GRASS FAMILY. GRAMINEAE.

Fig 2. [Quack-Grass. Couch-Grass. Agropyron repens] (L.) Beauv.

Quack-Grass. Couch-Grass. Agropyron repens (L.) Beauv. Florets about 1 cm. long, 5-nerved at the short-awned apex: grain seldom produced and still less frequently found apart from the floral glume and palea, linear, about 4 mm. long, base abruptly acute, apex rounded, rounded on the back or outside, inside concave. Our worst weed. Introduced from Europe.

Fig 3. [Wild Oat. Avena fauta] L.

Wild Oat. Avena fauta L. Freed from chaff the floral glume is firm, rough, brown, thinly hairy, about 15 mm. long, awn from near the middle 2–4 cm. long with several firm twists, abruptly bent near the middle, the true grain seldom separated from the firmer floral glume. A bad weed in Oregon and California, seldom seen in Michigan.

Fig 4. [Field Chess. Bromus arvensis] (L.)

Field Chess. Bromus arvensis (L.) Not often seen in this country; floral glume 6–7 mm. long bearing an awn rather longer; grain much like that of B. secalinus which see. Introduced from Europe.

Fig 5. [Soft Chess. Bromus hordeaceus] L.

Soft Chess. Bromus hordeaceus L. (Bromus mollis). Floral glume extending beyond the grain, 5–7 nerved, 6–9 mm. long, grain rounded on the back, shape of a shallow boat, 6.5 mm. long, palea thin with comb-like teeth on the margins. Waste places, thin meadows. Introduced from Europe.

Fig 6. [Smooth Brome-grass. Bromus racemosus] L.

Smooth Brome-grass. Bromus racemosus L. Florets about 9 mm. long, awn 6–10 mm. long; longer, softer, thinner, with longer awn than found in florets of B. secalinus which see. Not often seen in this country. Introduced from Europe.

Fig 7. [Chess Cheat. Bromus secalinus] L.

Chess Cheat. Bromus secalinus L. Florets swollen a little above the middle, the floral glume rounded on the back, obscurely 7-nerved, 6–7 mm. long, an awn 3–4 mm. long, more or less; palea covering the concave side, each edge bearing a single row of stiff hairs; glume and palea closely adhering to the grain. Introduced from Europe. A weed in wheat fields.

Fig 8. [Barren Brome Grass. Bromus sterilis] L.

Barren Brome Grass. Bromus sterilis L. Floral glume minutely roughened, adhering to the grain; 5–7 nerved; 11–15 mm. long; compressed; concave in section. Introduced from Europe, becoming common in the state.

Fig 9. [Sand-Bur. Bur-Grass. Cenchrus tribuloides] L.

Sand-Bur. Bur-Grass. Cenchrus tribuloides L. Spikelets consisting of the grain and its coverings, broad oval, somewhat flattened, about 7 mm. long, thinly covered by stiff, straight, barbed, prickles, 2–5 mm. long, making a disagreeable and formidable bur, often common on sandy land. Native of this country.

Fig 10. [Bermuda Grass. Cynodon Dactylon] L., Pers., (Capriola Dactylon (L.) Kuntze).

Bermuda Grass. Cynodon Dactylon L., Pers., (Capriola Dactylon (L.) Kuntze). Floral glume enclosing the grain, smooth, light colored, oval to half-oval, 1.5 to 2 mm. long, in cross section with two long sides and a short side half as long; grain light brown, obovate to oval, a small nipple at the larger end.

The plant seeds in hot countries but not in cool, temperate regions; spreading chiefly by coarse, hard rootstocks. Introduced.

Fig 11. [Small Crab-Grass. Digitaria humifusa] Pers. Panicum lineare Kroach. Syntherisma linearis (Kroch.) Nash.

Small Crab-Grass. Digitaria humifusa Pers. Panicum lineare Kroach. Syntherisma linearis (Kroch.) Nash. Spikelets in the rough, before severe rubbing, ovoid or oblong, flattened, 2 mm. long, first glume minute, second and third as long as the spikelet, soft with very short hairs, one of them 3-nerved, the other 5-nerved; floret after severe rubbing, brown to black, smooth, floral glume of the rounded side curving over the edges below covering with their edges about two-thirds of the palea. Introduced from Europe; becoming troublesome on thin lawns.

Fig 12. [Large Crab-Grass. Finger Grass. Digitaria sanguinalis] (L.) Scop. Panicum sanguinale L. Syntherisma (L.) Nash.

Large Crab-Grass. Finger Grass. Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop. Panicum sanguinale L. Syntherisma (L.) Nash. Spikelets before severe rubbing, oblong, acute, 2.5–3.5 mm. long, first glume on flattened side minute, second on rounded side about half as long as the spikelet, pubescent or nearly smooth, third glume more or less pubescent, 5–7-nerved; floret, after severe rubbing, smooth, edges of floral glume thin. Introduced from Europe. Roots very tough and coming from the lower joints.

Fig 13. [Barnyard Grass. Echinochloa Crus-galli] (L.) Beauv. Panicum Crus-galli L.

Barnyard Grass. Echinochloa Crus-galli (L.) Beauv. Panicum Crus-galli L. Florets oval, white, yellowish gray or brown, 2.4–3 mm. long, plano-convex, glume on the convex side, highly polished, three obscure longitudinal nerves. Native of this country.

Fig 14. [Yard-Grass. Wire-Grass. Eleusine Indica] (L.) Gaertn.

Yard-Grass. Wire-Grass. Eleusine Indica (L.) Gaertn. Florets light lead color or brown before threshing or much rubbing; grain dark, reddish brown, 1.2–1.4 mm., ovoid with the base abruptly pointed, 3 sided, the corners rounded, a vertical groove along one side; seen from the back with the groove side down and base toward the observer, starting from an oval spot near the base, 10–15 ridges on each side, extend downward and forward. Introduced from some warmer region of the Old World.

