46 Rhodora [March 



barren sandy parts of the Columbia from Menzies' Island upward. 

 Douglas"; that of Vilfa squarrosa is "America septentr. in Ins. 

 Menzies (Hooker)." Both Vilfa dcpaupcrata and V. squarrosa were 

 published during the same year and evidently based on the same 

 material and as it is impossible to determine which species has the 

 priority of publication Hooker's name has been retained, as it is the 

 one now in use by American botanists. 



The range of this species is in dry open, often alkaline soils, from 

 Montana to New Mexico, west to California and Washington. 



Sporobolus depauperatus (?) Scribn. Bull. Torr. Bot. Club, 9 : 103. 

 1882, is Muhlenbcrgia dumosa Scribn. 



Sporobolus richardsonii (Trin.) n. comb. 



Vilfa richardsonis Trin. Agrost. 1 : 81. 1840. 



Muhlenbergia aspericaulis Nees, 1. c, as syn. 



Sporobolus aspericaulis Scribn. Bot. Gaz. 21 : 15. 1896. 



Sporobolus depauperatus filiformis Beal, Grasses N. A. 2: 296. 



1896. 

 Sporobolus brevifolius Nash, Bull. Torr. Bot. Club, 22: 464. 

 1895; Britt. & Br. Illus. Fl. I: 153. fg. 346. 1896; Ryd. 

 Mem. N. Y. Bot. Gard. 1 : 28. 1900 ; Britton, Manual 105. 

 1901, not Agrostis brevifolia Nutt. 

 There has been much confusion regarding this form and various 

 authors have expressed differing opinions regarding it. From a 

 careful study of synonymy, descriptions of species and specimens, 

 and examination of spikelets from Trinius' type of Vilfa richardsonis 

 from the herbarium of the St. Petersburg Academy, I have come to 

 the conclusion that Trinius' name is the earliest available one for 

 this form which is a valid species, although presenting forms which 

 intergrade with Sporobolus depauperatus (Torr.) Scribn. It is recog- 

 nized by its scarcely tufted habit, erect slender culms which are much 

 taller than in Sporobolus depauperatus and never prostrate as in that 

 species, and which are minutely but distinctly punctate, and in its 

 somewhat longer, more acute spikelets. 



The type locality of Vilfa richardsonis Trin. is " Amer. boreal. 

 (Richardson)." 



The distribution of this species is in meadows, river bottoms, etc., 

 from Anticosti Island and Maine to British Columbia, south to Ne- 

 braska, New Mexico, and California. 



