Seeds of Michigan Weeds Part 3

=Bermuda Gra.s.s.= _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 coa.r.s.e, hard rootstocks. Introduced.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 11.]

=Small Crab-Gra.s.s.= _Digitaria humifusa_ Pers. _Panic.u.m 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 12.]

=Large Crab-Gra.s.s. Finger Gra.s.s.= _Digitaria sanguinalis_ (L.) Scop.

_Panic.u.m 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, p.u.b.escent or nearly smooth, third glume more or less p.u.b.escent, 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 13.]

=Barnyard Gra.s.s.= _Echinochloa Crus-galli_ (L.) Beauv. _Panic.u.m 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 14.]

=Yard-Gra.s.s. Wire-Gra.s.s.= _Eleusine Indica_ (L.) Gaertn. Florets light lead color or brown before thres.h.i.+ng 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 15.]

=Stink-Gra.s.s.= _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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 16.]

=Squirrel-tail Gra.s.s.= _Hordeum jubatum_ L. Spikelets in cl.u.s.ters 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 cl.u.s.ter 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 17.]

=Old Witch Gra.s.s. Tickle Gra.s.s. A Tumble-Weed.= _Panic.u.m 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 pa.s.sing vertically over the glume, two light nerves on the palea. Native to this country.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 18.]

=Tall Smooth Panic.u.m. Switch Gra.s.s.= _Panic.u.m virgatum_ L. Achene surrounded by two persistent s.h.i.+ning 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 19.]

=Low Spear-Gra.s.s.= _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 gra.s.s, introduced from Europe.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 20.]

=Flat stemmed Poa. Wire Gra.s.s. Canadian Blue Gra.s.s.= _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 thres.h.i.+ng, 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 gra.s.s was called blue gra.s.s by people of New England and New York State. Introduced from Europe.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 21.]

=June Gra.s.s. Kentucky Blue Gra.s.s.= _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 thres.h.i.+ng, otherwise the floral glume is thickly webbed at the base; palea ac.u.minate, 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 22.]

=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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 23.]

=Pigeon-Gra.s.s. Yellow Foxtail.= _Setaria glauca_ (L.) Beauv.

_Chaetochloa glauca_ (L.) Scrib. Spikelets light to dark brown, 2.5-3 mm. long; after thres.h.i.+ng 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 24.]

=Green Foxtail. Green Pigeon Gra.s.s.= _Setaria viridis_ (L.) Beauv.

_Chaetochloa viridis_ (L.) Nash. Spikelets, light to dark brown mottled, 2-2.3 mm. long, after thres.h.i.+ng 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 gra.s.s. Introduced from Europe. Found with yellow foxtail.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 25.]

=Porcupine Gra.s.s.= _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.

SEDGE FAMILY. CYPERACEAE.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 26.]

=Yellow Nut-Gra.s.s.= _Cyperus esculentus_ L. This is a species of sedge, and so far as I have examined, produces no seeds, perhaps having lost that method of reproduction, as it acquired the habit of spreading by tubers here ill.u.s.trated. In moist soil, sometimes a troublesome weed.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 27.]

=Ovoid Spike-rush.= _Eleocharis ovata_ (Roth.) R. & S. Spike ovoid, 4-10 mm. long, achene pale to chestnut brown, s.h.i.+ning, obovate-oblong, compressed, about 1 mm. long, bearing a triangular tubercle at the apex, and six to eight barbed bristles, 1.3-1.7 mm. long, very variable. Not troublesome except in low land.

RUSH FAMILY. JUNACEAE.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 28.]

=Slender Rush.= _Juncus tenuis_ Willd. Seeds light brown to amber color, translucent, flattened, oval, half oval, oblong, ovoid, the acute apex curved to one side, about 0.3 mm. long. Dry to moist soil, almost throughout North America, now migrating to all parts of the world. A very common, gra.s.s-like rush in this state, seldom recognized by any one under any name, except by a first-rate botanist.

LILY FAMILY. LILACEAE.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 29.]

=Field Garlic. Wild Garlic.= _Allium vineale_ L. Seeds not seen, apparently seldom produced; bulblets (b) light yellow or almost white, obovoid to elliptical, 7-8 mm. long, when dry. Introduced from Europe.

Troublesome in pastures and tainting the flavor of b.u.t.ter; in wheat it taints the flavor of flour. Persistent when introduced. The ill.u.s.tration of grains of wheat (a) are given for comparison.