LAMSON-SCRIBNER AND MERRILL— GRASSES OF ALASKA. 69 



3-nerved; lemmas lanceolate, acute, 5-nerved, 4 to 5 mm, long, with very few hairs on 

 the keel and marginal nerves near the base, not webbed at the base. 



A very distinct species, recognized by its low habit, broad, thin, glabrous leaves, 

 open panicles, and large, ovate, deep purple spikelets, and by the absence of webby 

 hairs at the base of the lemma. 



Type U.S. National Herbarium no. 376363, collected June 21, 1899, Hubbard Glacier, 

 Alaska, by Coville & Kearney (no. 1077.) 



Southeastern Alaska. 



Specimens examined: Disenchantment Bay, Hubbard Glacier, Coville & Kearney 

 1077 (specimens immature); Glacier Hay, Trehase & Saunders 2951. 



5. Poa paucispicula sp. nov. Plate 15. 

 A very slender, erect, densely eespitose perennial, 20 to 30 cm. high, from short, 



creeping rootstocks with numerous thin, narrow, basal leaves and very open panicles 

 5 to 10 cm. long; sheaths smooth, short, the lower ones marccseent ; ligule about 1 mm. 

 long, hyaline, entire, truncate; basal leaves and those of the innovations green, 

 glabrous, 5 to 10 cm. long, about 2 mm. wide, acute and often slightly involute above, 

 those of the culm shorter; panicles somewhat exserted, very lax, few-flowered; rachis 

 glabrous, somewhat undulate; branches in pairs, the lower ones remote and often 

 reflexed, slender, flexuous, glabrous, bearing from 1 to 3 spikelets near the apex, 

 naked below; pedicels equaling or exceeding the spikelets, sparingly scabrous or 

 nearly smooth; spikelets compressed, ovate or oblong, purple, 4 to 6 mm. long, 2 to 

 5-flowered; first glume 2.5 to 3 mm. long, 1-nerved; second glume 3 to 3.5 mm. long, 

 3-nerved, the first narrowly, the second broadly ovate-lanceolate, acute, smooth; lem- 

 mas 3 to 4 mm. long, 5-nerved, oblong, broadly obtuse, margins and apex subhyaline, 

 pubescent on the keel and lateral nerves below, and slightly scabrous on the keel 

 above, sparingly webby hairy at the base, otherwise smooth; palea purplish, lanceo- 

 late, equaling the lemma in length. 



Type U. S. National Herbarium no. 376352, collected June 20, 1899, Hidden Glacier, 

 Yakutat Bay, Alaska, by Coville & Kearney (no. 970). 



In spikelet characters this plant approaches /'. cenisia All., but it is at once distin- 

 guished from that species by its numerous thin, linear, basal leaves and very lax 

 panicles. 



Explanation of Plate 15.— a, Plant; b, spikelet; c, flumes; d, single floret, a, Scale about J; 6. 

 c, d, scale 8. 



6. Poa laxa Haenke in Jirasek, Beob. Riesengeb. 118. 1791. 



A tufted, glabrous, lax perennial, 10 to 30 cm. high, with narrow leaves and open 

 panicles 2 to 8 cm. long, the slender, usually ascending branches bearing a few spike- 

 lets above, naked below; spikelets 3 to 5-flowered, 4 to 5 mm. long; lemmas 3 to 4 

 mm. long, the keel and marginal nerves silky-pilose below, webbed at the base. 



Seward Peninsula to Prince William Sound and eastward to Greenland, south in 

 the mountains to New England and Colorado. 



Specimens examined: Port Clarence, Trelease & Saunders 2961, Coville <fr Kearney 

 1925; Prince William Sound, Trelease & Saunders 2972. 



7. Poa triflora Gilib. Exerc. Phyt. 2: 531. 1790. Fowl meadow grass. 

 Poaserotina Ehrh. Beitr. Naturk. 6: 83. 1791, nomen nudum. 



An erect, glabrous perennial 40 to 120 cm. high, with narrow leaves and diffuse, 

 usually open panicles 15 to 30 cm. long, the branches spreading or ascending, 5 to 12 

 cm. long, divided and spikelet-bearing above the middle; spikelets 3 to 5-flowered, 

 3 to 4 mm. long, usually exceeding their pedicels; lemmas 2 to 3 mm. long, the keel 

 and marginal nerves silky-pubescent below, slightly webbed at the base, the inter- 

 mediate nerves obscure or wanting. 



In swampy places, July and August, southeastern Alaska to Nova Scotia, south to 

 New Jersey, Nebraska, and Colorado; also in Europe and Asia. 



Specimen examined: Bella-bella Island (near Vancouver Island), Kellogg 97. 



