous or nearly so on the back; awn’3 to.o mm long. 2) 7 —— Moist woods and rocky slopes, New- foundland to Washington, south to New Jersey, Tennessee, Lowa, .west- ern Texas, and southern California (San Bernardino Mountains); Mexi- co. B. richardsoni Link is a form that has been distinguished by its larger spikelets and lemmas and more robust habit, but it grades freely into JB.
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 43
Y
Figure 18.—Bromus ciliatus. Plant, X 14; spikelet and floret, * 5. (Hitchcock, Vt.)
44 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
ciliatus and can scarcely be ranked even as a variety. This is the common form in the Rocky Mountains.
20. Bromus ptrgans L. CANapa BROME. (Fig. 19.) Resembling B. ciliatus; nodes mostly 4 to 6; sheaths, except the lower 1 or 2, shorter than the internodes, more or less retrorsely pilose, or sometimes all glabrous; blades elongate, 5 to 17 mm. wide, narrowed at base, and without flanges or auricles; pubescence of lemma nearly uniform, sometimes more dense on the margins, sometimes sparse and short on the back or scabrous only. 2 —Moist woods and rocky slopes, Massachusetts to North Da- kota, south to northern Florida and Texas.
\ Wel) NAVAN, we ‘ANY ANA \; , U/ 1 Nf \i N\\i Ui H) i/}) W AMY), NN Gy /) NNN iy
Fieure 19.—Bromus purgans. Floret, X 5. (Deam 27982, Ind.)
BROMUS PURGANS var. LAEVIGLU- MIs (Scribn.) Swallen. Culms stout, leafy, mostly more than 1 m. tall; sheaths shorter or longer than the internodes, glabrous to pubescent, not strongly pilose; blades elongate, as much as 1 cm. wide or even wider; panicle large, open; lemmas glabrous or nearly so. 21 —Woods and river banks, rare. Known from Quebec, Ontario, Maine, Vermont, Connecti- cut, New York, Michigan, Wisconsin, Maryland, West Virginia, and North Carolina.
21. Bromus _latiglimis (Shear) Hitche. (Fig. 20.) Differing from B.
purgans in having usually 10 to 20 nodes; sheaths overlapping, more or less pilose, especially about the throat and collar; base of blades with prominent flanges on each side, these usually prolonged into auricles. Where the ranges of B. purgans and B. latiglumis overlap, the latter flowers several weeks later than the former. 2. —Alluvial banks of streams,
Quebec and Maine to North Dakota, south to North Carolina and Kansas.
Ficure 20.—Bromus latiglumis. Base of blades, X 1. (Type.)
BRoMUS LATIGLUMIS f. INCANUS (Shear) Fernald. Culms 1 to 2 m. tall, decumbent below, mostly some- what weak and sprawling; sheaths densely canescent; panicles rather heavy. 2 —Low woods, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Maryland.
22. Bromus nottowayanus [ern- ald. (Fig. 21.) Resembling B. lati- glumis, but with fewer nodes; sheaths mostly longer than the internodes, usually retrorsely pilose, without flanges at the mouth; ligule very short; blades elongate, 6 to 13 mm. wide, pilose above, some sparsely so beneath; panicles 12 to 22 cm. long, the slender branches drooping, the pulvini inconspicuous; first glume 1- to 3-nerved, the second 5-nerved; lemma 8 to 13 mm. long, densely appressed-pilose, the awn 5 to 8 mm. long. 2 Rich woods, Indiana and Illinois; Maryland to North Carolina; Tennessee; Arkansas.
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 45
Fiaure 21.—-Bromus nottowayanus. Glumes and lower floret, X 5. (Type number.)
23. Bromus texénsis (Shear) Hitche. (Fig. 22.) Culms slender, mostly solitary, 40 to 70 cm. tall; sheaths
much shorter than the internodes, softly retrorsely pilose; blades pubes- cent on both surfaces, rarely gla-
brous, mostly 3 to 6 mm. wide; panicle mostly not more than 12 cm. long, few-flowered, drooping; lemmas scabrous to nearly smooth; awn 5 to 7 mm. long. 2 —Among brush, Texas (Bexar County and Corpus Christi) and Cochise County, Ariz.;
apparently rare; northern Mexico.
FIGureE 23.—Bromus anomalus, X 1. (Pammel, Colo.)
46 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
24. Bromus anodmalus Rupr. Nop- DING BROME. (Fig. 23.) Culms slender, 30 to 60 cm. tall, the nodes pubes- cent; sheaths sparsely pilose to gla- brous; ligule about 1 mm. long; blades scabrous, mostly 2 to 4 mm. wide; panicle about 10 cm. long, often less, few-flowered, drooping; first glume 3-nerved, the second 5- nerved, lemmas about 12 mm. long, evenly and densely pubescent over the back; awn 2 to 4 mm. long. 2 (B. porter: Nash.)—Open woods, Saskatchewan to North Dakota and south to western Texas, southern California, and Mexico.
Bromus ANOMALUS Var. LANATIPES (Shear) Hitche. More robust, with woolly sheaths and usually broader blades. 2 (B. porter lanatipes Shear.)—Colorado to western Texas and Arizona.
lets; first glume 3-nerved, the second 5-nerved; lemmas 7 to 10 mm. long, villous over the back, more densely so near the margins; awn 2 to 3 mm. long. 2 —Dry or sandy ground and open woods, Maine to Minnesota and South Dakota, south to western Maryland and Iowa. Called wild chess.
26. Bromus fronddsus (Shear) Woot. and Standl. (Fig. 25.) Culms erect to weakly reclining, 80 to 100 cm. tall; sheaths glabrous or the lower pilose; blades pale green, sca- brous, mostly less than 5 mm. wide, occasionally to 10 mm., rarely wider; panicle open, drooping, the slender lower branches naked below; first glume 2- to 3-nerved; lemmas pubes- cent all over, rarely nearly glabrous. 2. (B. porteri var. frondosus Shear.) —Open woods and rocky slopes,
Figure 24.—Bromus kalmii, X 1. (Chase 1866%, Ind.)
25. Bromus kalmii A. Gray. (Fig. 24.) Culms slender, 50 to 100 cm. tall, usually pubescent at and a little below the nodes; sheaths usually shorter than the internodes, pilose or the upper glabrous; blades usually sparsely pilose on both surfaces, 5 to 10 mm. wide; panicle rather few- flowered, drooping, mostly 5 to 10 cm. long, the branches slender, flex- uous, bearing usually 1 to 3 spike-
Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona.
Section 3. Brémtum Dum.
Annuals; spikelets subcompressed; glumes and lemmas compara- tively broad, elliptic or oblong- elliptic. Introduced, mostly from Europe.
27. Bromus brizaeférmis Fisch. and Mey. RATTLESNAKE CHESS. (Fig.
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 47
Fieure 25.—Bromus frondosus, X 1. (Hitchcock 13282, N. Mex.)
26.) Culms 30 to 60 cm. tall; sheaths and blades pilose-pubescent; panicle 5 to 15 cm. long, lax, secund, droop- ing; spikelets rather few, oblong- ovate, 1.5 to 2.5 cm. long, about 1 em. wide; glumes broad, obtuse, the first 3- to 5-nerved, the second 5- to 9-nerved, about twice as long as the first; lemmas 10 mm. long, very broad, inflated, obtuse, smooth, with a broad scarious margin, nearly or quite awnless. © —Sandy fields and waste ground, Canada and Alas- ka; occasional from Washington, Montana, and Wyoming to Cali- fornia, rare eastward to Massachu- setts and Delaware; introduced from Europe. Sometimes cultivated for ornament.
28. Bromus secalinus L. CuHess. (Fig. 27.) Culms erect, 30 to 60 cm. tall; foliage glabrous or the lower sheaths sometimes puberulent; pan- icle pyramidal, nodding, 7 to 12 cm. long, the lower branches 3 to 5, un- equal, shghtly drooping; spikelets ovoid-lanceolate, becoming somewhat turgid at maturity, 1 to 2 cm. long, 6 to 8 mm. wide; glumes obtuse, the first 3- to 5-nerved, 4 to 6 mm. long, the second 7-nerved, 6 to 7 mm. long; lemmas 7-nerved, 6 to 8 mm. long, elliptic, obtuse, smooth or sca- berulous, the margin strongly in- volute at maturity, shortly bidentate at apex, the undulate awns usually
Figure 26.—Bromus AER x V%. (Leckenby ash.
3 to 5 mm. long, sometimes very short or obsolete; palea about as long as lemma. © —Introduced from Europe, a weed in grainfields and waste places, more orless through- out the United States. Also called cheat. Occasionally utilized for hay in Washington and Oregon. In fruit the turgid florets are somewhat dis- tant so that, viewing the spikelet side- wise, the light passes through the small openings at base of each floret. BROMUS SECALINUS var. VELUTINUS
48
MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
Figure 27.—Bromus secalinus. Plant, X 1%; spikelet and floret, X 5. Chase, II.)
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 49
(Schrad.) Koch. Spikelets pubescent. © —Oregon (Corvallis, The Dalles). Europe.
The species of the group containing Bromus secalinus, B. commutatus, B. mollis, and B. racemosus are closely allied, differentiated only by arbi- trary characters. The forms are recog- nized as species in most recent European floras and this disposition is here followed.
Figure 28.—Bromus commutatus, X 5. (Amer. Gr. Natl. Herb. 890, Va.)
29. Bromus commutatus Schrad. Harry cHEss. (Fig. 28.) Resembling B. secalinus, but the sheaths retrorse- ly pilose; the blades more or less pubescent; lemmas at maturity less
plump and more overlapping; awn commonly somewhat longer. © Introduced from Europe, a weed in fields and waste places, Washington to California, Montana, and Wyo- ming, eastward through the Northern States, thence less commonly south- ward. BROMUS COMMUTATUS. var. APRICORUM Simonkai. Lemmas pubes- cent. © —Washington, Nevada, and California; rare. Introduced from Europe.
30. Bromus mollis L. Sorr cHuss. (Fig. 29.) Softly pubescent through- out; culms erect, 20 to 80 cm. tall; panicle erect, contracted, 5 to 10 cm. long, or, in depauperate plants, re- duced to a few spikelets; glumes broad, obtuse, coarsely pilose or sca- brous-pubescent, the first 3- to 5- nerved, 4 to 6 mm. long, the second 5- to 7-nerved, 7 to 8 mm. long; lemmas broad, soft, obtuse, 7-nerved,
Figure 29.—Bromus mollis, X 1. (Hall 258, Calif.)
coarsely pilose or scabrous-pubescent, rather deeply bidentate, 8 to 9 mm. long, the margin and apex hyaline; awn rather stout, 6 to 9 mm. long; palea about three-fourths as long as lemma. © —Weed in waste
50 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
places and cultivated soil, introduced from Europe, Canada, and Alaska, abundant on the Pacific coast, oc- casional eastward to Nova Scotia and south to North Carolina. This has been referred to B. hordeaceus L., a distinct European species.
FicurE 30.—Bromus molliformis, X 1. (Chase 5564, Calif.)
31. Bromus wmolliformis Lloyd. (Fig. 30.) Culms erect, mostly 10 to 20 cm. tall, sometimes taller; lower sheaths felty-pubescent, the upper glabrous; blades narrow, the upper surface with scattered rather stiff hairs; panicle 2 to 4 em. long, ovoid, dense, few-flowered; spikelets oblong, compressed, 12 to 18 mm. long; glumes about 6 mm. long, the second broader, loosely pilose, the hairs spreading; lemmas thinner and nar- rower than in B. mollis, closely im- bricate, about 8 mm. long, appressed- pilose, the margin whitish; awn from below the entire apex, 5 to 7 mm. long; palea a little shorter than the lemma; anthers 0.4 mm. long, about as broad. © —Open _— ground, southern California; Texas (College Station); introduced from Europe.
