1. D. spicàta, Beauv. ([Pl. 12], fig. 1–3.) Culms tufted, low; leaves short, very narrow; spikelets few, 3–5´´ long, subspicate; flowering glume loosely hairy, its teeth short and pointless.—Dry and sterile or rocky soil.
2. D. serícea, Nutt. Culms taller and not tufted (1–3° high), terete; leaves larger, at least the sheaths silky-villous; spikelets more numerous and panicled, 6–9´´ long; flowering glume very silky-villous, tipped with slender awn-pointed teeth.—Dry or moist sandy soil, southern Mass., N. J., and southward; rare. June.
3. D. compréssa, Aust. Culms slender, 2° high, somewhat compressed, paler and subcaniculate on the narrower side; leaves elongated, very narrow, villous only at the summit of the sheath; spikelets 6–12, loosely panicled, 5´´ long; flowering glume loosely hairy or pubescent, the teeth very long-awned.—Dry banks; Vt. (Pringle); E. Mass., N. Y., Penn., and mountains of N. C.
42. CÝNODON, Richard. Bermuda or Scutch-Grass. ([Pl. 9.])
Spikelets 1-flowered, with a mere naked short-pedicelled rudiment of a second flower, imbricate-spiked on one side of a flattish rhachis; the spikes usually digitate at the naked summit of the flowering culms. Empty glumes keeled, pointless, rather unequal; flowering glume and palet pointless and awnless, the glume larger, boat-shaped. Stamens 3.—Low diffusely branched and extensively creeping perennials, with short flattish leaves. (Name composed of κύων, a dog, and ὀδούς, a tooth.)
C. Dáctylon, Pers. Spikes 3–5; flowering glume smooth, longer than the blunt rudiment.—Penn., and southward, where it is cultivated for pasturage. (Nat. from Eu.)
43. CTÉNIUM, Panzer. Toothache-Grass. ([Pl. 9.])
Spikelets densely imbricated in two rows on one side of the flat curved rhachis of the solitary terminal spike. Glumes persistent; the lower (interior) much smaller; the other concave below, bearing a stout recurved awn, like a horn, on the middle of the back. Flowers 4–6, all but one neutral; the one or two lower consisting of empty awned glumes, and the one or two uppermost of empty awnless glumes; the perfect flower intermediate, its glume membranaceous, awned or mucronate below the apex and densely ciliate toward the base, 3-nerved. Stamens 3. Stigmas plumose. (Name κτενίον, a small comb, from the pectinate appearance of the spike.)
1. C. Americànum, Spreng. Culm (3–4° high from a perennial root) simple, pubescent or roughish; larger glume warty-glandular outside, conspicuously awned.—Wet pine-barrens, S. Va. and southward.—Taste very pungent.
44. GYMNOPÒGON, Beauv. ([Pl. 9.])