=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.
[Illustration: Fig. 15.]
=Stink-Grass.= _Eragrostis megastachya_ (Koeler) 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.
[Illustration: Fig. 16.]
=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.
[Illustration: Fig. 17.]
=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.
[Illustration: Fig. 18.]
=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.
[Illustration: Fig. 19.]
=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.
[Illustration: Fig. 20.]
=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.
[Illustration: Fig. 21.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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