66 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



1. Catabrosa aquatica (L.) Beau v. Ess. Agrost. 97. 1812. 



Aira aquatica L. Sp. PI. 1)4. 1753. 



A glabrous, soft perennial, with creeping or ascending culms 20 to 60 rra. long, with 

 open panicles, the spreading or ascending branches in whorls; spikelets 2.5 to 3.5 mm. 

 long. 



About springs and the margins of streams, often in shallow water, Alaska (?) to New- 

 foundland, south to Utah, Colorado, and Nebraska; also in Europe and Asia. 



We have seen no specimen of this grass from Alaska. It is, however, credited to 

 Sitka, by Grisebach.a 



16. MELICA L. 



Melica L. Sp. PI. 66. 1753. 



Spikelets 2 to several-flowered; rachilla articulated above the glumes and between 

 the fertile florets, usually bearing several empty club-shaped or cucullate glumes at 

 the apex; lemmas exceeding the glumes, awnless or short-awned. Perennial grasses 

 with soft flat leaves, rather large spikelets in lax or dense, usually narrow panicles. 



1. Melica subulata (Griseb.) Scribn. Proc. Acad. Phila. 1885: 47. 1885. 



Bromus subulatus Griseb. in Ledeb. Fl. Ross. 4: 358. 1853. 



Festuca cepacea Phil. Linnaea 33: 297. 1864-65. 



Melica acuminata Boland. Proc. Calif. Acad. 4: 104. J870. 



Melica cepacea Scribn. U. S. Dept. Agr. Div. Agrost. Circ. 30: 8. 1901. 



An erect, leafy perennial 90 to 120 cm, high, from a bulbous base, with flat leaves and 

 rather lax panicles 10 to 20 cm. long; spikelets 3 to 5-flowered, with unequal glumes 

 and attenuate-pointed lemmas about 12 mm. long, ciliate on the margins and spar- 

 ingly pilose on the back below. 



In forests and along mountain streams, Unalaska, the type locality, to southeastern 

 Alaska, and southward to Montana and California; also in Chile. 



Specimens examined: Howkan, Evans 128; Unalaska, Piper 47 Hi. 



There has been some confusion regarding this species, owing to the fact that Festuca 

 subulata Bong, and Bromus subulatus Griseb. were both based on Alaskan material, 

 the two species being considered identical by Gray and Thurber, although they are 

 not at all related to each other. The very full description by Grisebach leaves no 

 doubt as to the identity of his species, and it is an interesting fact that the type of 

 Festuca cepacea Phil., from the mountains of Chile, now in the herbarium of the Uni- 

 versity of Chile, exactly matches the common form of Melica subulata from our western 



coast region. 



17. DACTYLISL. 



Dactylis L. Sp. PI. 71. 1753. 



Spikelets 3 to 5-flowered, nearly sessile, in dense fascicles; rachilla articulated above 

 the glumes and between the florets; glumes unequal, 1 to3-nerved; lemmas 5-nerved, 

 short awn-pointed with a prominent ciliate-fringed keel. Perennial grasses with flat 

 leaves and narrow glomerate panicles. 

 1. Dactylis glomerata L. Sp. PI. 71. 1753. Orchard crass. 



A coarse, erect grass, 90 to 120 cm. high, forming dense tufts, with long, flat or slightly 

 keeled leaf blades and 3 to 5-flowered spikelets, crowded in dense one-sided clusters 

 at the ends of the panicle branches; lemmas short-awned, ciliate on the keels. 



Southeastern Alaska, and extensively naturalized in fields and waste ground 

 throughout the United States; also in Europe and Asia. 



Specimens examined: Howkan, Evans in 1897, "growing in a yard, probably 



seeded from packing." 



18. POA L. 



Poa L. Sp. PI. 67. 1753. 



Spikelets 2 to 6-flowered; rachilla articulated above the glumes; glumes lanceolate 

 or ovate, 1 to3-nerved, keeled; lemmas lanceolate or ovate, awnless, 5-nerved, carinate, 



a Ledeb. Fl. Ross. 4: 3S8. 1853. 



