Class III. Order III. 35 



glaucous or purplish appearance. Salt marshes, Cambridge, 

 Dorchester. June. Perennial. 



POA OBTUSA. Muhl. Obtuse Spear grass. 



Panicle ovate, contracted, spikelets ovate, tumid, 

 Jive to seven flowered ; corolla ovate, smooth, ob- 

 tuse ; leaves smooth, as long as the culm. 



An aquatic poa with a small dense panicle of large swelling 

 spikelets. Borders of Fresh Pond. August. 



POA HIRSUTA. MX. Hair Spear grass. 



Panicle very large, loose, capillary ; bearded in 

 the axils ; spikelets about five flowered ; culm erect, 

 compressed ; sheaths hairy. 



An elegant grass, with a capillary branching panicle a foot or 

 more in length. Sheaths very hairy. Leaves linear, flat, nerv- 

 ed. Branches of the panicle straight, hairlike. Spikelets ob- 

 long, purple. Dry soils. August. 



POA CAPILLARIS. L. Capillary Spear grass. 



Panicle very large, loose, capillary ; not hairy ; 

 spikelets about three flowered, ovate, acute. 



Resembles the preceding which is perhaps only a variety of 

 this. Pursh states that this plant is very subject to variation. 

 The chief distinction of this seems to consist in its smaller size 

 and its panicles not being hairy in the axils. Dry grounds. 

 August. 



POA ERAGROSTIS. .L. Branching Spear grass. 



Panicle equal, spreading ; spikelets oblong, com- 

 pressed, ten to twenty flowered ; florets obtuse. 

 Syn. BRIZA ERAGROSTIS. Muhl. 



A very elegant species with a largo panicle of sea green 

 spikelets These are long, tumid, numerous, and remarkably 

 even, the two rows being separated by a nearly straight line. 

 Sandy soils, rare. August. 



