HOFFMANN: FLORA OF BERKSHIRE COUNTY. 213 



E. muricata (Michx.) Fernald.— Vid. Rhodora, 17: 106 (1915). 

 Sandy shores and roadside ditches; frequent. 



Differs from E. CrusgaUi in the trichomes of the mature spikelets 

 which are stiffer and coarser, strongly divergent and have a con- 

 spicuous papillose or pustular base, giving to the spikelets and conse- 

 quently to the inflorescence a very muricate appearance. 



ELYMUS. Wild Rye. 



Key to Elymus. 



a. Awns straight (when mature and dry); palet 5.2-8 (rarely 8.5-9.2 in 

 E. virginicus) mm. long. 

 b. Glumes broad (0.9-2 mm. wide), strongly indurated and more or less 

 curved at the base. 

 Lemmas and glumes glabrous or merely scabrous on the margins. 



E. inrginicus. 

 Lemmas and glumes villou.s-hirsute. 



E. virginicus, var. hirsutiglumis. 

 h'. 'Glumes narrow, often setiform (0.4-0.8 mm. wide), indurated and 

 terete below, essentially straight. 

 Rachis-joints 3-4.5 (rarely 5-8) mm. long; spikelets 2-4-flowered; 



leaves and sheaths glabrous E. riparius. 



Rachis-joints 1.5-3 mm. long; spikelets 1- (rarely 2-)flowered; 



fohage villous E. striatus. 



a'. Awns curved outward toward ape.x (when mature and dry); glumes 15-20 

 (rarely 8-27) mm. long, rather narrow but not setiform, flat above; 

 spikelets 4-7-flowered ; leaves 13-20 mm. wide; palet 9-11 (-15) mm. 

 long E. canadensis. 



E. canadensis L. — Riverbanks; common in the valley. 



E. riparius Wiegand.— J'id. Rhodora, 20: 84 (1918). River- 

 banks; common in the valley, also in Mt. Washington. 



Differs from E. canadensis in the more spreading spikelets, straight 

 awns, longer and more slender glumes, uniforndy hispidulous lemmas 

 and shorter palet. From E. striatus, it may be recognized by the 

 coarser habit, glabrous foliage, larger rachis-joints, scabrous lemmas, 

 and larger palet. 



E. striatus Willd. — Alluvial riverbanks; frequent. Williams- 

 town; St()( kbridge; Great Harrington; Sheffield. 



E. virginicus L. — Riverbanks and moist woods; common. 



var. hirsutiglumis (Scrilm.) Hitchc. — {E. hirsutiglumis III. Fl. 

 ed. 2.) 



Alluvial banks; Stockbridge; Clreat Harrington; .^^lu'tlieM. 



