AA 
leafy below, radical leaves subulate, margin involute, those of the culm shorter than 
the loose sheaths; raceme erect, simple; spikelets ovate; scarious glumes ovate, 
very stnooth, the lower one smaller; the flowering glume of the upper male Hower 
emarginate-setigerous, the seta very short; terminal flower awnless.—Melville Island 
(Parry). 
ARISTIDA Linn, 
Spikelets 1-flowered, in a spicate, or an open, branching panicle, 
generally on filiform pedicels; empty glumes mostly unequal, often 
bristle-pointed; flowering glume narrow, rolled around the flower, and 
terminating with a trifid awn, rarely the lateral branches of the awn 
wanting. Palet small, thin, enclosed in the flowering glume. 
§ 1. Upper portion of flowering glume not articulated to lower portion, 
* Panicle close and spike like, awns unequal, lateral ones minute, erect, the long middle 
awn horizontal or turned back. 
1. A.ramosissima Engelm. (Gray’s Manual, bth ed., p. 640.) Culms much branched, 
Lto 2 feet high, spikes terminating the main and lateral branches; branches of the 
panicle 3 to 4 inches long, mostly in twos, ereet ; spikelets about 1 inch long, without 
the awn; lower glume 6 to8 lines long, 5-nerved; upper one 8 to 10 lines long, 
3-nerved, toothed, and slightly awned at apex; middle awn nearly an inch lorg, 
becoming strongly hooked-recurved ; lateral awns varying from 1 to 2 lines long, 
to almost deticient.—Ilinois, Missouri and Kentucky. 
2, A. basiramea Engelm. (Gray’s Manual, 6th ed,, p,640.) Culms tufted, much 
branched, 1 foot high: panicles 8 to 4 inches long, the branches erect-appressed, in pairs 
below, longer pediceled than in the preceding species; lower glume about 6 and upper 
about 8 lines long; middle awn 6 to 9 lines long, about twice coiled and horizontal, 
lateral awns 8 to 6 lines long, very slender and erect.— Missouri, Wisconsin, Nebraska 
and Minnesota. ; 
3. A.dichotoma Michx. (Gray’s Manual, 6th ed., p, 640.) Culms6to 18 inches high, 
much branched, the branches rather long, panicle 1 to 3 inches long, strict, branches of 
panicle in twos below, few flowered; glumes slightly unequal, about 3 to 4 lines long, 
little longer than flowering glume ; middle awn once or twice coiled, 3 to 4 lines long, 
and reflexed ; lateral awns one-half to 1 line long.—Throughout the country east of 
the Missouri River. 
** dwns nearly equal. 
4. A simplicifolia Chapm. FI. 8, States, Suppl. p. 662, Culms slender, about 2 
feet high, simple or sparingly branched, leaves flat; racemes 6 to 9 inches long, 
lousely flowered, 1 or 2 at each node; glumes nearly equal, awn-pointed, rough on the 
keel, longer than the flowering glume, middle awn circular, recurved near the base, 
thick and scabrous, about & lines long, lateral awns more slender, horizontal, 6 lines 
long.—Florida (Chapman) and Alabama (Dr, Mohr), 
Var. TEXANA. Spikelets smaller, lateral awns 1 to 2 lines long.—Texas. 
5, A. gyrans Chapm. Fl. 8. States, Suppl., p. 662. Culms slender, 1} to 2 feet 
high, simple; leaves convolute-filiform; panicle simple, 6 inches long, the few sim- 
ple branches appressed ; lower glume truncate, short awned, as long as the flower- 
ing glume, the upper a thiid longer, attenuate; flowering glume long stipitate, the 
awns nearly equal, curved, twisted together at the base.—Florida and Cuba (No, 3430 
Wright). 
6. A. gracilis Ell. Bot. S. Car. 1. p. 152.) (Gray’s Manual, 6th ed., p, 640.) Culms 
slender, 1 to 2 feet high, simple or much branched, panicle about 6 inches long, 
spike-like, branches few flowered, almost sessile; glumes nearly equal, 3 to 4 lines 
long; middle awn 8 to 6 inches long, lateral ones from 1 to 3 or more inches long; 
the awns very variable in length.—Widely diffused, Massachusetts to Texas, 
