POACEAE. 4 1 



63. CALAMAGROSTIS. 



Tall perennial grasses with small spikelets in many-flowered 

 terminal panicles; spikelets 1 -flowered, the pubescent rachilla 

 prolonged behind the palea; glumes subequal, longer than the 

 lemma which is hyaline and obtuse, and bears a dorsal awn; 

 callus copiously hairy; palea shorter than the lemma; grain free, 

 enclosed in the lemma. 



Awns strongly geniculate; callus hairs much shorter than 



than the lemma. 

 Awn shorter than or little exceeding the glumes; glumes 



strongly keeled; tall sea-shore plant. C. aleutica. 



Awn greatly exceeding the glumes. 



Panicle loose ; leaves nearly as long as the stems. C. howellii. 



Panicle dense; leaves shorter than the stems. C. vaseyi. 



Awns straight; callus hairs not much shorter than the lemma. 

 Panicle loose and open. 



Spikelets 4-6 mm. long. C. scabra. 



Spikelets 2-4 mm. long. C. canadensis. 



Panicle narrow, rather close. 



Panicle not spikelike. C. inexpansa. 



Panicle dense, spike-like. 



Glumes subcoriaceous, ovate, acute; panicle 4-6 



cm. long. C. crassiglumis. 



Glumes membranous, acuminate; panicle 5-20 



cm. long. C. hyperborea. 



Calamagrostis aleutica Trin. Very tall, 1-2 m. high; panicle pale, large 

 and loose; glumes lanceolate, acuminate; callus hairs half as long as the lemma. 

 Along the ocean coast, Alaska to California. 



Calamagrostis howellii Vasey. Densely tufted; stems 25-50 cm. high; 

 basal leaves numerous, loosely involute; panicle 8-10 cm. long; glumes strongly 

 keeled, subequal, 5-6 mm. long. 



Abundant on the rocky cliffs in the gorge of the Columbia River. 



Calamagrostis vaseyi Beal. Stems tufted, 15-40 cm. high; panicle purple, 

 rather close, 6-10 cm. long. 



In rocky places, in the mountains, at about 2000 m. altitude. 



Calamagrostis scabra Presl. Bluetop. Stems about 1 m. high; panicle 

 loose, dark purple or rarely pale greenish; glumes sharp-acuminate; awn 

 longer than the lemma. 



Common in alpine meadows. 



Calamagrostis canadensis (Michx.) Beauv. Stems tufted, slender, 60-120 

 cm. high; leaves flat, somewhat involute, pale green, 15-25 cm. long; panicle 

 10-20 cm. long, purple, pyramidal, the slender branches in fives; spikelets 

 3-3.5 mm. long; glumes equal, acute, hardly larger than the lemma; awn short, 

 straight. 



In wet meadows and along streams. 



Calamagrostis canadensis acuminata Vasey. Spikelets larger, 4-5 mm. 

 long. 



With the species in wet meadows and along streams. 



Calamagrostis inexpansa barbulata Kearney. Stems about 1 in. high; 

 leaves stiff; panicle purple, rather stiff; awn very short or wanting; callus- 

 hairs nearly as long as the lemma. 



In bogs, near Union City, Mason County, Washington, Piper. 



