16 



Siat< s in wliicli a dozeu or iiioro separatt* spt-cies occur. I?atiiies(|ne apparently 

 li fi no type, and the original description is too fragmentary to enable one to 

 more than jiues8 at the identity of the plant which he described. 



13. SITANION CiEsPITOSUM J. G. Smith, sp. no\ . 



Densely ca-spitose, with flat leaves, and weak, ascending culms. Sterile shouts 

 viry leafy, erect «)r spreading, 1 to 2 dm. long. C'nlms 2 to 3 dm. high, very 

 .-linder. terete, glabrons. Nodes glabrons. Sheaths striate, open at the throat, 

 smooth and glabrons. Ligule membranaceons, entire, very short. Blades 4 to 

 10 em. long, 2 to 3 mm. wide, linear, flat, or the margins incnrved, prominently 

 Tiierved above, glabrons on the back, scabrous above. .Spike 4 to (J em. long, 

 its base sometimes inclosed in the uppermost sheath, mostly exserted, somewhat 

 flexiions. Kmpty glumes entire or bitid, 3 to 4 cm. long, divaricate, scabrous. 

 Flowering glume of the lowest fertile floret linear-lanceolate, entire, smooth and 

 shining below, sparsely scabrous above the middle, about 7 mm. long, tipped 

 with a flexuous scabrous awn, about 5 mm. long. Callus rounded, glabrous. 

 I'alea as long as the flowering glume, ronmled at the apex. .Joints of the rachis 

 glabrous, except along the margins, not at all dilated above, two-thirds the 

 length of the lowest floret. 



Growing in rich soil in the canyons around Silver City, N. Mex. 



Type spe<iraens collected by .hired G. Smitii, near Clifl', N. Mex., August 19, 1897. 

 Also eollecte<l at the same locality in August, 1896. It grows only in shaded 

 canyons, and on moist talus slopes in the mountains at an altitude of about 

 2.rt(»()ui. Its leaves continue green during the winter. It is one of the "mutton 

 grasses." formerly abundant and highly valued as forage for sheep and cattle, 

 now to be found only in protected situations. Probably also occurring in the 

 mountains of western Texas, althr>Mgh there are no speeiniens from any otlier 

 locality than the typical one in the National Herbarium. 



Closely related to 5. hyntrix (Nutt.) JGS., but the sheaths ami Idade.s are glabrous 

 on the back. 



14. SITANION MONTANUM .J. G. Smith, sp. nov. 



Culms rather st<mt, erect, 2 to 4 dm. high, terete, striate, glabrons below, scabrous 

 above. Sheaths rather loose, open at the throat, as long as, or longer than, the 

 internodes, smooth, s( abroiis or pubescent. Hlades .") to 10 cm. long, 3 to 4 mm. 

 wide, linear, acuminate, flat or involute, pubescent on the back, scabrous or 

 strigose-pubesceiit on the prominent nerves above, scabrous ahmg thi- margins, 

 rigid, erect or ascending, the uppermost usually shorter than the sjjike. Spike 

 erect, loosely flowered, 5 to 10 cm. long. Empty glumes subulate, scabrous, long- 

 awned, some of tho.se in the lower part of the spike unequally bifid, the lobes 

 extending into scabrous, divergent awns .o to 6 cm. long, 2 or often 3 spikelets 

 at each node. Lowest floret sterile. Flowering glumes 10 to 11 mm. long, 

 linear-lanceolate, rounded on the back, smooth and shining for the lower thi.d, 

 Hc.ibrous above jiiid on the margins, tiilid, tiiree-awned, the scabrous, diverg< "^t 

 middle awn I lo 7 em. long, the lateral awns very short, slender. I'alea as long 

 IIS the flowering glume, with tsvo short, .setace«)U8, scabrous awns, or sometini' ^ 

 rather obtuHC and muticons. Internodes of the rachis linear or dilated above, 

 compre^se<l, glaucous, 4 to (i mm. long. 



S. monlaniitii diflers from S. Htrii/oxiim in the shorter, flat, and more rigid erect leaves 

 and smoother flowering glume. This may be Kaliue8<|iie's .S". tlnmoides. 



Northern Wyoming .ind Montana to « >regon. Si'K( IMKXS r.x.\Mi.\Ki> : Montana: F. 

 l.amson-Seribner, No. 137. gravelly bottoms, Indian (reek, July 4, 1883; rather 

 d«in»ely ciiicrcon8-])ubescent throughout. \\ A. Rydberg, No. :i091 (type), Span- 

 ish (reek, .Inly l."i. IK'KJ; and No. 3133, .•Spanish Hasin, July 18. 189«. Thomas A. 

 WilliaiMH, No. 2002, Spanish Creek Hasin, .Inly 16, ISiKi, on sterile, rocky soil. 



WtjomuKi : 'Ih(Hn!iH A. Williams, No. 2776, Hull Camp, August 2. 1897: and No. 2."»96, 

 Ten 81ee)( Lakes, liig Horn Mountains, August 19, 1897. 