32. Bromus racemdsus L. (Fig. 31.) Differing from B. mollis in the somewhat more open panicle and glabrous or scabrous lemmas. © (Including what in this country has been called B. hordeaceus glabrescens Shear, B. hordeaceus var. leptostachys Beck, and B. mollis f. letostachys
Fernald.)—Weed in waste places, chiefly on the Pacific coast and east to Montana, Colorado, and Arizona; a few points from Wisconsin and Illi- nois to Maine and North Carolina; introduced from Europe.
Bromus scoparius L. Resembling B. molliformis; culms 20 to 30 em. tall; sheaths soft-pubescent; blades glabrous, scabrous or sparingly pilose; panicle contracted, erect, 3 to 7 cm. long; spikelets about 1.5 em. long, 3 to 4 mm. wide; lemmas about 7 mm. long, narrow, glabrous; awn 5 to 8 mm. long, finally divaricate. © — Introduced from Europe in California (Mariposa), Virginia (Newport News, on ballast), and Michigan (School- craft).
Bromus macrostachys Desf. An- nual; culms erect, 30 to 60 cm. tall; panicle narrow, compact, consisting of a few large coarsely pilose, awned spikelets about 3 cm. long.§ © — Wool waste, Yonkers, N. Y., and College Station, Tex. Sometimes cul- tivated for ornament. Mediterranean region.
Ficurek 31.—Bromus racemosus, X 5. (Hitchcock 2667, Calif.)
33. Bromus squarrésus L. (Fig. 32.) Culms mostly 20 to 30 cm. tall, erect; sheaths and blades softly and densely pubescent; blades 5 to 15 cm. long, 2 to 4 mm. wide, usually erect; panicles nodding, the relatively coarse, short branches subverticillate, flexuous, bearing 1 or 2 large spike- lets; spikelet about 2 cm. long, 5 to 8 mm. wide, somewhat inflated; awns
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES ol
flat, spreading or recurved, about 1 em.long. © —Waste places, Mich- igan and North Dakota. Introduced from Europe.
34. Bromus japonicus Thunb. JAPANESE cHEsS. (Fig. 33.) Culms erect or geniculate at base, 40 to 70 em. tall; sheaths and blades pilose; panicle 12 to 20 cm. long, broadly pyramidal, diffuse, somewhat droop- ing, the slender lower branches 3 to 5, all the branches more or less flexuous; glumes rather broad, the first acute, 3-nerved, 4 to 6 mm. long, the second obtuse, 5-nerved, 6 to 8 mm. long; lemmas broad, obtuse, smooth, 7 to 9 mm. long, 9-nerved, the marginal pair of nerves faint, the hyaline mar- gin obtusely angled above the mid- dle, the apex blunt, emarginate; awn 8 to 10 mm. long, usually somewhat twisted and flexuous at maturity, those of the lower florets shorter than
Figure 33.—Bromus japonicus, X 1. (Deam 6833, Ind.)
the upper; palea 1.5 to 2 mm. shorter than the lemma. © (BB. patulus Mert. and Koch)—Weed in waste places, Vermont to Washington, south to North Carolina and Cali- fornia; Alberta; widely distributed in the Old World, whence introduced. BROMUS JAPONICUS Var. PORRECTUS Hack. Differing only in straight awns. © —New York to Utah and New Mexico infrequent; more common from Maryland to Alabama. In some
mature panicles both straight and flexuous-divergent awns occur. In B. japonicus before maturity the awns are straight and identity is often un- certain. Specimens of this have been distributed as B. japonicus var. sub- squarrosus.
35. Bromus arvénsis L. (Fig. 34.) Resembling B. japonicus, foliage downy to subglabrous; spikelets thin- ner, flatter (less turgid), often tinged with purple; lemmas acute, bifid; awn
o2 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U. 8. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
FIGURE 35.—Bromus arenarius, X 1. (Pendleton 1459, Calif.)
straight or nearly so in drying; palea as long as the lemma or only slightly shorter. © —Open ground, culti- vated soil, New York, Maryland; North Dakota, Nevada, Arizona, and California.
36. Bromus arenarius Labill. Aus- TRALIAN CHESS. (Fig. 35.) Culms slender, 15 to 40 em. tall, sheaths and blades pilose; panicle open, pyram- idal, nodding, 8 to 11 (rarely 15) cm. long, the spreading branches and pedicels sinuously curved; glumes densely pilose, acute, scarious-mar- gined, the first narrower, 3-nerved, 8 mm. long, the second 7-nerved, 10 mm. long; lemmas densely pilose, 7- nerved, 10 mm. long; awn straight, 10 to 16 mm. long.. © —Sandy road- sides, gravelly or sterile hills, Oregon, California, Nevada, and Arizona; ad- ventive at Philadelphia, Pa.; intro- duced from Australia.
Bromus alopeciros Poir. Weedy annual 20 to 40 cm. tall; foliage softly pubescent; panicle narrow, dense, 5 to 10 cm. long; spikelets short- pedicellate, about 2 cm. long, the
glumes and lemmas softly pubescent, the awn of the lemma, flat, twisted at the base, spreading, 1.5 to 2 cm. long. © —Adventive in waste ground, Ann Arbor, Mich. Mediterranean region.
SEcTION 4. Eusrémus Godr.
Tufted annuals; spikelets compressed ; glumes and lemmas narrow, long- awned; first glume 1-nerved, the second 3-nerved; lemma 5- to 7- nerved, cleft at the apex, the hyaline teeth 2 to 5 mm. long; floret at maturity with a sharp hard point or callus. Introduced from Europe.
37. Bromus rigidus Roth. Ripcut crass. (Fig. 36.) Culms 40 to 70 cm. tall; sheaths and blades pilose; panicle open, nodding, rather few-flowered, 7 to 15 em. long, the lower branches 1 to 2 em. long; spikelets usually 5- to 7-flowered, 3 to 4 em. long, excluding awns; glumes smooth, the first 1.5 to 2 cm. long, the second 2.5 to 3 cm. long; lemmas 2.5 to 3 cm. long, sca- brous or puberulent, the teeth 3 to 4
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES o3
mm. long; awn stout, 3.5 to 5 cm. long. © (B. willosus Forsk. not Scop.; B. maximus Desf., not Gilib.) —Common weed in open ground and waste places in the southern half of California, forming dense stands over great areas in the lowlands, occasional north to British Columbia and east to Idaho, Utah, and Arizona; rare in the Eastern States, Maryland, Vir- ginia, Mississippi, Texas, introduced from Mediterranean region. Distin- guished from the other species of the section by the long awns. Bromus RIGIDUS Var. GUSSONEI (Parl.) Coss. and Dur. Differing in having more open panicles, the stiffer, more spread- ing lower branches as much as 10 to
12 cm. long. © —Weed like B. rigidus, growing in similar places, Washington to California, and Ari- zona; more common than the species in middle and northern California. 38. Bromus stérilis L. (Fig. 37.) Resembling B. rigidus, less robust; culms 50 to 100 cm. tall; sheaths pu- bescent; panicle 10 to 20 cm. long, the branches drooping; spikelets 2.5 to 3.5 cm. long, 6- to 10-flowered; glumes lanceolate-subulate, the first about 8 mm. long; lemmas 17 to 20 mm. long, scabrous or scabrous-pubescent, the teeth 2 mm. long; awn 2 to 3 cm. long. © -—Fields and waste places, introduced in a few localities from British Columbia to California and
Figure 37.—Bromus sterilis, X 1. (Boettcher 2423, D. C.)
54 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
Colorado, and New Mexico; in the Eastern States from New England and Illinois to Virginia and Arkansas.
39. Bromus riibens L. Foxrain cHEss. (Fig. 38.) Culms 15 to 40 em. tall, puberulent below the panicle; sheaths and blades pubescent; panicle erect, compact, ovoid, usually 4 to 8 cm. long, usually purplish; spikelets 4- to 11-flowered, about 2.5 cm. long;
Figure 38.—Bromus rubens, X 1. (Blankenship 36, Calif.)
first glume 7 to 9 mm. long, the second 10 to 12 mm. long; lemmas scabrous to coarsely pubescent, 12 to 16 mm. long, the teeth 4 to 5 mm. long; awn 18 to 22 mm. long, somewhat spread- ing at maturity. © —Dry hills and in waste or cultivated ground, Wash- ington to southern California, very abundant over extensive areas, and east to Idaho, Utah, and Arizona; Texas; Massachusetts.
40. Bromus madriténsis L. (Fig. 39.) Resembling B. rubens, but the culms smooth below the less dense panicles; sheaths mostly smooth; blades puberulent to glabrous; panicle © to 10 cm. long, oblong-ovoid (in dried specimens more or less fan-
Ficure 39.—Bromus madritensis, X 1. (Eastwood, Calif.)
shaped); lemmas a little longer than in B. rubens, the teeth 2 to 3 mm. long; awn rather stout, 16 to 22 mm. long. © —Open ground and waste places, Oregon and California; less common than B. rubens. Occasionally cultivated for ornament.
41. Bromus tectorum L. Downy cHEss. (Fig. 40.) Culms erect or spreading, slender, 30 to 60 cm. tall;
ay)
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES
SS =
z =
= Ss ~ = —SSS
Fiaure 40.—Bromus tectorum. Plant, X 16; spikelet and floret, X 5. (Chase 2051, Ind.)
56 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
sheaths and blades pubescent; panicle 5 to 15 em. long, rather dense, soft, drooping, often purple; spikelets nod- ding, 12 to 20 mm. long; glumes villous, the first 4 to 6 mm. long, the second 8 to 10 mm. long; lemmas lanceolate, villous or pilose, 10 to 12 mm. long, the teeth 2 to 3 mm. long; awn 12to14mm.long. © —Along roadsides, banks, and waste places, common on the Pacific coast, espe- cially in Washington and Oregon; AI- berta, and here and there throughout the United States as far south as South Carolina and Texas. Bromus TECTORUM var. GLABRATUS Spenner. Differing in having glabrous spike- lets. © (B. tectorum var. nudus Klett and Richter.) —About the same range as the species, less common.
Section 5. NEOBROMUs Shear, as subgenus.
Annual; lemmas lanceolate, deeply bifid, the teeth aristate; awn twisted, geniculate. Approaches Trisetum.
Figure 41.—Bromus trinii, X 1. (Eastwood, Calif.)
42. Bromus trinii Desvy. CHILEAN cHEss. (Fig. 41.) Culms 30 to 60 cm. or even 100 cm. tall, erect or branched and spreading below, often pubescent at the nodes; sheaths and blades pilose-pubescent to nearly smooth; panicle 8 to 20 cm. long, narrow, rather dense, erect, the branches erect or the lower more or less spreading or flexuous; spikelets narrow, 1.5 to 2 cm. long, 5- to 7- flowered; glumes lanceolate, acumi-
nate, the first mostly 1-nerved, 8 to 10 mm. long, the second mostly 3- nerved, 12 to 16 mm. long; lemmas 5-nerved, 12 to 14 mm. long, pubes- cent, acuminate, with narrow teeth 2 to 3 mm. long, the teeth aristate; awn 1.5 to 2 em. long, twisted below, bent below the middle and strongly divaricate when old. © (Includ- ing B. trinii var. pallidiflorus Desv.) —Dry plains and rocky or wooded slopes, Oregon, California, and Baja California, rarely eastward to Colo- rado; introduced from Chile.