Fig 15. [Stink-Grass. Eragrostis megastachya] (Kœler) Link.

Stink-Grass. Eragrostis megastachya (Kœler) Link. Eragrostis major Host. Grain orange red or wine color .4-.6 mm. long. Broad oval to nearly circular, very slightly flattened, extremities slightly pointed, embryo within one edge near the base, a fine network of dark lines evident under a good lens. Introduced from Europe.

Fig 16. [Squirrel-tail Grass. Hordeum jubatum] L.

Squirrel-tail Grass. Hordeum jubatum L. Spikelets in clusters of three, central one only fertile, 5 mm. long, containing a grain adhering to the floral glume and palea, the other two abortive, seven awns in these three spikelets, 4–6 cm. long, four others less than 1 cm. long; awns and fragment of rachis holding the cluster of spikelets together, all barbed upward, making them troublesome for fleeces of sheep and the mouths of animals eating them. Native of this country and widely distributed.

Fig 17. [Old Witch Grass. Tickle Grass. A Tumble-Weed. Panicum capillare] L.

Old Witch Grass. Tickle Grass. A Tumble-Weed. Panicum capillare L. Florets flattened, elliptical, apex abruptly pointed, about 1.5 mm. long, highly polished, leaden gray, lighter at the extremities and along the edges of the glume, five slender light colored nerves join the extremities passing vertically over the glume, two light nerves on the palea. Native to this country.

Fig 18. [Tall Smooth Panicum. Switch Grass. Panicum virgatum] L.

Tall Smooth Panicum. Switch Grass. Panicum virgatum L. Achene surrounded by two persistent shining pieces, the floret; floral glume hard, light brown, oval or ovate-lanceolate 2.5–3.1 mm. long. Apex obtusely pointed. Seldom troublesome, widely distributed.

Fig 19. [Low Spear-Grass. Poa annua] L.

Low Spear-Grass. Poa annua L. Florets straw-colored, 2.8–3.1 mm. long, apex smooth, lower half of keel and the base of lateral nerves, having numerous soft hairs. A low annual grass, introduced from Europe.

Fig 20. [Flat stemmed Poa. Wire Grass. Canadian Blue Grass. Poa compressa] L.

Flat stemmed Poa. Wire Grass. Canadian Blue Grass. Poa compressa L. Florets lance-obovate, 2–2.5 mm. long, closely resembling those of Poa pratensis, which see.

Palea abruptly acute. If well rubbed after threshing, the floret is nearly smooth, otherwise it contains on the lower half numerous webby hairs. Grain reddish brown, both ends pointed, 1–1.4 mm. long. Seldom sown purposely. Sometimes used to adulterate Poa pratensis. In early days this grass was called blue grass by people of New England and New York State. Introduced from Europe.

Fig 21. [June Grass. Kentucky Blue Grass. Poa pratensis] L.

June Grass. Kentucky Blue Grass. Poa pratensis L. Florets ovate-lanceolate, acute 3–4 mm. long, with three equal sides when seen in transverse section, nearly smooth, if severely rubbed in threshing, otherwise the floral glume is thickly webbed at the base; palea acuminate, grain light brown, elliptical, both ends usually pointed 1.2–1.4 mm. long, in cross sections with three equal sides, one of which has a shallow vertical groove. Compare with Poa compressa. Introduced from Europe.

Fig 22. [Rye. Secale cereale] L.

Rye. Secale cereale L. Grain light brown, 6–8 mm. long, elliptical, base acute, apex obtuse and rounded, in cross section the back somewhat acutely rounded, the opposite side with a narrow vertical groove, surface more or less irregularly wrinkled. Introduced from Europe. A bad weed in wheat fields.

Fig 23. [Pigeon-Grass. Yellow Foxtail. Setaria glauca] (L.) Beauv. Chaetochloa glauca (L.) Scrib.

Pigeon-Grass. Yellow Foxtail. Setaria glauca (L.) Beauv. Chaetochloa glauca (L.) Scrib. Spikelets light to dark brown, 2.5–3 mm. long; after threshing or much rubbing consisting of each a grain and two firm coverings, known as a floral glume which covers the sides of the somewhat depressed palea, oval, apex slightly 3-toothed, rounded side strongly arched, somewhat V-shaped, roughened crosswise by prominent fine more or less branching ridges; ridges of palea on concave side less prominent. Introduced from Europe. Very common in hoed annual crops.

Fig 24. [Green Foxtail. Green Pigeon Grass. Setaria viridis] (L.) Beauv. Chaetochloa viridis (L.) Nash.

Green Foxtail. Green Pigeon Grass. Setaria viridis (L.) Beauv. Chaetochloa viridis (L.) Nash. Spikelets, light to dark brown mottled, 2–2.3 mm. long, after threshing or much rubbing consisting of the grain and two firm coverings, the rounded one known as a floral glume which covers the edges of the flattened side, oval, the surface granular and very faintly striate, lengthwise and ridged crosswise. Much resembling Hungarian grass. Introduced from Europe. Found with yellow foxtail.

Fig 25. [Porcupine Grass. Stipa spartea] Trin.

Porcupine Grass. Stipa spartea Trin. Grain inclosed in the floral glume, light brown, 18 mm. long, clothed on the lower half with short brown hairs slanting upward, bearing at the base a sharp, hard, curved beak, when dry the attached awn is twisted for 6 cm. and straight and bent at right angles about 6 cm. When moistened, the awn untwists more or less; twisting and untwisting the beards hold what the beak pierces, thus making it a formidable weapon to enter the skins of sheep, goats and dogs. Fortunately it is seldom abundant. Sandy land Michigan and westward.