45 



Puccinellia airoides Wats. & Coult. (Alkali Meadow-grass).— Erect, with slen- 

 der, tufted stems, 1 to 2 feet higb, the panicle long, open, and spreading; a grass 

 of the wet, saline Hats and the ditch banks. Laramie River, July 4 (3332) ; Hills- 

 dale, July 7 (3664). 



Festuca brevifolia R. Brown (Short-leafed Fescue).— Closely tufted, with nu- 

 merous short basal leaves; stems strict, 6 to to 10 inches high, the panicle close 

 and slender; infrequent, occurring on the dry ridges of disintegrated granite. 

 Head of Pole Creek, July 22 



f^^ 



(3430). 

 Festuca elatior pratensis Scribn. 



(Meadow Fescue). —Slender, weak 



stemmed, 2 to 3 feet high; a few 



scattering specimens secured on 



Crow Creek. Cheyenne, July 8 



(3664(1). 

 Festuca thurberi Vasey (Tiiurber's 



Fescue). — A handsome Poa-like 



plant, forming large compact sods 



on the edge of the thickets along 



the mountain streams; leaves and 



stems slender, 2 to 3 feet high ; in- 

 clined to be harsh to the touch, so 



that when mature probably not 



very well relished by stock. Wil- 

 low Creek, July 13 (3377). 

 Festuca kingii Scribn. (King's Fes- 

 cue, fig. 19). — Thick-stemmed, 1 to 



2 feet high ; leaves few, short, and 



broad; the I)a8e8 of the stems 



sheathed by the old leaves. This is 



a grass of the sandy or gravelly 



slopes and banks in the foothills, 



probably never fornung a coutinu- 

 ous sod, but sometimes abundant 

 enough to be of importance as a pas- 

 ture grass. Evanston, May 29 

 (2995); Sheep Mountain, July 3 

 (3300) ; " G." Summer ranch, July 

 23 (3826). 

 Festuca ovinaL. (Sheep's Fescue). — 

 Densely tufted, the slender leaves 

 and stems very numerous, 6 to 18 



inches high; panicle slender, the spikelets being closely appressed; awns short 

 but noticeable; widely distributed and often abundant, especially on dry ridges 

 and disintegrated granite slopes. Head of Pole Creek, June 19(3195); Green 

 Top, June 29 (3242) ; Sheep Mountain, July 3 (3303) ; Battle Lake Mountain, 

 August 17 (4062). 

 Festuca rubra L. (Red Fescue).— Somewhat resembliiig the preceding, but m 

 smaller tufts or as single specimens, stems seemingly longer and more slender. 

 Not plentiful in tliis range. Colorado- Wyoming line, July 22 (3819). 

 Bromus breviaristatus Buckl. (Short-awned Brome-grass).— A fine appearing 

 grass, 2 to 4 feet high; stems erect, leaves large and numerous, the panicle long 

 vrith closely appressed or at least ascending branches. It occurs in open woods in 

 the mountains where it sometimes forms meadow-like tracts of considerable 

 extent. It seems to be relished by all kinds of stock, and it was noted that on 

 Pine Mountain, where it is very abundant, sheep, being grazed there in July, 



Fig. 18.— Nerved Mauna-grass (Panieularia ner- 

 vata) : a, b, spikelets ; c, d, florets. 