BROMUS TRINII var. EXCELSUS Shear. Differing in having larger spikelets, 7-nerved lemmas, and di- varicate but not twisted or bent awns; teeth of the lemma acuminate, but not aristate. © —A little- known form from the Panamint Mountains, Calif., and Emory Can- yon, Lake Mead, Ariz.
3. BRACHYPODIUM Beauv.
Spikelets nearly sessile, several- to many-flowered, the rachilla disartic- ulating above the glumes and be- tween the florets; glumes unequal, sharp-pointed, 5- and 7-nerved; lem- mas firm, rounded or somewhat flat- tened on the back, 7-nerved, acumi- nate, awned or mucronate; palea as long as the body of the lemma, con- cave, the keels pectinate-ciliate. An- nuals or perennials with erect racemes of subsessile spikelets. Type species, Bromus pinnatus L. (Brachypodium pinnatum (L.) Beauv.) Name from brachys, short, and podion, foot, al- luding to the very short pedicels.
Eurasian species introduced in the |
United States; two American species only; Mexico to South America.
1. Brachypodium distachyon (L.) Beauv. (Fig. 42.) Annual, branching and geniculate at base, 15 to 30 cm. tall; nodes pubescent; sheaths and blades sparsely pilose to subglabrous; ligule, 1.5 to 2 mm. long, pubescent; blades flat, 2 to 6 em. long, 3 to 4 mm. wide; raceme strict, the seg- ments of the axis alternately con-
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 57
cave; spikelets 1 to 5, imbricate, 2 to 3.5 cm. long, excluding the awns, 5 to 6 mm. wide; florets closely im- bricate; lemmas scabrous, the slender scabrous erect awn 1 to 2 cm. long. The spikelets resemble those of some species of Agropyron. © —Open ground, Arapahoe County, Colo., Humboldt, Sonoma, and Marin Coun- ties, Calif.; on ballast, Camden, N. J.. and Portland, Oreg. Sparingly introduced from Europe, but spread- ing in Marin County, Calif.
BRACHYPODIUM syLvATIcUM (Huds.) Beauv. Perennial, 60 to 100 cm. tall; blades to 25 cm. long and 1 cm. wide; raceme 12 to 20 cm. long, the spikelets 4 to 5 cm. long, subterete, the lower distant, the upper closely imbricate. 2 Occasionally culti- vated for ornament and in grass gardens. Europe.
BRACHYPODIUM CAESPITOSUM (Host) Roem. and Schult., a tall, leafy perennial, with racemes 8 to 12 em. long of overlapping spikelets 2.5 to 3 cm. long, the lemmas im- bricate, strongly nerved, glabrous, the awns about 5 mm. long. Introduced from Turkey; has been grown at the experiment station, Tucson, Ariz.
BRACHYPODIUM PINNATUM (L.) Beauv., similar to the preceding, but with pubescent nodes, scabrous laxer foliage, and narrower spikelets with hirsute lemmas. Introduced from Rumania; has been grown in the Grass Garden, Beltsville, Md. The results of both trials are as yet inconclusive.
Figure 42.—Brachypodium distachyon. Plant, Xx, 3 glumes and floret, X 5. (J. T. Howell 23186, Calif.)
4, FESTUCA L. Fescur
Spikelets few- to several-flowered (rarely 1-flowered in some of the spikelets of a panicle), the rachilla disarticulating above the glumes and between the florets, the uppermost floret reduced; glumes narrow, acute, unequal, the first sometimes very small; lemmas rounded on the back, membranaceous or somewhat indurate, 5-nerved, the nerves often obscure, acute or rarely obtuse, awned from the tip, or rarely from a minutely bifid apex, sometimes awnless. Low or rather tall annuals or perennials, the spikelets in narrow or open panicles. The blades are sometimes somewhat auriculate as in the Hordeae. Standard species, Festuca ovina. Name from Festuca, an old Latin name for a weedy grass.
Many of the perennial species of fescue are important forage grasses in the grazing regions of the West. Festuca arizonica, Arizona fescue, of northern Arizona and F. idahoensis, Idaho fescue, of the region from Colorado to central California and northward, are important, though they become rather tough with age. F. viridula, greenleaf fescue, locally called mountain bunch-
58 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
grass, 1s an outstanding grass in subalpine regions of the Northwestern States, and F. thurberz, Thurber fescue, is important in similar regions from Colorado to Montana. F’. ovina, sheep fescue, is a good grazing grass though not abun- dant, but its variety brachyphylla, alpine fescue, furnishes much of the forage above timber line from the Rocky Mountains westward. F. occidentalis, western fescue, in open woods up to 10,000 feet in the Northwest, and F. rubra, red fescue, widely distributed at various altitudes in the West, are valuable in proportion to their abundance.
The most important cultivated species is F. elatior, meadow fescue, a native of Europe, used for hay and pasture in the humid region, especially in Ten- nessee, Missouri, and Kansas. F’. ovina, and its allies, and F. rubra, are culti- vated to a limited extent in the Eastern States as lawn or pasture grasses, usually in mixtures.
Section 1. Vulpia
la. Spikelets mostly more than 5-flowered. Lowest lemma 4 to 5 mm. long, the margin in- FOlled not SCATIOUS: 27. 2:28 nk ES Tae a ae eee Seen Oe 1. F. OCTOFLORA. 1b. Spikelets mostly less than 5-flowered (sometimes 6- flowered 1 in F. dertonensis and F. sciurea). Lemmas usually scarious-margined. 2a. Panicle narrow, the branches appressed.
Lemmas appressed-pubescent over the back, about 3 mm. long... 2. FE. SCIUREA. Lemmas glabrous, scabrous or ciliate, not pubescent over the back. Leminas ciliate toward the apex: =. = eee 3. F. MEGALURA.
Lemmas not ciliate. First glume two-thirds to three-fourths as long as the second. 4, F. DERTONENSIS. First glume much shorter than the second, 1 to 2 mm. long........ 5. F. MYUROS. 2b. Panicle rather short, the branches and often the spikelets spreading (scarcely spread- ing in F. arida). 3a. Spikelets glabrous. Pedicels appressed; lower branches of the panicle usually finally reflexed; spikelets usually: 3= to '>-llowered 2.225. <== oe ee oe 6. F. PACIFICA. Pedicels or nearly all of them finally reflexed, notably those of the upper part of the main axis; branches of the panicle reflexed; spikelets mostly 1- or 2-flowered. 10. F. REFLEXA. 3b. Spikelets pubescent, the pubescence on glumes or lemmas or on both. 4a. Pedicels appressed or slightly spreading; lower branches of panicle usually spread- ing or reflexed. Lemmas glabrous; glumes. pubescent........2....----..--.2-------0--ceteseeeneees 7. F. CONFUSA. Lemmas pubescent. Lemmas hirsute; glumes glabrous or pubescent ; lower branches of panicle spread-
ing or reflexed Ae IC AMONG, Sort Oe Sentra sf Sk 8. F. GRAYI. Lemmas woolly-pubescent; glumes glabrous; panicle nearly simple, the branches scarcely spreading gj kate, One oad fe ae eee eee 9. F. aRIDA.
4b. Pedicels and panicle branches all finally spreading or reflexed. Glumes glabrous; lemmas pubescent.........-_..----------------------- 11. F. MICROSTACHYS. Glumes pubescent; lemmas pubescent a er ee 12. F. EASTWOODAE. Glumes pubescent; lemmas elabrous:22 2 eee 13. > Fo Racy.
Section 2. Hufestuca
la. Blades flat, rather soft and lax, mostly more than 3 mm. wide. Lemmas aw ned, the awn usually more than 2 mm. long. Floret long- -stipitate, the rachilla appearing to be jointed a short distance below the floret 22S) ee EE a ae ee Oe 14. F. SUBULIFLORA. Floret not stipitate.
Lemmas indistinctly nerved; awn terminal; blades 3 to 10 mm. wide. 15. F. SUBULATA. Lemmas distinctly 5-nerved; awn from between 2 short teeth; blades 2 to 4 mm. wide. F,. ELMERI.
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 59
Lemmas awnless or with an awn rarely as much as 2 mm. long. Spikelets oblong to linear, mostly 8- to 10-flowered and more than 10 mm. long. 17. F. ELATIOR. Spikelets ovate or oval, mostly not more than 5-flowered, less than 10 mm. long. Lemmas acuminate, sometimes with an awn as much as 2 mm. long, membranaceous,
distinctly merved'76 to.9 mmalong 25 ee 18. F. SoRoRIA. Lemmas awnless, obtuse to acutish, rather firm, indistinctly nerved. Pemmas onto. mime lone. acutish= ene fol se eee hs ee 19. F. VERSUTA.
Lemmas about 4 mm. long, relatively blunt, rather turgid. Spikelets loosely scattered in a very open panicle with long slender branches.
F. OBTUSA. Spikelets somewhat aggregate toward the ends of rather short branches of a less Gpeninoddimeypanicle:ie2 5 4:20 ee 21. F. PARADOXA.
1b. Blades involute or if flat less than 3 mm. wide (sometimes flat in F. californica, but firm and soon involute). Ligule 2 to 4 mm. long or longer. Lemmas awnless or cuspidate. Wemnmase/pumioe OMG ew Se Ae 22. F. THURBERI. erase armies tomer ene Gey ee ee 23.° F. LIGULATA. Ligule short. Collar and mouth of sheath villous. Culms tall and stout (rather short in var. parishit). 25. F. CALIFORNICA. Collar and mouth of sheath not villous. Panicle branches densely ciliate on the angles. Blades about 1 mm. wide, flat or ODAC el eect tee hn SOUS CN ta a 26. F. DASYCLADA. Panicle branches not ciliate on the angles. Culms decumbent at the usually red, fibrillose base, in loose tufts. Awn of lemma shorter than the body; blades smooth..........-.....2..---2.-----------++- 28. F. RUBRA. Culms erect. Lemmas 7 to 10 mm. long, scabrous. Culms densely tufted, rather stout, usually scabrous below the panicle; lemmas acute, rarely short-awned. 24. F. SCABRELLA. Lemmas mostly not more than 7 mm. long. Lemmas awnless (see also F’. arizonica). Lemmas 6 to 7 mm. long; culms slender, loosely tufted. F. VIRIDULA. emumnaspalooutrs min, donee 8 cs oe Bee Ale Th 31. F. CAPILLATA. Lemmas awned. Awn as long as or longer than body of the lemma; blades soft, glabrous,
SUM Cate reer be ae seere mrs Sse A ee 29. F. OCCIDENTALIS. Awn shorter than body of the lemma; blades slender, numerous, usually scabrous.
Blades mostly not more than half as long as the culms; panicle narrow, often almost spikelike, few-flowered, mostly less than 10 cm. long;
culms mostly less than 30 cm. tall....................2......-. 30. F. OVvINA. Blades elongate; panicles 10 to 20 cm. long, somewhat open; culms 30 to 100 cm. tall. PACs LOLA MOTTA OMG ste st te dak fe See) ei 32. IF. IDAHOENSIS. mMworshortor obsolete 222 8 oe ee es 33. F. ARIZONICA.
SECTION 1. VuLPIA (Gmel.) Reichenb.
