155 [ 7 J 



is the celebrated "Buffalo Grass," so called because it constitutes 

 the chief fodder of the wild buffalo, during the season that 

 it flourishes. I have retained this plant, for the present, where it 

 was placed by Mr. Nuttall, who noticed its anomalous characters. 

 It differs from Sesleria, and indeed from the Tribe Festucacece, in 

 its habit, Which is that af Chondrosium. The stem throws off suck- 

 ers which ro'ot at the joints, from whence leaves and culms of a few 

 inches in height are thrown up. The spikes are two or three in 

 number, on short spreading peduncles. They are oblong, about 

 half an inch in length, and obtuse; bearing from 6 to 8 spikelets, 

 which are unilateral, and form a double row on the rachis. The 

 spikelets are usually 2 flowered, but I have occasionally found them 

 with 3 flowers, and even the rudiment of a fourth. The glumes 

 are very unequal oblong-ovate, coriaceo-membranaceous, carinate 

 and one-nerved, the upper one slightly mucronate. Palea oblong- 

 lanceolate and somewhat keeled, membranaceous, nearly equal, 

 but longer than the glumes, entire, glabrous except on the keel; 

 the lower 3 nerved, the upper bi- carinate. Anthers large, linear, 

 fulvous. In all the specimens of this collection, as well as in those 

 in my herbarium from numerous other localities, there are no fertile 

 flowers, and only in few instances rudimentary styles, so that the 

 plant seems to be dicecios po/ygamus by abortion. 



Arundo Phragmites, Linn. Valley of the Del Norte, and along 

 the Gila. 



Andropogon argenteus, DC.) Kunth. enum. l,p. 500. Valley of 

 the Gila. A handsome species, with the spikes in a terminal pani- 

 cle which has a white appearance from the abundant silky hairs of 

 the flowers. 



A. macrourus, Michx. With the preceeding. 



Besides these grasses, there were a few others, mostly collected 

 in the valley of the Gila, but which I have not determined, as the 

 specimens were not so complete as could be desired. Among them 

 area Glyceria, two Jlgrostides, five species of Panicum, and a 

 Poa (Eragrostis,)v?hh large elongated spikelets. In some parts of 

 the valley of the Dei Norte, Sorghum vulgare is cultivated, and 

 was found partly naturalized. 



EQUISETACE/E. 



Equisettjm hyemale, Linn. Lower part of the Colorado. 



FILICES. 



Adiantum tenerum, Sioartz. Valley of the Gila. This species 

 is widely spread over the southern part of North America, and yet 

 has not hitherto obtained a place in our^Flora. We have it from 

 Alabama, Florida, Texas, and various parts of California. 



Lycopodium. A small species allied to L. rupes.tre, was found 

 in descending the Gila. It differs in its incurved leaves which are 

 mucronate, but without a bristle at the tip. No fructification ex- 

 ists in the specimen. 



