ind 
544 
* Panicle dense. 
1. B. obtusata (Michx.) Gray. (EARLY BUNCH-GRASS,) Culms 4 to 8 dm. high: 
panicle 1 to 2dm, long; branches short, erect: spikelets short-pedicelled, about 2.5 
mm. long; upper empty glume broadly obovate, obtuse, exceeding the lower, nearly 
one-third shorter than the lower floret; floral glume slightly exceeding the palct. 
(Aira obtusata Michx.)—Moist land, central Texas to Minnesota and eastward. Var. 
RoBUSTA Vasey is robust and scabrous throughout (5 to 10 dm. high), with panicle 
dense interrupted spikelike, and spikelets about 3 mm. long.—Western Texas to 
Arizona, 
** Panicle rather loosely flowered. 
2. E. Pennsylvanica (DC.) Gray. Culms5 to 10 dm, high: panicle 1 to 2 dm. long, 
often slightly nodding; branches ascending: spikelets 3 mm. long; upper empty glume 
oblong-obovate, often subacute, about equaling the lower in length, one-third shorter 
than the lower floret; floral glume slightly exceeding the palet. (Keleria (?) 
Pennsylranica DC.)—Moist woods and meadows, northern Texas and more common 
northward, Var. LONGIFLORA Vasey has leaves 5 to 8 mm, wide, spikelets about 4 
mm. long (nearly equaled by the pedicels), and floral glume one-fourth longer than 
the palet.—Lowland, central Texas. 
3. E. Dudleyi Vasey. Culms slender, 6 to 10 dm. high: panicle slender, 1 to 2 din. 
long; branches mostly erect, the longer ones naked near the base: spikelets about 
3mm. long; empty glumes equal, nearly equaling the lower floret; floral glume sub- 
acute, scabrid, slightly exceeding the palet.—Hillsides, eastern Texas to New Eng- 
land, mostly along the coast region. 
62. KQ@iLERIA Pers. 
Spikelets 2 to 4-flowered, with an obscure naked pedicel-like rudi- 
ment, compressed, awnless, short pedicelled in narrow subspicate pani- 
cles; rachilla hispidulous, articulating above the empty glume: empty 
glumes lanceolate, acute, carinate, herbaceous with membranaceous 
margins, subequal, the first 1-nerved, the second 3-nerved; floral glume 
thin, herbaceous, lanceolate, obscurely 3-nerved, nearly smooth, equal- 
ing or slightly exceeding the thin, hyaline palet——Erect perennial 
grasses with simple culms, and numerous usually flat leaves at the 
base. 
1, K. cristata (L.) Pers. Culms 3 to6 dm. high: panicle subspicate, sometimes 
interrupted near the base and usually tapering near the apex: spikelets mostly 2-flow- . 
ered, 4 to 6 mm. long; empty glumes about equaling the lower floret; floral glume 
acute or mucronulate. (dira cristata L.)—Hills and high mesas, northern Texas 
to New York and westward. 
63. MELICA L. 
Spikelets 3 to 12-flowered, oblong or conical, awnless; the upper 1 to 
3 florets imperfect, unlike the lower perfect ones and convolute around 
each other forming a clavate or oblong rudiment: panicle open: spike- 
lets short-pedicelled and somewhat racemose along the few branches: 
empty glumes thin, broad, the upper usually larger, 7 to 9-nerved; 
floral glume ovate, scarious at the obtuse or subacute apex, 5 to 
15-nerved, one-third longer than the palet: grain oblong or broadly 
spindle-shaped, channelled, opaque.—Slender leafy perennial grasses 
with large spikelets. 
* Spikelets broadly oblong: rudiment prominent, clavate, en the elongated rachilla: Noral 
glume J1 to 15-nerved, 