Slender annuals; lemmas awned; sta- 1. Festuca octofldra Walt. Srx- mens usually 1, sometimes 3; WEEKS FESCUE. (Fig. 43.) Culms flowers usually self-pollinated, erect, usually 15 to 30 cm. tall, but young panicles arefound with sometimes as much as 60 cm.; blades anthers and stigmas exserted. narrow, involute, 2 to 10 cm. long; Some of the species, especially panicle narrow, the branches short, numbers 7 to 13, resemble each appressed or spreading; spikelets 6 other closely. The differences, to 8 mm. long, densely 5- to 13- though small, appear to be con- flowered; glumes subulate-lanceolate, stant, hence the recognizable the first l-nerved, the second 3- forms are maintained as species, nerved, 3 to 4.5 mm. long; lemmas rather than reduced to varieties firm, convex, lanceolate, glabrous or under leading species. scabrous, 4 to 5 mm. long, the mar-
60 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
gins not scarious; awn commonly 3 to 5, sometimes to 7 mm. long. ©
—Open sterile ground, New York to Florida, Illinois, Kansas, and Texas; Idaho, Washington. The species and
SSS
= =<
its varieties are found throughout the United States.
FESTUCA OCTOFLORA var. TENELLA (Willd.) Fernald. Mostly smaller; panicle usually nearly simple; spike-
FiGcurE 43.—Festuca octoflora. Plant, X %; spikelet, X 5. (Chase 1776, Ind.)
lets smaller; first glume 2.3 to 4 mm. long, awns 1 to 5 mm. Distinctions not constant, many intermediates occur. © —Canada and Connecti- cut to Washington, south to Virginia, Tennessee, and Oklahoma; Georgia, Alabama, Texas; Colorado, Nevada, and New Mexico.
FESTUCA OCTOFLORA var. GLAUCA (Nutt.) Fernald. Panicle shorter and denser than in most specimens of var. tenella; awn of lemma from minute to 2 mm. long. Intergrades with var. tenella. © —Indiana, Ar- kansas, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.
FESTUCA OCTOFLORA Var. HIRTELLA Piper. Commonly rather low and densely tufted; foliage sometimes pubescent; panicle usually rather dense; lemma hirtellous or pubescent, sometimes strongly scabrous only; awns mostly 2 to 4 mm. long. Inter- grades with F. octoflora and with var. tenella. © —British Columbia to Baja California, east to Kansas and Texas; Florida.
2. Festuca scitirea Nutt. (Fig. 44.) Culms erect, 15 to 50 cm. tall; blades
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 61
less than 1 mm. wide, often capillary, soft, mostly involute, 1 to 10 cm. long; panicle narrow, 5 to 20 cm. long; spikelets 4- to 6-flowered, 4 to 5 mm. long; first glume 2 mm. long, the second 3.5 mm. long; lemmas 3 to 3.5 mm. long, sparsely appressed- pubescent; awn 6 to 11 mm. long. © —Open ground, New Jersey and Maryland to Florida, west to Okla- homa and Texas.
Fiaure 44.—Festuca sciurea. Panicle, X 14; spikelet, 5. (Reverchon, Tex.)
3. Festuca megalira Nutt. Fox- TAIL FESCUR. (Fig. 45.) Culms 20 to 60 cm. tall; sheaths and narrow blades glabrous; panicle narrow, 7 to 20 cm. long, the branches appressed; spike- lets 4- or 5-flowered; first glume 1.5 to 2 mm. long, the second 4 to 5 mm. long; lemmas linear-lanceolate, sca- brous on the back especially toward the apex, ciliate on the upper half; awn 8 to 10 mm. long. © —Open
sterile ground, British Columbia to Baja California, common in the Coast Ranges of California, east to Mon- tana and Arizona; introduced in a few localities eastward; Guatemala; Pacific slope of South America. In mature lemmas the cilia may be ob- scured by the inrolling of the edges; moistening the floret will bring the cilia to view.
\
Fieure 45.—Festuca megalura. Panicle, X 1; spikelet, X< 5. (Leiberg 150, Oreg.)
62 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
4, Festuca dertonénsis (All.) As- long, the second 6 to 7 mm. long; chers. and Graebn. (Fig. 46.) Resem- lemma lanceolate, scabrous on the bling F. megalura, the panicles on the back toward the apex, 7 to 8 mm. average shorter, usually less dense; long;awn10to13mm.long. © — glumes longer, the first about 4mm. Dry hills and meadows, British Co-
BUY ft | i b if A ‘a Ns Ly | 7 F 1 \f/ |i ENA WE aed b \ \ Az yy { & ; | i] ey Lif. Fj | ! / \ \ 1 i 5 J i ae i ; f Lanne WM YY ZZ N WN ) Yi 4\ 4 Z Y a7 >, I WZ } } | SW ZA Ss { : —— ay > + , BSS 8 Sz Ny ee er ee a ee ee i a oe ee RRS ke wee RES SRO \\ Leas \ Pim 5 Gy. = WN OG eas Weg Ficur5 46.—Festuca dertonensis. Plant, X 4%; spikelet, X 5. (Palmer 2041, Calif.)
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 63
lumbia to southern California, Ari- zona, and Texas; rare as a waif in the Eastern States; introduced from Eu- rope. This species has been referred to F. bromoides L. by American authors.
Fiaure 47.—Festuca myuros. Spikelet, X 5. (Chase 2393, D. C.)
5. Festuca mytiros L. (Fig. 47.) Differing from F’. megalura chiefly in the absence of cilia on the lemma; ‘panicle usually smaller, first glume 1 to 1.5 mm., the second 4 to 4.5 mm. long. © —Open ground, Coastal Plain, Massachusetts to Texas; Ohio; Wisconsin; Pacific coast, Washington to southern California; Arizona; Mex- ico and South America; introduced from Europe.
6. Festuca pacifica Piper. (Fig. 48.) Culms erect or geniculate at base, 30 to 60 cm. tall; blades soft, loosely in- volute, glabrous, 3 to 5 cm. long; pan- icle 5 to 12 ecm. long, the lower branches solitary, somewhat distant, subsecund, spreading, 1 to 3 cm. long; spikelets 3- to 6-flowered; first glume subulate-lanceolate, about 4 mm. long, the second lanceolate-acumi-
nate, about 5 mm. long; lemmas lan- ceolate, glabrous or scaberulous, 6 to 7 mm. long; awn 10 to 15 mm. long. © —Open ground, mountain slopes, and open woods, British Columbia to
L fi
I) i Figure 48.—Festuca pacifica. Panicle, X 1; floret, < 10. (Type.
Baja California, east to western Mon-
tana and New Mexico.
FESTUCA PACIFICA var. SIMULANS Hoover. All spikelets reflexed or di- vergent at maturity. © —Kern and Kings Counties, Calif.
7. Festuca confiisa Piper. (Fig. 49.) Resembling F. pacifica; sheaths re- trorsely pilose; foliage pubescent; spikelets usually 2- or 3-flowered; glumes hirsute with long spreading hairs; lemmas glabrous. © —Dry hillsides, Washington to southern California.
8. Festuca grayi (Abrams) Piper. (Fig. 50.) Resembling F. paczfica, often somewhat stouter; sheaths and sometimes blades pubescent; glumes glabrous to sparsely villous; lemmas pubescent, puberulent or sometimes villous. © (F. microstachys var. grayt Abrams.)—Open ground and rocky slopes, Washington to southern California and Arizona.
9. Festuca arida Elmer. (Fig. 51.) Culms erect or spreading, mostly less than 15 cm. tall; sheaths and blades
MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U. 8. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
64
—— ——— EAA
FiGureE 49.—Festuca confusa. Plant, X 1; spikelet, X 5. (Type.)
Figure 50.—Festuca grayi. Plant, X %;spikelet, X 5. (Pringle, Ariz.)
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 65
\ \ \ f y i ie VAG, PY Vy mM
Figure 51.—Festuca arida. Plant, X 1%; spikelet, xX 5. (Type.)
glabrous, the blades loosely involute, mostly less than 4 cm. long; panicle narrow, 2 to 5 em. long, the branches appressed or the lowermost somewhat spreading; glumes about equal, gla- brous, 5 to 6 mm. long; lemmas densely woolly, about 5 mm. long; awn 5to10mm.long. © —Sandy _ or dry ground, rare, eastern Washing- ton and Oregon, southwestern [daho, northeastern California, and western Nevada.
10. Festuea refléxa Buckl. (Fig. 52.) Culms 20 to 40 cm. tall; sheaths glabrous or pubescent; blades nar- row, flat to subinvolute, 2 to 10 cm. long; panicle 5 to 12 cm. long, the solitary branches and the spikelets all at length divaricate; spikelets mostly 1- to 3-flowered, 5 to 7 mm. long; first glume 2 to 4 mm. long, the second 4 to 5 mm. long; lemmas glabrous or scaberulous, 5 to 6 mm. long; awn nsually 5 to 8 mm. long. © — Mesas, rocky slopes, and wooded
hills, Washington to southern Cali- fornia, east to Arizona and Utah.
11. Festuca microstachys Nutt. (Fig. 53.) Resembling F. reflexa; glumes glabrous; lemmas pubescent. © —Open ground, Washington to California; rare.
Figure 52.—Festuca reflexa. Pani- cle, X 14; spikelet, X 5. (Brande- gee 71, Calif.)
x 5,
Figure 53,—Festuca microstachys. Spikelet, (Allen, Calif.)
66 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
12. Festuca eastwoodae Piper. (Fig. 54.) Resembling F. reflexa; glumes hirsute; lemmas hirsute, the awn 4 to 5mm. long. © —Open ground, Oregon, Arizona, and Cali- fornia; rare.
)
Se SN
“oi
FicuRE 55. — Festuca tracyi. Panicle, X 4%; glumes, X 5; floret, X 5. (Type.)
Figure 54. — Festuca eastwoodae. Panicle, X 44; glumes, xX 5. (Type.)
13. Festuca tracyi Hitche. (Fig. 55.) Resembling F. refleva; glumes rather sparsely hispid-villous, the first 1.5 to 2 mm. long, acute, the sec- ond 3 to 4 mm. long, obtusish or abruptly acute; lemmas glabrous, about 4 mm. long; awn 4 to 7 mm. long. © —Open rocky ground, Washington (Bingen) and California (Kings and Napa Counties).
SECTION 2. Eurestuca Griseb.
Perennials, culms simple, stamens 3. |
14, Festuca’ subuliflora Scribn. (Fig 56.) Culms erect, slender, 60 to 100 cm. tall; blades flat (or loosely in- volute in drying), lax, pubescent on the upper surface, those of the culm mostly 2 to 4 mm. wide, those of the innovations narrower; panicle loose, lax, 10 to 20 em. long, nodding, the branches drooping, the lower naked at base: spikelets loosely 3- to 5-flow- ered, the rachilla pubescent or hispid, the internodes of the rachilla as much as 2 mm. long; floret long-stipitate, the rachilla appearing to be jointed a short distance below the floret; glumes very narrow, acuminate, the first 3 to 4 mm., the second 4 to 5 mm., long; lemmas scaberulous toward the apex, 6 to 8 mm, long; awn somewhat flexu- ous, 10 to 15mm. long. 2 —Moist
shady places from sea level to 1,000 m., British Columbia to northern California, mostly near the coast. Peculiar in the stipitate base of the lemma. Aspect of F. subulata.
15. Festuca subulata Trin. BEARDED FESCUE. (Fig. 57.) Culms erect, mostly 50 to 100 ecm. tall; blades flat, thin, lax, 3 to 10 mm. wide; panicle loose, open, drooping, 15 to 40 cm. long, the branches mostly in twos or threes, naked be- low, finally spreading or reflexed, the lower as much as 15 cm. long; spike- lets loosely 3- to 5-flowered; glumes narrow, acuminate, the first about 3 mm., the second about 5 mm., long; lemmas somewhat keeled, scaberulous
TI':qureE 56.—Festuca subuliflora. Panicle, X 14; spike- let, X 5. (Howell 19, Oreg.)
