164 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



strongly pilose in the axils, the lower shorter than the middle ones, 

 finally reflexed, the whole panicle finally breaking away and tumbling 

 before the wind ; spikelets long-pediceled, short-pediceled toward the 

 ends of the branches, oblong to linear, 6- to 12-flowered, 4 to 8 mm 

 long; glumes acute, a little more than 1 mm long; lemmas acute, about 

 1.5 mm long, slightly scabrous toward the tip, the lateral nerves 

 prominent toward the base; palea somewhat bowed out, exposing the 

 rather prominently short-ciliate keels; grain oval, dark-brown, 0.6 



Figure 329.— Eragrostis pilifera. Panicle, X 1; floret, X 10. (Rydberg 1831, Nebr.) 



mm long. 01 — Sandy soil, Maine to Minnesota, south to Florida, 



Kansas, Colorado, and Arizona; Mexico (San Luis Potosi) (fig. 332). 



This species has been generally referred to E. pedinacea. 



42. Eragrostis elliottii S. Wats. (Fig. 333.) Perennial; culms 



tufted, stiffly erect or spreading, 40 to 80 cm tall; sheaths glabrous, 



pilose at the throat; blades flat, elongate, scabrous on the upper 



surface, 2 to 4 mm wide; panicle diffuse, fragile, usually more than 



half the entire height of the plant, branching 3 or 4 times, the branches 



capillary, spreading; spikelets on long capillary 



spreading pedicels, linear, mostly 8- to 15- 



flowered, 5 to 12 mm long, about 2 mm wide, 



pale or gray; glumes acute, 1 and 1.5 mm long; 



lemmas closely imbricate, acute, about 2 mm 



long, bowed out below, fitting into the angles of 

 the zigzag rachilla; grain oval, 0.7 mm long. 

 qj. — Low ground, wet meadows, and low 

 pine woods, Coastal Plain, North Carolina to 

 Florida and eastern Texas; West Indies and eastern Mexico (fig. 334). 

 43. Eragrostis acuta Hitchc. (Fig. 335.) Perennial; culms erect, 

 40 to 60 cm tall; sheaths glabrous, pilose at the throat; blades flat, 

 becoming more or less involute, 2 to 4 mm wide; panicle diffuse, more 

 than half the entire height of the plant, branching 3 or 4 times, the 

 branches less fragile than in E. elliottii; spikelets on long spreading 

 pedicels, oblong-elliptic, 10- to 20-flowered, 8 to 14 mm long, 3 mm 

 wide, pale or stramineous; glumes acuminate, 2.5 and 3 mm long; 

 lemmas acuminate, 3 mm long; grain 0.8 mm long. 01 — Low 

 pine woods and moist sandy soil, peninsular Florida 



Figure 330.— Distribution of 



Eragrostis pilifera. 



