32 POACEAE. 



empty glumes obovate, nerveless, first 0.5-1 mm. long, second 1.5-2 

 mm. long; flowering glume concave, broadly oval, 1-nerved, 2 mm. 

 long; palea broader than its glume and a little shorter, truncate. 



Occasional in low ground. Wilmington; Westminster; San 

 Bernardino; San Diego. 



2. S. asperifolius (Nees) Thurb. Culms branching, 2-4 dm. 

 high, ascending from stout creeping rootstalks, sheaths smooth, 

 loose, longer than the numerous short internodes, leaves flat, sca- 

 brous, 3-8 cm. long, 2 mm. wide; panicle included at the base, open, 

 9-18 cm. long, its branches scabrous, bearing single spikelets at the 

 ends of very slender stiff branchlets; spikelets tinged with purple; 

 empty glumes lanceolate, 3-nerved, first 0.3-0.5 mm. long, second 

 slightly longer; flowering glume oval, obtuse, 1-1.5 mm. long; 

 palea equaling the glume. 



San Bernardino, Parish; Bear Valley, San Bernardino Mountains. 



15. EPICAMPES Presl. 



Tall perennial tufted grasses with usually very long 

 spike-like panicles, Spikelets small, 1 -flowered. Empty 

 glumes 2, membranous, slightly unequal, convex on the 

 back, carinate, often finely 3-nerved; flowering glumes 

 3-nerved, obtuse or emarginate, a little shorter or about 

 equaling the empty glumes, usually tipped with a slender 

 rather short awn. Stamens 3. Styles distinct, short; 

 stigmas plumose. Grain free, included within the 

 glumes. 



1. E. rigens Benth. Perennial, tufted; culms rigid, erect, smooth, 

 5-10 dm. high; sheaths longer than the internodes, loose, smooth; 

 ligule 4-6 mm. long; leaves scabrous, rigid, involute apex attenuate, 

 1-3 dm. long; panicle exserted or somewhat included, erect dense 

 spike-like, 2-5 dm. long, 5-8 mm. broad; spikelets minutely scabrous, 

 elliptic; empty glumes white, about 3 mm. long, nearly equal; 

 flowering glume awnless, minutely pubescent, about 2 mm. long. 



Frequent in the San Gabriel Mountains, in canyons, confined 

 mostly to the upper portions of the chaparral belt. 



16. POLYPOGON Desf. Beard-grass. 



Annual or rarely perennial grasses with decumbent or 

 erect culms, flat leaves and spike-like panicles. Spike- 

 lets 1-flowered. Glumes 3; the outer 2 empty, each ex- 

 tended into an awn, the third smaller, usually hyaline, 

 short-awned from below the apex, subtending a palea 

 and perfect flower. Palea shorter than the glume. 

 Stamens 1-3. Styles short, distinct. Grain free, en- 

 closed in the glume and palea. 