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 67
Fiaure 57.—Festuca subulata. Pan- icle, X 4; floret, X 5. (Hitch- cock 23511, Oreg.)
- toward the apex, the intermediate nerves obscure, the tip attenuate into an awn 5 to 20 mm. long. 2 — Shady banks and moist thickets, up to 2,000 m., southeastern Alaska to Wyoming, Utah, and northern Cali- fornia.
16. Festuca élmeri Scribn. and Merr. (Fig. 58.) Culms loosely tufted, slender, 40 to 100 cm. tall, or even taller; blades flat, scabrous or pubes-
Fiaure 58.—Festuca elmer! Panicle, X %; spikelet, 5. (Type.)
cent on upper surface, 2 to 4 mm. wide, those of the innovations nar- rower, more or less involute; panicle loose, open, 10 to 20 cm. long, the branches slender, somewhat drooping, naked below, the lower as much as 10 em. long; spikelets 3- or 4-flowered; glumes lanceolate-acuminate, the first 2 to 2.5 mm., the second 3 to 4 mm. long; lemmas membranaceous, his- pidulous, about 6 mm. long, the nerves rather prominent, the apex minutely 2-toothed; awn 2 to 8 mm. long. 2 —Wooded hillsides, up to 500 m., mostly in the Coast Ranges, Oregon to central California. Festuca ELMERI var. CONFERTA (Hack.) Hitche. More luxuriant; spikelets often 5- or 6-flowered and somewhat congested on the panicle branches. 2 (F. jonesi var. conferta Hack.)— Coast Ranges of California.
17. Festuca elatior L. Mrapow FESCUE. (Fig. 59.).Culms 50 to 120 cm. tall; blades flat, 4 to 8 mm. wide, scabrous above; panicle erect, or nod- ding at summit, 10 to 20 cm. long, contracted after flowering, much- branched or nearly simple, the branches spikelet-bearing nearly to base; spikelets usually 6- to 8-flow- ered, 8 to 12 mm. long; glumes 3 and 4 mm. long, lanceolate; lemmas ob- long-lanceolate, coriaceous, 5 to 7
mm. long, the scarious apex acutish,
rarely short-awned. 2 (Festuca pratensis Huds.)—Meadows, road- sides, and waste places; introduced throughout the cooler parts of North America; native of Eurasia. Culti- vated for meadow and pasture. Some- times called English bluegrass.
Festuca gigantéa (L.) Vill. Blades broad, flat, thin; panicles open; lem- mas long-awned, the awn flexuous and 2 or 3 times as long as the lemma. 21 —Dobbs Ferry, N. Y.; adventive from Europe.
Festuca arundinacea Schreb. REED FESCUE, ALTA FESCUE. Culms some- what taller and more robust than in F. elatior, and without rhizomes; blades longer; panicles 15 to 32 cm. long with more numerous branches
68 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
and spikelets, the spikelets broader, mostly looser, the lemmas 7 to 10 mm. long. 2 (F. elatior var. arundi- nacea (Schreb.) Wimm.)— Roadsides and meadows; introduced from Eu- rope, sparingly spontaneous, Maine,
Massachusetts, New York, Ohio,
Michigan, Utah, Washington to Cali- fornia. Recently rather widely culti- vated in the Northern States, and also in Kentucky.
Figure 59.—Festuca elatior. Plant, X 1%; spikelet and floret, X 5. (Amer. Gr. Nat]. Herb. 488, D. C.)
SS
ee
a
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES
a
Fieure 60.—Festuca sororia. Panicle, xX %; floret, X 5. (Baker 36, Colo.)
18. Festuca sororia Piper. (Fig. 60.) Culms erect, loosely tufted, 60 to 90 cm. tall; blades flat, thin, smooth except the scabrous margins, 3 to 6 mm. wide; panicle loose, open, nodding, or sometimes somewhat con- densed, 10 to 15 cm. long, the branches solitary or in twos, naked below; spikelets rather loosely 3- to 5- flowered; glumes lanceolate, the first about 3 mm., the second about 5 mm. long; lemmas membranaceous, somewhat keeled, scaberulous or near- ly smooth, the nerves evident but not prominent, the apex tapering into a fine point or an awn as much as 2 mm. long. 2 —Open woods, 2,000 to 3,000 m., southern Colorado and Utah to New Mexico and Ari- zona.
Fiaure 61.—Festuca versuta. Panicle, X 14; spikelet, X 5. (Johnson, Tex.)
69
“ 19. Festuca versiita Beal. (Fig. 61.) Culms slender, 50 to 100 cm. tall; blades flat, mostly 2 to 5 mm. wide; panicle open, 10 to 15 cm. long, the spreading lower branches bearing a few spikelets above the middle; spikelets 2- to 5-flowered; glumes narrow, acuminate, nearly equal, 5 to 6 mm. long; lemmas firm, obscurely nerved at maturity, 5 to 7 mm. long, acute, awnless, rarely awn-tipped. 2 (F. texana Vasey; F’. johnson Piper.)— Shady banks, Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma.
Figure 62.—Festuca obtusa. Pan- icle, X 4%; floret, X 5. (Amer. Gr. Natl. Herb. 490, Md.)
20. Festuca obtiisa Bieler. Nopv- DING FESCUE. (Fig. 62.) Culms soli- tary or few in a tuft, mostly 50 to 100 cm. tall; blades flat, lax, some- what glossy, 4 to 7 mm. wide; panicle nodding, very loose and open, the branches spreading, spikelet-bearing toward the ends, the lower usually reflexed at maturity; spikelets 3- to 5-flowered; glumes about 3 and 4 mm. long; lemmas coriaceous, rather turgid, about 4 mm. long, obtuse or acutish, the nerves very obscure. 2 —Low or rocky woods, Quebec to Manitoba, south to northern Florida and eastern Texas.
21. Festuca paradoxa Desv. (Fig. 63.) Culms few to several in-a tuft, 50 to 110 em. tall, widely leaning; blades flat or subinvolute in drying, lax, 4 to 8 mm. wide; panicle 12 to 20 cm. long, heavily drooping, the slender scabrous branches not so long as in /’. obtusa, the brownish spikelets somewhat aggregate toward the ends; spikelets 3- to 6-flowered, the lemmas
70 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
more blunt. 2 (Ff. shortiz Kunth) —Prairies, low open ground, and thickets, Pennsylvania and Delaware to South Carolina, Wisconsin, and eastern Texas.
FicurE 63.—Festuca paradora. Panicle, X 4; floret, X 5. (Palmer 34672, Mo.)
Figure 64.—Festuca thurberi. Panicle, X 14; spikelet, x 5. (Pammel, Colo.)
22. Festuca thirberi Vasey. THur- BER FESCUE. (Fig. 64.) Culms densely tufted, rather stout, erect, 60 to 90 cm. tall; ligule 2 to 4 mm. long; blades involute, scabrous, firm, erect; panicle 10 to 15 em. long, the branches usually solitary, somewhat remote, ascending or spreading, naked below; spikelets 3- to 6-flowered; glumes rather broad, about 4 and 5 mm. long; lemmas rather firm, faintly nerved, glabrous or nearly so, acute or cuspidate, 7 to 8 mm. long. 2
—Dry slopes and rocky hills, 2,500 to 3,500 m., Wyoming to New Mexico and Utah.
23. Festuca ligulata Swallen. (Fig. 65.) Culms slender, loosely tufted, erect from a decumbent often rhizo- matous base, scabrous below the panicle; sheaths glabrous; blades 6 to 20 cm. long, those of the innova- tions as much as 30 ecm. long, flat and 1 to 2 mm. wide or mostly in- volute, scabrous, rather firm; ligule 3 to 3.5 mm. long; panicle 6 to 10 cm. long, the | or 2 scabrous branches stiffly ascending or spreading, few- flowered, naked below; spikelets 6 mm. long, 2- to 3-flowered, the pedi- cels (mostly shorter than the spike- lets) appressed; glumes acute or acutish, scabrous, the first 3 mm. long, l-nerved, the second 4 mm. long, 3-nerved; lemmas 4 to 5 mm. long, acutish, scabrous, obscurely nerved, awnless, the paleas slightly longer. 2 —Moist shady slopes, Guadalupe and Chisos Mountains, Tex.
FiaurE 65.—Festuca ligulata. Plant, X 1%; floret, 5. (Type.)
24. Festuca scabrélla Torr. RoucH FESCUE. (Fig. 66.) Culms densely tufted (rarely producing a slender rhizome), erect, 30 to 90 em. tall; ligule very short; blades firm, erect, scabrous, involute, or those of the culm sometimes flat but narrow; panicle narrow, 5 to 15 cm. long, the branches solitary or in pairs, the lowermost sometimes in threes, ap- pressed or ascending, naked below;
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES
spikelets 4- to 6-flowered; glumes somewhat unequal, lanceolate, 7 to 9 mm. long; lemmas firm, rather strongly nerved, scaberulous, acute to cuspidate or short-awned, 7 to 10 mime lone. 2 (Ff. halla Piper; f. kingit var. rabiosa (Piper) Hitchce.; Hesperochloa king var. rabiosa (Piper) Swallen.)—Prairies, hillsides, and open woods, up to about 2,000 m. (probably alpine in Colorado), Newfoundland to British Columbia, south to Oregon, North Dakota, and Colorado. FESTUCA SCABRELLA var. mAJor Vasey. Culms on the average taller; panicle larger and more spread- ing; lemmas more strongly nerved. 2 (F. campestris Rydb.)—Hills and dry woods, Michigan (Roscommon), Montana to Washington.
Fiaure 66.—Festuca scabrella. Pan- icle, X %; floret X 5. (Rydberg 2106, Mont.)
. t Figure 67.—Festuca californica. Panicle, X %; floret, X 5. (Elmer 4431, Calif.)
71
25. Festuca californica Vasey. Ca- IFORNIA FESCUE. (Fig. 67.) Culms tufted, rather stout, 60 to 120 cm. tall; sheaths somewhat scabrous, the collar pubescent or pilose; blades firm, usually involute, sometimes flat, scabrous; panicle open, 10 to 30 cm. long, the rather remote branches usually in pairs, spreading or droop- ing, naked below; spikelets mostly 4- or 5-flowered; glumes somewhat un- equal, 5 to 8 mm. long; lemmas firm, faintly nerved, scaberulous, acumi- nate or short-awned. 2 (F. aristu- lata Shear.)—Open dry ground, thick- ets and open woods, up to about 1,500 m., Oregon and California, west of the Sierra Nevada. A smaller form with pubescent lower sheaths, and shorter, mostly glabrous blades, has been segregated as F’. californica var. parish (Piper) Hitche.—Oregon and California (San Bernardino Moun- tains).
26. Festuca dasyclada Hack. ex Beal. (Fig. 68.) Culms 20 to 40 cm. tall; blades folded, about 2 mm. wide when spread, those of the culm 4 to 6 cm. long, those of the innovations 10 to 15 em. long; panicle open, 7 to 12 em. long, the branches rather stiffly and divaricately spreading, softly pubescent; angles ciliate; spike- lets pale, long-pediceled, 2-flowered ; glumes lanceolate, acuminate, the first about 4 mm., the second about 6 mm. long; lemmas rather thin,
UD tp y V4 L g y he -=5 VY VA Gi Y WBZ iy \ Zan Y Y Ya
129 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
somewhat keeled, rather strongly nerved, scaberulous, about 6 mm. long; awn about 2 mm. long, from between 2 minute teeth. 2 — Rocky slopes, rare, Utah.
