POACEAE. 31 



6. E. pectinacea (Michx.) Steud. Stems 3-8 dm. tall, rigid: leaf -blades 1-3 

 dm. long, 4-8 mm. wide: panicle 1.5-6 dm. long, strongly bearded in the axils: 

 spikelets 5-15-flowered, 3-8 mm. long, the flowering scales about 1.75 mm. long, 

 their lateral nerves very prominent. — S. Eather rare, in dry soil. — Schists. 

 — Sum. 



7. E. hypnoides (Lam.) B.S.P. Stems 2-5 dm. long, creeping and rooting 

 at the nodes: leaf -blades commonly 1-4 cm. long, 1-2 mm. wide: panicle 1.5- 

 5 cm. long: spikelets 10-35-flowered, 4-16 mm. long, the flowering scales 1.5-2 

 mm. long, glabrous, those of the pistillate spikelets more sharply acute than 

 those of the staminate. — Susquehanna valley. Eather rare, in wet sand on 

 the river shore and islands. — Sum. 



38. SPHENOPHOLIS Scribn. Tufted perennial grasses, with flat or 

 convolute leaf-blades and usually narrow and contracted, or sometimes open 

 panicles. Spikelets numerous, 2-3-flowered, shining. Scales 4 or 5, membra- 

 nous, the 2 outer empty, the first very narrow, 1-nerved, acuminate, the second 

 much broader, obovate when spread out, obtuse, truncate, and sometimes apicu- 

 late at the apex, 3-nerved, the remaining scales narrower, obtuse or somewhat 

 acute; palet narrow, 2-nerved. Stamens 3. Styles distinct, short. Stigmas 

 plumose. [Eatonia Endl. Not Eaf.] 



Empty scales usually unequal, the first commonly shorter and not more than | as 

 wide as the second. 

 Second scale obovate in side view, rounded at the summit. 1. 8. oMusata. 



Second scale oblanceolate in side view, acute or acutish at the 



apex. 2. S. pallens. 



Empty scales usually equal, the first at least 3 as broad as the 



second. 3. S. nitida. 



1. S. obtusata (Michx.) Scribn. Stems 3-8 dm. tall, glabrous or pubescent: 

 leaf -sheaths and blades usually rough, the latter 2.5-23 cm. long, 1-5 mm. wide, 

 rarely wider: panicle 5-15 cm. long, dense and usually spike-like, sometimes 

 purple: spikelets crowded, 2.5-3 mm. long. — S. Eather rare, in woods. — 

 Schists. — Sum. 



2. S. pallens (Spreng.) Scribn. Stems 3-9 dm. tall: leaf -blades 6-18 cm. long, 

 2-6 mm. wide, rough: panicle 7-18 cm. long, often nodding at the summit, 

 lax: spikelets 3-3.5 mm. long, the flowering scales narrow, acute. — M. Eare, 

 on dry banks. — Limestones. — Sum. 



3. S. nitida (Spreng.) Scribn. Stems tufted, slender, 3-6 dm. tall: leaf -blades 

 1-8 cm. long, 2 mm. wide or less: panicle 5-15 cm. long, lax, its branches 

 spreading at flowering time, finally erect: spikelets 3 mm. long. [E. Dudleyi 

 Vasey.] — Eather rare, in woods. — Sum. 



39. MELICA L. Perennial grasses, with flat or convolute leaf -blades and 

 contracted or open panicles which are sometimes almost racemose. Spikelets 

 few-many, erect or nodding, 1-several-flowered, the flowers perfect or the upper 

 ones staminate. Scales 3-several, the 2 lower empty, membranous, or hyaline, 

 obtuse or acutish, unequal in length, the flowering scales larger, membranous, 

 the lateral nerves vanishing at the broad hyaline margin, acute or obtuse at 

 the apex, the remaining scales empty, gradually smaller, convolute and involving 

 each other and forming a clavate to obovoid mass; palet shorter than the scale, 

 2-keeled. Stamens 3. Styles distinct. Stigmas plumose. 



1. M. mutica Walt. Stems 3-9 dm. tall : leaf-blades 1-2.5 dm. long, 2-10 mm. 

 wide: panicle 1-2.5 dm. long, its branches spreading or ascending: spike- 

 lets 7-9 mm. long, about 2-flowered, nodding, on flexuous pubescent pedicels, 

 the flowering scales 6-8 mm. long, usually very obtuse. — Lower Susquehanna 

 valley. Eather rare, on the river hills. — Schists. — Sum. 



