128 FLORA. 



71. REDFIELDIA Vasey. 



A tall perennial grass, with long narrow leaves and an ample panicle. Spike- 

 lets I -3 -flowered, the flowers all perfect. Empty scales 2, about equal, shorter 

 than the spikelet, i-nerved; flowering scales membranous, 3-nerved, with a ring of 

 hairs at the base. Palet 2-nerved, shorter than the scale. Stamens 3. Styles 

 long, distinct. Stigmas short, plumose. Grain oblong, free. [In honor of John 

 H. Redfield, 1815-1895, American naturalist.] A monotypic genus of the west- 

 ern U. S. 



i. Redfieldia flexuosa (Thurb.) Vasey. REDFIELDIA. (I. F. f. 425.) 

 Culms 4.5-12 dm. tall, erect from a long horizontal rootstock. Sheaths smooth, the 

 lower short and overlapping, often crowded, the upper much longer; leaves 3-6 

 dm. long, 2-4 mm. wide, involute; panicle ample and diffuse, 2-5.5 dm. in length, 

 the branches finally widely spreading, flexuous, the lower 7.5-20 cm. long; spikelets 

 about 6 mm. long, i-3-flowered, the empty scales acute, glabrous; flowering scales 

 with a ring of hairs at the base, minutely scabrous, twice the length of the empty 

 ones, acute, the middle nerve usually excurrent as a short tip. On prairies, 

 Neb. and Wyo. to Colo, and the Ind. Terr. Aug.-Sept. 



72. DIPLACHNE Beauv. 



Tufted grasses, with narrow flat leaves and long slender spikes arranged in an 

 open panicle, or rarely only one terminal spike. Spikelets several-flowered, nar- 

 row, sessile or shortly pedicelled, erect. Two lower scales empty, membranous, 

 keeled, acute, unequal; flowering scales i-3-nerved, 2-toothed and mucronate or 

 short-awned between the teeth. Palet hyaline, 2-nerved. Stamens 3. Styles dis- 

 tinct. Stigmas plumose. Grain free, loosely enclosed in the scale and palet. 

 [Greek, referring to the 2-toothed flowering scales. ] About 15 species, natives of 

 the warmer regions of both hemispheres. Besides the following species, about 6 

 others occur in the southern and western parts of N. Am. 



Awn less than one-third as long as the flowering scale. 



Spikelets 4-8 mm. long, the flowering scales acute or obtuse at the 2-toothed apex, 



lateral nerves often excurrent. i. D. fascicularis. 



Spikelets 10-12 mm. long, the flowering scales acuminate at the usually entire apex, 



the lateral nerves rarely excurrent. 2. D. acuminata. 



Awn one-half as long as the flowering scale or more. 3. D. procumbens. 



1. Diplachne fascicularis (Lam.) Beauv. SALT-MEADOW DIPLACHNE. 

 (I. F. f. 426.) Culms tufted, finally branching, 3-8 dm. tall. Leaves erect, 1-2 

 dm. long, 3 mm. or less wide, involute when dry, rough; racemes 8 or more, erect 

 or ascending, the larger ones 48 cm. long; spikelets 48 mm. long; scales 10-12, 

 the flowering scales, exclusive of the awn, 3-4 mm. long, the midnerve extending 

 into an awn I mm. long or less. Along the coast. Fla. to Tex., and extending up 

 the Miss. Valley to 111. and Mo. July-Sept. 



2. Diplachne acuminata Nash, n. sp. SHARP-SCALED DIPLACHNE. Culms 

 tufted, 3-6 dm. tall, finally branching. Leaves erect, 1-3 dm. long, 4.5 mm. 

 or less wide, usually involute when dry, very rough; racemes numerous, erect 

 or ascending, the larger 7-15 cm. long; spikelets 10-12 mm. long; scales 8-n, the 

 flowering scales 6-7 mm. long, acuminate at the entire or occasionally slightly 2- 

 toothed apex, the lateral nerves rarely slightly excurrent, the midnerve extending 

 into an awn 0.75-1.3 mm. long. Wet or moist soil, Ark. to Neb. and Colo. June- 

 Aug. 



3. Diplachne procumbens (Muhl.) Nash. LONG- AWNED DIPLACHNE. Culms 

 tufted, finally branching, 2-4 dm. tall. Leaves erect, 8-2O cm. long, 4 mm. or less 

 wide, involute when dry; racemes numerous, erect, the larger 57 cm. long; spike- 

 lets about i cm. long ; scales 8-10, the empty ones usually awned or awn-pointed, 

 the flowering scales, exclusive of the awn, 4.5-5 mm> l n g acuminate at the 

 slightly 2 toothed apex, the midnerve extending into an awn one-half or moie as 

 long as the scale. Brackish marshes, N. Y. to S. Car. Aug. -Oct. 



73. MOLINIA Schrank. 



A perennial tufted grass, with narrow flat leaves and paniculate inflorescence. 

 Spikelets 2-4-flowered; two lower scales empty, somewhat obtuse, or acute, une- 



