1910] Pease & Moore,— Agropyron caninum and Allies 63 
he calls the plant Elymus caninus, a name taken up by a number of 
subsequent authors. Under these three names, Triticum caninum, 
Elymus caninus, and Agropyron caninum, our plant is discussed in a 
multitude of European and American works. Nowhere does there 
seem to be the slightest difference of opinion as to its nature. The 
name Triticum sepium Lam.' seems to be a synonym of Agropyron 
caninum, and has generally been so regarded. The name Festuca 
nutans Moench? also seems to be properly included here. Moench? 
himself says of his plant, “ An Elymus caninus Linnaei." 
Very closely related to A. caninum (L.) Beauv. is A. tenerum Vasey. 
It differs from it in no important character, except the absence of awns, 
and this is not constant, for specimens are not rare which it is difficult 
to place. Some attempt has been made to distinguish eastern plants 
from it on the one hand, and from A. violaceum (Hornem.) Lange on 
the other. Scribner” unites them as a species under the name of 
A. Novae-Angliae. An extremely painstaking examination of the 
subject has led us to agree with Hitchcock * that this species cannot 
be clearly separated from the A. tenerum of the West. It may be in- 
teresting to compare what Scribner says: “In regard to the Agropy- 
ron for which I have proposed the name Novae-Angliae, | must think 
it quite distinct from the 44. tenerum of the west, although it suggests 
that species somewhat in habit. It looks more like a caespitose form 
of A. repens. I believe it has been included under A. violaceum by 
some authors, but it certainly is distinct from that species, as repre- 
sented in our herbarium, from northern. Europe and from the Rocky 
Mountain region." ? “The plant described in Gray's Manual, ed. 6, 
672, is the western form which is doubtless true Agropyron violaceum, 
Lange, while the variety mentioned ‘with longer usually pale narrow 
spikes and attenuate often long-awned glumes,’ is the plant here de- 
scribed as Agropyron Novae-Angliae.” © Thus it is seen that Scribner 
39 
himself calls attention to the affinity of the eastern plant. Through 
it, A. tenerum Vasey passes readily to A. violaceum (Hornem.) Lange. 
Scribner and Smith 7 have described Agropyron violaceum (Hornem.) 
1 Flore Franc. iii, 629 (1778); Encycl. Meth. (Bot.) ii, 563 (1786). 
2 Meth. Pl. Hort. Bot. Agr. Marburg, 191 (1794). 
? In Brainerd, Jones, and Eggleston, Fl. Ver. 103 (1900). 
4 Gray, Man. ed. VII, 167 (1908). 
5 In Brainerd, Jones, and Eggleston, Flora Vt. 9 (1900). 
tP ca 103. 
? U. S. Dept. Agr. Div. Agrost. Bull. no. 4, 30 (Feb. 6, 1897). 
