POACEAE. 49 



75. PLEUROPOGON. 



Soft erect annuals or perennials with rather large spikelets in 

 terminal racemes; spikelets with 8-15 perfect flowers; rachilla 

 jointed above the glumes and between the flowers; glumes 2, 

 1-nerved, or the second imperfectly 3-nerved, awnless, unequal; 

 lemmas longer than the glumes, 7-nerved, entire, or somewhat 

 2-toothed at the apex, with the midnerve extending into a short 

 awn; keel of palea with a distinct crest or wing-like appendage; 

 grain free. 



Pleuropogon refractum Gray. Stems about 1 m. high; leaves flat, 6-8 

 mm. wide; raceme slender; spikelets 2-4= cm. long, horizontal or refracted, 

 loosely flowered. 



Along streams in moist woods, rare. Washington to California. 



76. MELICA. 



Perennial grasses with simple stems; inflorescence a contracted 

 or open panicle; spikelets 1 -several-flowered, often one-sided; 

 rachilla extending beyond the flowers and usually bearing 2-3 

 empty club-shaped or hooded lemmas twisted around each other; 

 glumes membranous, the lower 3-5-nerved, the upper 5-9-nerved; 

 lemmas larger, rounded on the back, 5-7-nerved, awnless, the 

 margins more or less scarious; palea broad, shorter than the 

 lemma; grain free, enclosed in the lemma and palea. 



Lemmas acuminate at apex; stems bulbous at base. M. subulata. 

 Lemma notched at apex; stems not bulbous. 



Awns short or none. M. harfordii. 



Awns long. M. smithii. 



Melica subulata (Griseb.) Scribn. Glabrous; stems tufted, usually few, 

 bulbous at base; blades flat, shining; panicle narrow and rather loose, suberect, 

 10-20 cm. long; spikelets 3-5-flowered; glumes unequal, usually purplish; 

 lemmas pubescent, 12 mm. long. 



In open woods, frequent. Alaska to California and Wyoming. 



Melica harfordii Boland. Stems tall, tufted, the bases not bulbous; 

 lemmas obtuse and notched at apex, 8 mm. long, ciliate with long hairs for 

 most of its length. 



In dry rocky places, Vancouver Island to California. 



Melica smithii (Porter) Vasey. Glabrous; stems tufted, usually few, not 

 bulbous at base; blades flat; panicle loose, the solitary branches at length 

 spreading or reflexed; spikelets 3 6-flowercd; glumes unequal; lemmas glabrous, 

 10 mm. long, the straight awns half as long or less. 



Sumas Prairie, Lyall; and eastward. 



77. BRIZA. 



Annuals or perennials with flat or convolute leaves and loose 

 and open or narrow and spike-like panicles; spikelets many- 

 flowered, round-ovate or cordate; rachilla jointed above the 

 glumes and between the florets; florets crowded, the upper usually 



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