Synopses & Reviews
THE GENERA OF GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE ECONOMIC SPECIES. - CONTEXTS - SCOPE AND PLAN OF THE WORK.-Page. Scope and plan of the work. ................. 1 Poaceae, the grass family.. .................. 5 Descriptions of the subfamilies and keys to the tribes.. ..................... .... .... 6 Descriptions of the tribes and keys to the genera ..................................... 8 Descriptions of the genera.. ................. 23 1. Ilamboscae, the bamboo tribe ........ 22 2. Festuceae, the fescue tribe ........... 21 3. Hordcae, the barley tribe ............ 87 4. Aveneae, the oat tribe ................ 100 5 Agrostideae, the timothy tribe ........ 121 The present bulletin describes all the genera of grasses that include species that are native, have been introduced, or are cultivated in the United States. Under each genus are given the species that are of economic importance, either as useful or harmful grasses. Of all grasses the grains are of the greatest importance. Chief among other useful grasses are those that arc cultivated for meadow or pasture ancl those indigenous species which furnish forage upon the native pasture or ranges. Other important grasses are the sugar-producing species, those used in broom or paper malring, and the ornamental species. It is intended to give under each genus the botanical information concerning all our grasses that are conspicuous enough to havc attracted the attention of agriculturists. The keys to t tribes an 07769-B ll. 772-201 Page. Dcscriptions of the genera-Continued. 0. Nazieae, thc curly-mesquitc tribo ..... 1C5 7. Chlorideac, the grama tribe .......... 171 8. Ihalaridcae, the canary-grass tribe ... 1CD 9.Oryzeae, the rice tribe ................ 231 10. Zizanieae, the Indian-rice tribe ....... 236 11. Blelinideao, the molasses-grass tribe .. 212 l. Paniceae, the millet tribe ............ 213 13. Andropogonene, the sorghum tribe ... 253 14. Tripsaceac, the corn tribe ............ 280 List of new species and ncw names ......... 288 Index. ................ . . ... . .. .......... 259 2 BULLETIN 772-U. S. DEPLE T IE. X. T OF AGRICULTURE. genera should enabistt eaSetro identify-the genera of all our grasses, and the text under each genus should enable him to deterinine the species of our economic grasses. Under each genus are given the type l and the synonyms based upon American species, or the names that have been used in an American publication. The following generic names, of khich the types have not been found, are basecl on American material but are unidentifiable from the descriptions Anthipsimus Raf., Journ. de Phys. 89 103, 1819. Based on A. gonopodus Raf., Dry hills of the Ohio. Dactylogramma Link, Hort. Gerol. 2 248. 1533. Based on D. ci ztwidcs Link, described from garden specimens grown from seed from western North America. Flexularia Raf., Journ. de Phys. 89 105. 1510. Based on F. conzpressa Haf., ICentucky and Ohio. The tribes have been arrangecl in a new sequence based on the complexity of the flower structure, the most primitive being placed first. and the most highly developed last. It is impossible to arrange them in a lineal sequence and at the same time represent their relationships, as the phylogenetic development has not been along a single line. The present arrangement is the closest approximation to natural relationships that can be shown in sequence...