12 



4. SITANION POLYANTHERIX J. (i. Smith, new name. Puli/autherii- In/atrix 



Nces. ill Ann. Nat. Hist. 1: L'SI (1S38), uot Ju/ilops hiff<lrix Nutt. 



Culms 3 to 4 «lm. high, terete, striate, miuutely striji^ose-pnbesceiit. Sheatbs striate, 

 scabrous, closely enveloping the internotlo.s and longer than them, hirsute. 

 I-ignle very short, membranaioous. Jilailes G to "Jo cm. long, linear, long-atteuuato 

 or liliform, involute, acuminate, t!ie lower hirsute ou the back, the upper smooth, 

 scabrous and sparsely hirsute on the nerves above. Spike 7 to 10 cm. long, rather 

 rigid and densely llowered. Spikelets 2 at each node; all the florets of one of 

 the spikelets sterile and the lowest and uppermost florets of the other either 

 stamiuate or sterile, only the second producing seed. Empty glumes 5- to many- 

 parted from near the base, the seguients extending into slender, abruptly divari- 

 cate awns, 6 to 25 mm. long. Flowering glume of the hermaphrodite floret 

 linear-lancecdate, acute, smooth and shining for its lower two-thirds, slightly 

 scabrous above, with a rigid, scabrous awn 2.5 to 3 cm. long arising from between 

 two minute teeth. Palea a little longer than the flowering glume, acute. Inter- 

 nodes of the rachi.s very short, smooth and sliiniug, compressed, broadest above, 

 about 3 iiiiii. long. 



Tyi>e collected by Douglas, in (alil'ornia. There is a sijecimen iu the National Hcrl)a- 

 riuni, labeled Silairioti pohjantlierix, which was collected by Dr. J. M. Bigelow, 

 surgeon and botanist to Lieut. A. W. Whipple's expedition for a railway route 

 from the Mississippi Kiver to the Pacilic Ocean, near the thirty-flfth parallel 

 of latitude in 18"3-54, California, without locality, and it is from this plant that 

 the above description is drawn. 



This species may be separated from S. hreviarintatum, to which it is related, by the 

 very long-attenuate, filiform leaves, and taller and more slender cnlms. 



5. .SITANION BREVIARISTATUM .T. (i. Smith, sp. nov. 



Lo\v , c;is])iti>sf pcremiial, with slender, erect spikes and very loug, rigid, erect or 

 ascending leaves. Culms about 2 dm. high, erect, clothed with dead leaf-sheaths 

 at the base. Sheaths smooth, closely envelopingandlonger than the iuternodes, 

 scarious along tlie margins. Ligule nearly obsolete. Blades 5 to 15 cm. long, 

 linear, rigid, pungently pointed, densely strigose pubescent on both surfaces, 

 closely involute. Spike slender, rigid, 3 to G cm. long. Empty glumes 2-1o 

 many-parted, bearing scabrous, flexuous, divergent awns, from 7 to 20 mm. long. 

 Flowering glume about (> mm. long, narrowly lanceolate, smooth below, scabrous 

 above, tij)ped with a short, rigid awn from 1 to 1.5 cm. long. I'alea as long ;is 

 the llowering glume, acute, 2-nerved, scarious along the margins, bicuspidate. 

 Grain adherent to the ])alea, elli]»tical, oblanceolate, 5 mm. long, compressed, 

 acute at the base, rounded at the apex. Iuternodes of the rachis coujpresscd, 

 4 to 5 mm. long. si)atulate above, glaucous. 



Tyjie si»eciiuen collected by Coville and Funston, No. 833, AVillow Cr.-ck Canyon, 

 I'anamiut Mountains, Californi.i, May 22, 1S91. 



This species di Hers froui Siluiiion iiiiiltixeliim towjiich it i.s related, iu the low, densely 

 ca^spitose habit; sliorl, slender s])ikes; aiul very short awns of the empty and 

 tli.wering glumes. The ba.ses of the eulms ;ue clothed with papery leaf-sheaths. 



^ij> Eusitaiiioii. Loinat tloni of „iu or holh sj,ih,lel.s gtrrih and like the vinphj fjliimoi; 

 xomi I,/ thr ciiipli/ (jinnies Injiil from ahoiil Ike viiddlc, llir dirinioiis direriient: ihe 

 oiliet'H entire, mthiilale-aetacroiis. 



fi. SITANION MINUS .1. (1. Smith, sj). nov. 



Culms 1.5 to 2 dm. iiigh, slender, rigid, erect, terete, glabrous. Noiles glabrous. 

 Culm leaves 5. .Sheaths ;;iabrous. closely enveloping and longer than the inter- 

 nod. h. I.igule :ilmo>t obs(di-te. lilades 5 to 7 cui., those of the innovations 8 to 

 12 (Ml. long, rigid, erect or somewhat di\ arieate, linear, acuminate, involute, 

 Hnu)olli and gl.ibrousim the back, scabrous on the margins, strigose-pubeseent on 

 III., ii.ivs above. Spikes 3 to 5 cm. buig, sletidir, their bases included in the 



