U.S. Department of Agriculture: Agricultural Research Service, Lincoln, Nebraska

 

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

1950

Citation

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Miscellaneous Publication No. 200. Washington, D.C. Issued May 1935 Revised February 1951.

Comments

U.S. government work

Abstract

By the late A. S. HITCHCOCK (died December 16, 1935), principal botanist, Division of Plant Exploration and Introduction; second edition revised by AGNES CHASE, formerly senior botanist and later collaborator, Division of Plant Exploration and Introduction, Bureau of Plant Industry, Soils, and Agnculturat Engineering, Agricultural Research Administration, and research associate, United States National Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

Of all the plants of the earth the grasses are of the greatest use to the human race. To the grasses belong the cereals, sugarcane, sorghum, and the bamboos; and, since they furnish the bulk of the forage for domestic animals, the grasses are also the basis of animal industry. The grasses furnish the principal breadstuffs of the world and a large part of the food of domestic animals; they are also used in the industrial arts and extensively as greensward and ornamentals in parks and gardens. The most important food plants for the human race are the cereals, including wheat, corn (maize), rice, barley, rye, oats, and many kinds of grain sorghums. For primitive peoples the seed of certain other grasses, such as pearl millet, common millet, broomcorn millet, Japanese millet, and African millet (ragi), have played an important role. The seeds of the cereals are also extensively used as feed for domestic animals.

Introduction 1

Uses of grasses 1

Distribution of grasses 4

Morphology of grasses 6

Classification of grasses 9

Nomenclature 11

Common names 12

Scope of the manual 13

Gramineae (Poaceae), the grass family 13

Descriptions of the subfamilies and keys to the tribes 14

Subfamily 1. Festucoideae 14

Subfamily 2. Panicoideae 15

Descriptions of the tribes and keys to the genera 15

Tribe 1. Bambuseae 15

Tribe 2. Festuceae 15

Tribe 3. Hordeae 18

Tribe 4. Aveneae 19

Tribe 5. Agrostideae 20

Tribe 6. Zovsieae 21

Tribe 7. Chlorideae 22

Tribe 8. Phalarideae 23

Tribe 9. Oryzeae 23

Tribe 10. Zizanieae 23

Tribe 11. Melinideae 24

Tribe 12. Paniceae 24

Tribe 13. Andropogoneae 25

Tribe 14. Tripsaceae 26

Descriptions of genera and species 27

Tribe 1. Bambuseae 27

Tribe 2. Festuceae 31

Tribe 3. Hordeae 230

Tribe 4. Aveneae 280

Tribe 5. Agrostideae 313

Tribe 6. Zoysieae 482

Tribe 7. Chlorideae 491

TribeS. Phalarideae 547

Tribe 9. Oryzeae 556

Tribe 10. Zizanieae 561

Tribe 11. Melinideae 569

Tribe 12. Paniceae 569

Tribe 13. Andropogoneae 737

Tribe 14. Tripsaceae 789

Synonymy 796

Unidentified names 980

Persons for whom grasses have been named 984

Glossary 990

Appendix 994

Addenda 1000

Index 1001

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