FESTUCA RIGESCENS (Presl) Kunth. Densely tufted, about 30 em. tall; blades firm, involute, sharp-pointed; panicle nar- row, few-flowered, 5 to 10 cm. long; spike- lets about 3-flowered, 6 to 7 mm. long; lem- mas ovate, thick, convex, awnless or mucro- nate, 4 to 4.5 mm. long. 2 —There is a single specimen of this species in the United States National Herbarium, labeled ‘“‘Ari- zona, Tracy?’ On the sheet is a note made by Professor Piper (Feb. 12, 1904) quoting Tracy, ‘In open pine woods 4 miles south- east of Flagstaff, about June 20, 1887.” This agrees exactly with specimens of this species from Peru, whence originally described. Since the species is not known north of Peru, ex- cept from this specimen, it seems probable that the label has been misplaced.
Ficure 68.— Festuca dasyclada. Panicle, X 14; glumes and floret, X 5. (Dupl. type.)
27. Festuca viridula Vasey.GREEN- LEAF FESCUE. (Fig. 69.) Culms rather loosely tufted, erect, 50 to 100 cm. tall; blades soft, erect, those of the culm flat or loosely involute, those of the innovations slender, involute; panicle open, 10 to 15 cm. long, the branches mostly in pairs, ascending or spreading, slender, somewhat re- mote, naked below; spikelets 3- to 6-flowered; glumes lanceolate, some- what unequal, 5 to 7 mm. long; lemmas membranaceous, acute or cuspidate, glabrous, 6 to 8 mm. long. 21 —Mountain meadows and open
slopes, 1,000 to 2,000 m., British Columbia to Alberta, south to central California and Idaho; Colorado (Wil- low Pass). An important forage grass in the mountains of the Northwestern States. Festuca howellii Hack. ex Beal, differing from F. viridula in having more scabrous lemmas and awns 2 mm. long, does not seem sufficiently distinct to be recognized as a species. 21 —Known from a
single collection (Josephine County, Oreg.).
Ficure 69.—Festuca viridula. Panicle, X %; floret, X 5. (Cusick 2431, Oreg.)
_ 28. Festuca ribra L. RED FESCUE. (Fig. 70.) Culms usually loosely tufted, bent or decumbent at the reddish or purplish base, occasionally closely tufted, erect to ascending, 40 to 100 em. tall; lower sheaths brown, thin, and fibrillose; blades smooth, soft, usually folded or involute; panicle 3 to 20 cm. long, usually contracted and narrow, the branches mostly erect or ascending; spikelets 4- to 6-flowered, pale green or glau- cous, often purple-tinged; lemmas 5 to 7 mm. long, smooth, or scabrous toward apex, bearing an awn about half as long. 2 —Meadows, hills, bogs, and marshes, in the cooler parts of the northern hemisphere, extend- ing south in the Coast Ranges to Monterey, in the Sierra Nevada to the San Bernardino Mountains, in the Rocky Mountains to Colorado
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 73
and New Mexico, San Francisco gheny Mountains and in the Atlantic Mountains of Arizona; in the Alle- coastal marshes to Georgia; Mexico,
SS = SS no aa 7 S= = aw, . y — S S —— :
Figure 70.—Festuca rubra. Plant, X 14; spikelet and floret, x 5, (Hitchcock 4201, Alaska.)
74 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
Eurasia, North Africa. Occasionally used in grass mixtures for pastures in the Northern States. Frstruca RUBRA var. LANUGINOSA Mert. and Koch. Lemmas pubescent. 2 — Oregon to Wyoming and northward; Michigan, Vermont to Connecticut; Europe. A proliferous form (fF. rubra var. prolifera Piper, F. prolifera Fernald) is found in the White Moun- tains of New Hampshire, in Maine and northward. Festuca RUBRA var. coMMuTATA Gaud. (F. fallax Thuill.). CHEWINGS FESCUE. A form with more erect culms, producing a firmer sod, commonly cultivated in New Zealand and occasionally in the United States. 21 —FESTUCA RUBRA var. HETERO- PHYLLA (Lam.) Mut. SHADE FESCUE. Densely tufted; basal blades filiform; culm blade flat. 2 —Used for lawns in shady places. Europe.
29. Festuca occidentalis Hook. WESTERN FESCUE. (Fig. 71.) Culms
Figure 71.—Festuca occidentalis. Panicle, spikelet, X 5. (Piper 4908, Wash.)
x %;
tufted, erect, slender, 40 to 100 cm. tall; blades mostly basal, slender, in- volute, sulcate, soft, smooth or nearly so; panicle loose, 7 to 20 cm. long, often drooping above, the branches solitary or in pairs; spikelets loosely 3- to 5-flowered, 6 to 10 mm. long, mostly on slender pedicels; lemmas rather thin, 5 to 6 mm. long, scaber- ulous toward the apex, attenuate into a slender awn about as long or longer. 2 —Dry rocky wooded slopes and banks, British Columbia to central California, east to Wyoming, north- ern Michigan, and western Ontario.
Figure 72.—Festuca ovina. Panicle, X 14; floret, X 5. (Robbins 8692, Colo.)
30. Festuca ovina L. SHEEP FES- cuE. (Fig. 72.) Culms densely tufted, usually 20 to 40 em. tall; blades slen- der, involute, from very scabrous to glabrous, the innovations numerous in a basal cluster, 5 to 10 cm. long or sometimes longer; panicle narrow, sometimes almost spikelike, 5 to 8 cm. long, sometimes longer; spikelets mostly 4- or 5-flowered ; lemmas about 4 to 5 mm. long, short-awned. 2 (F. saximontana Rydb.; F. calligera Rydb.; F. minutiflora Rydb., a rare form with small florets; F. ovzna var. pseudovina Hack. of Piper’s revision of Festuca.)—Open woods and stony slopes, North Dakota to Washington and Alaska, south to Arizona and New Mexico; introduced eastward through Michigan, Maine, Illinois, and South Carolina; Eurasia. Festuca ovina, F. ovina var. duriuscula, and F. capillata are occasionally culti- vated in lawn mixtures.
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 75
FESTUCA OVINA var. DURIUSCULA (L.) Koch. Harp rFescur. Blades smooth, wider and firmer than in F. ovina. 2 —Maine to Iowa and Virginia; introduced from Europe.
FESTUCA OVINA var. BRACHY- PHYLLA (Schult.) Piper. ALPINE FES- cuE. An alpine and high northern form differing in the lower culms, mostly 5 to 20 cm. tall, and the smooth short rather lax blades. 2 (F. brachyphylla Schult. ; F. ovina var. supina Hack. of Piper’s revision of Festuca.)—Rocky slopes, at high alti- tudes, mostly above timber line in the United States, arctic regions south to San Bernardino Mountains, San Francisco Mountains, California, and, in the Rocky Mountains, to northern New Mexico; also in the high moun- tains of Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York.
FESTUCA OVINA var. GLAUCA (Lam.) Koch. Buux rescue. Blades elongate, glaucous. 2 (fF. glauca Lam.)—Cultivated as a border plant.
31. Festuca capillata Lam. Harr FESCUE. (Fig. 73.) Densely tufted,
Figure 73.—Festuca capillata. Plant, X 14; floret, X 5. (Hitch- cock 23624, Newf.)
more slender and lower than F. ovina; blades capillary, flexuous, usually more than half as long as the culm; spikelets smaller; lemmas about 3 mm. long, awnless. 21 —Lawns and waste places, Newfoundland and Maine to North Carolina and Illinois; Minnesota; Oregon; introduced from Europe.
32. Festuca idahoénsis Elmer. IpaHo FEscur. (Fig. 74.) Culms usually densely tufted in large
Fiaure 74.—Festuca idahoensis. Plant, X %; floret, X< 5. (Heller 3318, Idaho.)
bunches, 30 to 100 cm. tall; blades numerous, usually elongate, very sca- brous, rarely smooth, filiform, in- volute; panicle narrow, 10 to 20 cm. long, the branches ascending or ap- pressed, somewhat spreading in an- thesis; spikelets mostly 5- to 7-flow- ered; lemmas nearly terete, about 7 mm. long; awn usually 2 to 4 mm. long. 2 (F. ovina var. ingrata Beal.)—Open woods and rocky slopes, British Columbia to Alberta, south to central California and Colorado.
33. Festuca arizonica Vasey. ARI- ZONA FESCUE. (Fig. 75.) Resembling F, idahoensis; differing in the stiffer glaucous foliage, somewhat smaller awnless or nearly awnless lemmas. 2, —Open pine woods, Nevada and Colorado to Texas and Arizona. Often called pinegrass. ;
FicureE 75.—Festuca arizonica. Pan- icle, X 4; floret, X 5. (Leiberg 5685, Ariz.)
76 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
Festuca AMETHYSTINA L. Slender tufted perennial; blades filiform, 15 to 25 em. long; panicle 5 to 10 cm. long, rather narrow; spikelets about asin F’. ovina, often purplish. 2 —Sometimes cultivated for ornament. Europe.
FESTUCA GENICULATA (L.) Cav. Annual; culms slender, geniculate below, 20 to 50 cm. tall; panicle 3 to 6 cm. long, rather compact; spikelets awned. © —Sometimes culti- vated for ornament. Portugal.
FESTUCA VALESIACA Schleich. ex Gaud. Slender densely tufted perennial, 15 to 30 cm. tall; blades very slender, sulcate, sca- brous, those of the innovations numerous, 10 to 18 cm. long; panicle 4 to 8 em. long, nar- row, the short branches ascending; spikelets similar to those of F. ovina, to which this species is closely related. 2% —Some- times cultivated in grass gardens. Europe.
5. SCLEROPOA Griseb.
Spikelets several-flowered, linear, somewhat compressed, the thick ra- chilla disarticulating above the glumes and between the florets, re- maining as a minute stipe to the floret above; glumes unequal, short, acut-
is
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att SSS
ty
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ish, strongly nerved, the first 1- nerved, the second 3-nerved; lemmas nearly terete, obscurely 5-nerved, ob- tuse, slightly scarious at the tip. An- nuals with slightly branched 1-sided panicles. Type species, Scleropoa rig- ida. Name from Greek skleros, hard, and poa, grass, alluding to the stiff panicle.
1. Scleropoa rigida (L.) Griseb. (Fig. 76.) Culms erect or spreading, 10 to 20 cm. tall; blades flat, 1 to 2 mm. wide; panicles narrow, stiff, con- densed, 5 to 10 cm. long, the branches short, floriferous to base, these and the thick pedicels somewhat divari- cately spreading in anthesis; spikelets 4- to 10-flowered, 5 to 8 mm. long; glumes about 2 mm. long; lemmas about 2.5 mm. long. © —Waste places and fields, sparingly introduced from Europe, Massachusetts; Florida to Mississippi; Texas; South Dakota; Washington to California.
Rack, —s
6
. SA?
San SF »" eS Ws
FicurE 76.—Scleropoa rigida. Plant, X 1; two views of floret, X 10. (Cocks, Miss.)
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES OT
6. PUCCINELLIA Parl. ALKALI-GRASS
Spikelets several-flowered, usually terete or subterete, the rachilla dis- articulating above the glumes and between the florets; glumes unequal, shorter than the first lemma, obtuse or acute, rather firm, often scarious at tip, the first 1-nerved or sometimes 3-nerved, the second 3-nerved; lemmas usually firm, rounded on the back, obtuse or acute, rarely acuminate, usually scarious and often erose at the tip, glabrous or puberulent toward base, rarely pubescent on the nerves, 5-nerved, the nerves parallel, indistinct, rarely rather prominent; palea about as long as the lemma or somewhat shorter. Low pale smooth tufted annuals or perennials with narrow to open panicles. Type species, Puccinellia distans. Named for Prof. Benedetto Puccinelli.
