74 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



SPECIES OF FOA ERRONEOUSLY ASCRIBED TO ALASKA. 



In addition to the Alaskan species of Poa enumerated above many other species 

 have been reported from that region, chiefly, we believe, on misconception of species 

 and erroneous determinations. Specimens reported as Poa cenisia All. are doubtless 

 Poa arctica R. Br.; Poa cenisia is not found in North America. Poa bullosa vivipara 

 Bess., reported by Durand, is Poa stenantha vivipara Trin. Poa caesia J. E. Smith is 

 reported from Alaska by Grisebach and Macoun, but evidently on a misconception 

 of the species. Poa pratensis alpigena Fries, a variety unknown to us, is reported from 

 Port Clarence by Kjellman.a Poa flexuosa Wahl., formae genuina and typica, is 

 reported from the same locality by Kjellman,& as are also Poa glauca Vahl, and Poa 

 glauca clatior Anderss., evidently, however, on erroneous determinations. Poa flexu- 

 osa of Trinius from Sitka is Poa arctica R, Br., at least, in part. Poa abbreviata R. Br. c 

 is also reported <* as being collected by Beechey at Kotzebue Sound, but we have seen 

 no Alaskan specimens of this grass. 



19. COLPODIUM Trin. 



Colpodium Trin. Fund. Agrost. 119. 1820. 



Arctophila Rupr. Fl. Samoj. Cisural. 62. 1845. 



Spikelets 2 to 7-flowered; glumes thin-membranaceous, 1 to 3-nerved or nerveless, 

 obtuse, usually shorter than the lemmas; lemmas thin-membranaceous with broad 

 scarious margins, obtuse, very obscurely 5-nerved; raehilla and callus glabrous or 

 (in Section Arctophila) the callus pilose with rather short, stiff hairs. 



Leaf blades 3 to 6 mm. wide; lemmas glabrous 1. C. fulvum. 



Leaf blades 2 mm. wide or less; lemmas silky-pubescent below.... 1 2. C. wrightii. 



1. Colpodium fulvum (Trin.) Griseb. in Ledeb. Fl. Ross. 4: 385. 1853. 

 Poafulva Trin. Mem. Acad. St. Petersb. VI. Math. Phys. Nat. 1: 378. 1830. 

 Arctophila fulva Rupr. Fl. Samoj. Cisural. 64. 1845. 



Graphcphorum fulvum A. Gray, Proc. Amer. Acad. 5: 191. 1862. 



A rather stout, erect, leafy, and glabrous plant, 20 to GO cm. high, with flat leaves 

 and open panicles 8 to 15 cm. long, the upper ones longest; spikelets 3 to 7-flowered, 

 5 to 7 mm. long; lemmas broadly obtuse, about 4 mm. long. 



Arctic Alaska to the Pribilof and Shumagin islands, thence to southeastern Alaska 

 and British Columbia. Type locality Eschseholtz Bay, Kotzebue Sound. 



Specimens examined: Shumagin Islands, Harrington in 1871-72; Port Clarence, 

 Walpole 1634, 1659, 1670, 1715, 1919, 2004; St. George Island, Merriam in 1891; St. 

 Paul Island, Macoun in 1892, Palmer 496; Nushagak, Havard in 1881; Point Barrow, 

 Murdoch in 1882 and 1883; near Nome City, Flett 1088; Point Gustavus, Glacier Bay, 

 Coville & Kearney 712; Seward Peninsula, abundant at Mud Lake on Portage, Collier 



in 1900. 



This species may prove to be identical with Arctophila cffusa Lange. Colpodium 

 mucronatum Beal,« is based upon an immature and apparently somewhat abnormal 

 plant in which the mid nerve is more strongly developed than usual. 



2. Colpodium wrightii sp. nov. 



A densely cespitose, slender, glabrous perennial 30 to 50 cm. high, with numerous 

 rather short, linear, involute basal leaves and exserted, (men, purplish panicles 4 to 

 i) cm. long; sheaths crowded and marcescent below; ligule about 3 mm. long, acute; 

 basal leaves about 5 cm. long, 1 mm. wide or less, those of the culm shorter; panicle 



" Nordenskiold, Vega-Exped. 2: 54. 1883. 



6 Loc. cit. 



cSuppl. App. Parry's Yoy. 287. 1824. 



d Griseb. in Ledeb. Fl. Ross. 4: 377. 1853. 



« Grasses N. Amer. 2: 558. 1896. 