The species of the interior are grazed by stock. One, P. azroides, furnishes considerable forage in the regions where it is common. A form of this, called Zawadke alkali-grass, is cultivated in Montana.
Lemmas obtuse, pubescent on the nerves for half or three-fourths their length. Dwarf EMO Ss ar NW Ic go ee ES 1. P. PARISHII. Lemmas glabrous or, if pubescent, the hairs not confined to the nerves. Panicles narrow, strict, the branches appressed, mostly with one spikelet; annual, mostly less than 20 cm. tall; lemmas acute, more or less pubescent_...._.._._... 2. PP. SIMPLEX. Panicles narrow or open, not strict; annual or perennial; lemmas glabrous or pubescent only at base. Panicles ellipsoid, rather compact, less than 10 cm. long, the branches floriferous nearly to base. Lemmas rather coriaceous; culms rather stout. Spikelets 5 to 8 mm. long; lemmas 3 to 3.5 mm. long.................. 3. P. RUPESTRIS. Spikelets 3 to 4 mm. long; lemmas 2 to 2.5 mm. long.............. 4. P. FASCICULATA. Panicles pyramidal or elongate, some of the branches naked below, or reduced, narrow, and few-flowered. Leaves mostly in a short basal tuft, the blades involute, 5 to 10 em. long. Panicle 5 to 10 cm. long, open and spreading; lemmas 3.5 mm. long, glabrous, acute. 5. P. LEMMONI. Leaves distributed, not in a basal tuft. Anthers about 2 mm. long; lemmas 4 to 5 mm. long, pubescent at base. P. MARITIMA. Anthers 1 mm. long or less. Lemmas about 2 mm. long (2 to 3 mm. in P. airoides); panicle open; the slender branches spreading or reflexed. Lemmas broad, obtuse or truncate, not narrowed above; lower panicle branches
ustallivanetlexe dk tieii sake or ee aes! a eam, 7. P. DISTANS. Lemmas narrow, narrowed into an obtuse apex; panicle branches spreading, USUallvanoOtrehexedes se. A Ae ee ee ee 8. P. AIROIDES. Lemmas 3 to 4 mm. long; panicle narrow, the branches ascending or finally spreading.
Plants lax, usually 10 to 30 cm. tall; panicle 5 to 10 cm. long, the branches mnally spreading: glabrous. 28s ee 9. P. PUMILA. Plants usually 50 to 96 cm. tall; panicle 10 to 20 em. long, the branches ascend- LM GVOT: appPLessed, SCabrOUS...2.f-. ecco ete ae 10. P. GRANDIS.
1. Puccinellia parishii Hitche. (Fig. 77.) Annual; culms 3 to 10 cm. tall; blades flat to subinvolute, less than 1 mm. wide; panicle narrow, few-flowered, 1 to 4 cm. long; spike- com ce lets 3- to 6-Alowered, 3to5 mm. long; pride eis tone 10. (heoe) lemmas about 2 mm. long, obtuse to truncate, scarious and somewhat erose at the tip, pubescent on the mid and lateral nerves nearly to the apex, and on the intermediate nerves about half way. © —Marshes, California
78 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
(Rabbit Springs, San Bernardino County) and Arizona (Tuba City).
2. Puccinellia simplex Scribn. (Fig. 78.) Annual; culms 7 to 20 cm. tall; blades narrow, soft, flat; panicle nar- row, about half the length of the en- tire plant, the branches few, short, appressed, mostly with 1 spikelet; spikelets 6 to 8 mm. long, appressed; glumes strongly 3-nerved, 1 and 2 mm. long; lemmas 2.5 mm. long, tapering from below the middle to the acute apex, more or less pubescent over the back. © Alkaline soil, California; common in alkaline areas of the San Joaquin Valley.
Figure 78.— Puccinellia simplex. Plant, X 1; floret X 10. (Type.)
3. Puccinellia rupéstris (With.) Fern. and Weath. (Fig. 79.) Annual; culms rather stout, mostly 10 to 20 cm. tall; blades flat, 2 to 6 mm. wide; panicle ellipsoid, glaucous, rather dense, mostly 3 to 6 cm. long, the branches mostly not more than 1.5
Figure 79.—Puccinellia rupestris. Panicle, X 1;
floret, X 10. (Martindale, N. J.)
cm. long, stiffly ascending, floriferous nearly to base; spikelets 3- to 5-flow- ered, 5 to 8 mm. long, sessile or nearly so; glumes 3- to 5-nerved, 1.5 and 2.5 mm. long; lemmas 3 to 3.5 mm. long, firm, obscurely nerved, glabrous, ob- tuse, the apex entire or nearly so. © —RBallast near New York and Philadelphia. Europe.
Figure 80.—Puccinellia fasciculata. Panicle, X 1; floret, X 10. (Steb- bins, Maine.)
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 79
4. Puccinellia fasciculata (Torr.) Bicknell. (Fig. 80.) Apparently peren- nial; culms rather stout, 20 to 50 cm. tall, sometimes taller; blades flat, folded, or subinvolute, 2 to 4 mm. wide;-panicle ellipsoid, 5 to 15 ecm. long, the branches fascicled, rather stiffly ascending, some naked at base but with short basal branchlets, all rather densely flowered; spikelets 2- to 5-flowered, 3 to 4 mm. long; glumes ovate, 1 and 1.5 mm. long; lemmas 2 to 2.5 mm. long, firm, obtuse. 2 (P. borrert Hitche.)—Salt marshes along the coast, Nova Scotia to Vir- ginia; Utah, Nevada and Arizona; Europe.
5. Puccinellia lemmoni (Vasey) Scribn. (Fig. 81.) Perennial; culms erect, slender, 15 to 30 cm. tall; leaves mostly in an erect basal tuft, the slender blades involute, 5 to 10 cm. long; panicle pyramidal, open, 5 to 10 cm. long, the slender flexuous branches fascicled, the lower spread-
Figure 82.—Puccinellia maritima. Plant, X 1; floret, X 10. (Fernald and Long 20051, Nova Scotia.)
Figure 81.—Puccinellia lemmoni. Panicle, X 1; floret, * 10. (Jones 4115, Nev.)
ing, the longer ones naked on the lower half; spikelets narrow, 3- to 5- flowered, the rachilla often exposed; glumes about 1 and 2 mm. long; lem- mas narrow, acute, glabrous, about 3.0 mm. long; anthers 1.5 mm. long. 21 —Moist alkaline soil, southern Idaho and Washington to Nevada and California.
6. Puccinellia maritima (Huds.)
Parl. (Fig. 82.) Perennial; culms erect, rather coarse, 20 to 40 cm. tall, some- times taller; blades 1 to 2 mm. wide, usually becoming involute; panicle mostly 10 to 20 em. long, the branches ascending or appressed, or spreading in anthesis; spikelets 4- to 10-flow- ered ; glumes 3-nerved, 2 to 3 and 3 to 4 mm. long; lemmas 4 to 5 mm. long, pubescent on the base of the lateral
80 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
nerves and sometimes sparingly be- tween the nerves; anthers 1.5 to 2 mm. long. 2 —Salt marshes and brackish shores, Nova Scotia to Rhode Island; Washington; on bal- last, Philadelphia and Camden; Eu- rope.
7. Puccinellia distans (L.) Parl. (Fig. 83.) Perennial; culms erect or decumbent at base, 20 to 40 cm. tall, sometimes taller; blades flat or more or less involute, mostly 2 to 4 mm. wide; panicle pyramidal, loose, 5 to 15 cm. long, the branches fascicled, rather distant, the lower spreading or finally reflexed, the longer ones naked half their length or more; spikelets 4- to 6-flowered, 4 to 5 mm. long; glumes 1 and 2 mm. long; lemmas rather thin, obtuse or truncate, 1.5 or usually about 2 mm. long, with a few short
Figure 83.—Puccinellia distans. Panicle, floret, X 10. (Schuette, Wis.)
x Wh;
hairs at base; anthers about 0.8 mm. long. 2 —Moist, more or less alkaline soil, Quebec to British Co- ‘lumbia, south to Maryland, Michi-
gan, Wisconsin, and North Dakota; Washington, south to New Mexico and California; introduced from Eu- rasia. The more slender specimens are
Figure 84.—Puccinellia airoides. Panicle, X 1; floret, X 10. (Rydberg 2135, Mont.)
the form described as P. distans var. tenuis (Uechtritz) Fern. and Weath.
8. Puccinellia airoides (Nutt.) Wats. and Coult. NUTTALL ALKALI- Grass. (Fig. 84.) Perennial; culms usually erect, slender, rather stiff and firm at base, mostly 30 to 60 cm. rarely to 1 m. tall; blades 1 to 3 mm. wide, flat, or becoming involute; panicle pyramidal, open, mostly 10 to 20 cm. long, the distant scabrous branches fascicled, spreading, naked below, as much as 10 cm. long; spikelets 3- to 6-flowered, 4 to 7 mm. long, the florets rather distant, the rachilla often exposed; pedicels sca- brous; glumes 1.5 to 2 mm. long; lemmas 2 to 3 mm. long, rather nar- row, somewhat narrowed into an obtuse apex; anthers about 0.7 mm. long. 2 (P. nuttalliana Hitche.) —Moist, usually alkaline soil, Wis- consin to British Columbia, south to Kansas, New Mexico, and California; introduced in Maine and Vermont. The form with lemmas 2.5 to 3 mm. long has been called P. cusickit Weatherby. Alberta to Wyoming and Oregon.
9. Puccinellia ptmila (Vasey) Hitche. (Fig. 85.) Perennial; culms lax, erect or ascending from a de-
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 81
TES
<<
—— = AQ a S
SS SS : So *
eS z “A g
RS
NS
t AW tte A OFS = Sa ee A 1" NI
FN; Vp SS
FieurEe 85.—Puccinellia pumila. Plant, X 1; floret, xX 10. (Type.)
cumbent base, 10 to 30 cm. tall; blades rather soft, mostly flat, 1 to 2mm. wide; panicle pyramidal, open, mostly 5 to 10 em. long, the lower branches naked below, usually finally spreading or even reflexed; spikelets 4- to 6-flowered; glumes 1.5 and 2.5 mm. long; lemmas 3 to 4 mm. long, rather broad, narrowed toward the obtuse nearly entire apex, obscurely pubescent near base or glabrous;
anthers 0.8 to 1 mm. long. 2% — Salt marshes and:shores, Labrador to Connecticut; Alaska to Oregon.
10. Puccinellia grandis Swallen. (Fig. 86.) Culms densely tufted, 50 to 90 cm. tall; sheaths glabrous; ligule 2 to 8 mm. long; blades firm, drying involute, 2 to 3.5 mm. wide, panicles 10 to 20 cm. long, pyramidal, the scabrous branches finally spread- ing; spikelets 8 to 15 mm. long, 5- to 12-flowered, appressed; lemmas 3 to 4 mm. long, obtuse or subacute, sparsely pilose at the base; anthers 1.3 to 15 mm. long. 2 —Sea beaches, Alaska to central California. This species has been referred to P. nutkaensis (Presl) Fern. and Weath.., a northern species, not known from the United States.
S
SS <4
~ <= SSS — WSS —, S
Fiaure 86.—Puccinellia grandis. Panicle, X 1; floret, X 10. (Macoun 66, Br. Col.)
7. GLYCERIA R. Br. Mannacrass
(Panicularia Heist.)
Spikelets few- to many-flowered, subterete or slightly compressed, the. rachilla disarticulating above the glumes and between the florets; glumes un-
82 MISC, PUBLICATION 200, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
equal, short, obtuse or acute, usually scarious, mostly l-nerved (the second 3-nerved in a few’species); lemmas broad, convex on the back, firm, usually obtuse, scarious at the apex, 5- to 9- nerved, the nerves parallel, usually prominent. Usually tall aqui atic or marsh perennials, with creeping and rooting bases or with creeping rhizomes, simple culms, mostly closed or partly closed sheaths, flat blades, and open or contracted panicles. Type species, Gly- ceria fluctans. Name from the Greek glukeros, sweet, the seed of the type species being sweet.
The species are all palatable grasses but are usually of limited distribution, and most of them are confined to marshes or wet land. Glyceria elata, tall mannagrass, is a valuable component of the forage in moist woods of the Northwestern States. G. striata, fowl mannagrass, widely distributed, G. grandis, American mannagrass, in the Northern States, and G. pauczflora of the Northwest are marsh species, but are often grazed.
Spikelets linear, nearly terete, usually 1 cm. long or more, appressed on short pedicels;
panicles narrow, OFect. acc ceca cccccne sen eene eee tee ene sete Secrion 1. EuGiycertia. Spikelets ovate or oblong, more or less compressed, ‘usually not more than 5 mm. long; nanicles usually:nodding..3 1c eee Secrion 2. Hyproroa.
Section 1. Euglyceria Lemmas acute, much exceeded by the palea...... 2... eee 1. G. ACUTIFLORA. Lemmas obtuse; palea about as long as the lemma (or slightly longer in G. septentrionalis and G. fluttans). Lemmas glabrous between the slightly scabrous nerves... 2. G. BOREALIS. Lemmas scaberulous or hirtellous between the usually distinctly scabrous nerves. Lemmas about 3 mm. long, broadly rounded at the summit.
First glume 1.5 mm. long; lemmas seaberulous...................... 3. G. LEPTOSTACHYA,. First glume 2 to 2.5 mm. long; lemmas hirtellous.................... 4. G. ARKANSANA,
Lemmas 4 to 7 mm. long. Culms more than 60 em., commonly more than 1 m. tall, flaccid; sheaths closed from below the summit, blades elongate, mostly more than 5 mm. wide. Lemmas pale or green, not tinged with purple, about 4 mm. long; palea usually exceeding the lemma; Eastern States..................... 5. G. SEPTENTRIONALIS. Lemmas slightly tinged with purple near the tip, 5 to 6 mm. long; palea about as long as the lemma, sometimes slightly exceeding it; Northeastern States. 6. G. FLUITANS. Lemmas usually tinged with purple near the tip, 4 to 6 mm. long; palea rarely exceeding the lemma; Western States... 7. G. OCCIDENTALIS. Culms 15 to 30 em. tall, slender but rather firm; sheaths open, the margins overlap- ping; blades with boat-shaped tip, 3 to 5 em. long, 2 to 3 mm. w ide. 8S. G. DECLINATA.
Section 2. Hydropeoa
ed
Lemmas with 7 usually prominent nerves; second glume l-nerved; sheaths, at least the upper, closed from below the summit. Panicle contracted, narrow. Lemmas 3 to 4 mm. long; panicle oblong, dense, usually not more than 10 em. long. ll. G. oprusa. Lemmas 2 to 2.5 mm. long; panicle rather loose, nodding, 15 to 25 cm. long. 12. G. MELICARIA. Panicle open, lax. Nerves of lemma evident but not prominent..........................----.--- 13. G. CANADENSIS. Nerves of lemma prominent. First glume not more than 1 mm. long. Blades 2 to 4 mm. wide, sometimes to 8 mm., rather firm, often folded; first glume O.5 mom. Lome isc FeO res Oe ae eee 14. G. STRIATA. Blades 6 to 12 mm. wide, flat, thin, lax; first glume about 1 mm. long. 15. G. BLaTA. First glume more than 1 mm. long, usually about 1.5 mm. long. Glumes subequal, blunt, pale, in striking contrast to the purple florets. 9. G. GRANDIS.
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 83
Glumes narrow, acute, the second longer than the first; florets olive green.
10. G. NUBIGENA.
Lemmas with 5 prominent nerves; second glume 3-nerved; sheaths open.
Panicle narrow, the branches ascending......
Panicle open, lax.
Ps eno Na ite: CaS aR Che 16. G. ERECTA.
Culms relatively thick, commonly 1 m. tall; blades mostly 8 to 12 mm. wide. Panicle branches numerous, many-flowered.............--.--..------------ 17. G. PAUCIFLORA. Panicle branches few, distant, few-flowered............-....----c--00cceeeene0ce-es 18. G. orisn.
Culms slender, decumbent, weak.
Blades 4 to 8 mm. wide; anthers 1 mm. long............200.22.22222c-0-000-+- 19. Blades 1 to 3 mm. wide; anthers 0.2 to 0.5 mm. long................ 20.
Section 1. Euauycéria Griseb.
Spikelets linear, nearly terete, usually more than 1 cm. long, appressed on short pedicels; paniclesnarrow, erect, the branches appressed or ascending after anthesis. The species of Euglyceria, with the exception of Glyceria acutiflora, are very closely allied and appear to intergrade.
1. Glyceria acutifl6ra Torr. (lig.
87.) Culms compressed, lax, creeping
Figure 87.—Glyceria acutiflora. Panicle, % 1; floret, X 10. (Knowlton 866, Mass.)
G. PALLIDA. G. FERNALDI.
and rooting below, 50 to 100 cm. long; blades flat, lax, 10 to 15 cm. long, 3 to 6 mm. wide, scabrous on the upper surface; panicle 15 to 35 cm. long, often partly included, the branches rather stiff, bearing 1 or 2 spikelets, or the lower 3 or more; spikelets 5- to 12-flowered, 2 to 4 cm. long, 1 to 2 mm. wide, the lateral pedicels 1 to 3 mm. long; glumes about 2 and 5 mm. long; lemmas 7- nerved, acute, scabrous, 6 to 8 mm. long, exceeded by the acuminate, 2- toothed paleas. 21 —Wet soil and shallow water, New Hampshire to Virginia and West Virginia, west to Michigan, Missouri, and Tennessee; also northeastern Asia.
2. Glyceria borealis (Nash) Batch- elder. NoRTHERN MANNAGRASS. (Fig. 88.) Culms erect or decumbent at base, slender, 60 to 100 cm. tall, blades flat or folded, usually 2 to 4 mm. wide, sometimes wider; panicle mostly 20 to 40 cm. long, the branches as much as 10 cm. long, bearing several appressed spikelets; spikelets mostly 6- to 12-flowered, 1 to 1.5 cm. long; glumes about 1.5 and 3 mm. long; lemmas rather thin, obtuse, 3 to 4 mm. long, strongly 7-nerved, scarious at the tip, glabrous between the hispidulous nerves. 2 —Wet places and shallow water, Newfound- land to southeastern Alaska, Pennsyl- vania to Illinois, Minnesota, and Washington, and in the mountains to New Mexico, Arizona, and central California.
3. Glyceria leptostachya Buck. (Fig: 89:) Culms 1>to 1.5 m. tall, rather stout or succulent; sheaths slightly rough; blades flat, scaberulous
84 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U. 8S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
Figure 88.—Glyceria borealis. Panicle, X 1; floret, X 10. (Fernald 193, Maine.)
Figure 89.—Glyceria leptostachya. Panicle, floret, X 10. (Heller 5606, Calif.)
>celee
on the upper surface, 4 to 7 mm. rarely to 1 cm. wide; panicle 20 to 40 cm. long, the branches ascending,
mostly in twos or threes, several-flow- ered, often bearing secondary branch- lets; spikelets 1 to 2 cm. long, 8- to 14- flowered, often purplish; glumes 1.5 and 3 mm. long; lemmas firm, broadly rounded toward apex, about 3 mm. long, 7-nerved, scaberulous on the nerves and between them. 2 (Panicularia davyi Merr.)—Shallow water, up to 1,200 m., rare, Washing- ton to central California.
4, Glyceria arkansana_ Fernald. (Fig. 90.) Resembling G. septentrio- nalis; first glume 2 to 2.5 mm. long; lemmas 3 to 3.5 mm. long, hirtellous rather than scaberulous. 2 —Wet ground, Louisiana and Arkansas.°
SI > JIL IS a oe =. °
Zz. EZ
Figure 90.—Glyceria arkansana. Panicle, X 1; floret, X 10. (Ball 362, La.)
5. Glyceria septentrionalis Hitchc. EASTERN MANNAGRASS. (Fig. 91.) Culms 1 to 1.5 m. tall, somewhat succulent; sheaths smooth; blades flat, mostly 10 to 20 em. long, 4 to 8 mm. wide, usually smooth beneath, slightly scaberulous on the upper surface and margin; panicle 20 to 40 em. long, somewhat open, the branches as much as 10 em. long, several- flowered, often spreading at anthesis; spikelets 1 to 2 em. long, 6- to 12-
2A specimen labeled ‘‘Western part of
New-York,”’ 1840, may have a misplaced label.
MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 895
flowered, the florets rather loosely imbricate; glumes 2 to 3 and 3 to 4 mm. long; lemmas green or pale, about 4 mm. long, narrowed only slightly at the summit, scaberulous, the paleas usually exceeding them. o| —Shallow water and wet places, Quebec to Minnesota, south to Geor- gia and eastern ‘Texas.
Figure 91.—Glyceria septentrionalis. Panicle, X 1; floret, X 10. (Deam 3184, Ind.)
6. Glyceria fliitans (L.) R. Br. Mannaarass. (Fig. 92.) Resembling G. septentrionalis in habit; first glume usually only one-third as long as the first lemma; lemmas scaberulous, the nerves distinct but not raised promi- nently above the tissue of the inter- nerves; tip of palea usually exceeding itslemma. 2 (Panicularia brachy- phylla Nash.)—Shallow water, New- foundland to Quebee and New York; South Dakota; Eurasia.
@. Glyceria occidentalis (Piper) J. C. Nels. (Fig. 93.) Culms flaccid, 60 to 100 cm. tall; blades 3 to 12 mm. wide, smooth beneath, somewhat sca- brous on the upper surface; panicle loose, spreading at anthesis, 30 to 50
Figure 92.—Glyceria fluitans. Panicle, X 1; floret, < 10. (McIntosh 1076, S. Dak.)
em. long; spikelets, 1.5 to 2 cm. long; first glume mostly about 2 mm. long; lemmas usually tinged with purple near the tip, 4 to 6 mm. long, rather strongly scabrous, 7- to 9-nerved, the nerves prominent, raised above the tissue of the internerves; palea about as long as its lemma, some- times slightly exceeding it. 2 — Marshes, shallow water, and wet places, Idaho to British Columbia,
S6 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
Figure 93.—Glyceria occidentalis. Panicle, X 1; floret, X 10. (Type.)
northern California and Nevada. The seeds are used for food by the Indians.
8. Glyceria declinata Brébiss. (Fig. 94.) Culms 15 to 70 em. tall, erect from a decumbent branching base; sheaths open, keeled, scaberulous, the margins thin and hyaline; ligule 5 to 7 mm. long; blades 3 to 12 em. long, 2 to 6 mm. wide, the tip boat-shaped; panicle simple, 6 to 25 em. long; spikelets 15 to 20 mm. long, appressed;
PAN
glumes obtuse, the first 1.8 to 2.2 mm. long, the second 3 to 3.5 mm, long; lemma 4 to 5 mm. long, sca- brous, 7-nerved, obtuse, irregularly dentate; palea about as long as the lemma, the keels narrowly winged. 2| —Moist canyons and