GRASS FAMILY 49 



like, 2-5 cm. long; branches short, erect; first empty glume thin, ovate, acute, 1.5 

 mm. long, the second slightly longer; lemma lanceolate, sparsely pubescent 

 below, 2 mm. long. Mountains: Colo. iMotiL Jl-Au. 



20. M. gracillima Torr Cespitose perennial; stems 1-4 dm. hio^h erect 

 or decumbent at the base; leaves mostly basal; leaf-blades involute-setaceous' 

 somewhat scabrous; panicle 5-20 cm. long, open; emptv ghimes unequal the 

 first about 1.5 mm., the second 2 mm. long, awn-pointed; lemma 2.5-3 'mm 

 long, scabrous; awn 2-4 mm. long. Rixg Grass. Plains and foot-hills: Tex 

 Kans.— Colo.— X.M. Plain—MonL Jl-0. 



21. M. pungens Thurb. Perennial, with a cespitose, creeping rootstock* 

 stems decumbent at the base, 1.5-4 dm. high; leaf-blades 2.5-5 cm. long, involute 

 rigid, scabrous; panicle 7-15 cm. long, open, its branches 5-7 cm. long; outer 

 ghimes 2-2.0 mm. long, purplish, scabrous; lemma 3-4 mm. long, scabrous* awn 

 short. Purple Hair-grass, Blow-out Grass. Sand hills and bad-lands' Tex 

 — Aeb.— Utah— Ariz. Plain^Mont. Jl-Au. 



22. M. Porteri Scribn. Cespitose perennial; stems geniculate, decumbent 

 branching; leaf-blades usually flat, 3-5 cm. long, about G mm. wide acuminate 

 scabrous above; panicle 7-10 cm. long, about 5 cm. wide; empty glumes narrowly 

 lanceolate, 2-2.5 mm. long, purplish; lemma without the awn 3.5-4 mm. long 

 purple, pilose; awn 5-10 mm. long. M. texana Thurb., not Buckley Mes- 

 QUiTE Grass. Hills and plains: Tex.— Colo.— Calif.; Alex, Son. Au-0. 



22. LYCURUS H.B.K. Texas Timothy. 



_ Cespitose perennials. Panicle dense, spike-like. Spikelets 1-flowered, usuallv 

 m pairs. Empty glumes 2, often awned, 3-nerved. Lemma 3-nerved, awned 

 Falet smaller, 2-nerved and 2-keeled, Stamens 3. Styles distinct short' 

 stigmas plumose. Grain free, included in the lemma. " ' 



^1. L. phleoides H.B.K. Tufted perennial; stems decumbent at the base 

 2-0 dm. high, compressed; leaf-blades scabrous above, 4-7 cm. long 3 mm wide* 

 spike cyhndric, dense, 4-10 cm. long, 5-8 mm. thick; first glume 1.5 mm. long) 

 with 2 awns, 2-3 mm. long; second glume with an awn 4 mm. long; lemma lance- 

 elliptic, 3 mm. long, pubescent on the back; awn 2-3 mm. long. Hill^- Tex — 

 Colo.— Ariz.; Mex. Son. — Submont. Au— O. 



23. PHLEtTM L. Timothy. 



Annuals or perennials. Inflorescence a dense spike-like panicle. Spikelets 

 1-flowered compressed; flower perfect. Empty glumes 2, persistent, compressed, 

 keeled, obhque at the summit, awned. Lemma shorter, membranous, truncate 

 denticulate. Styles distinct, long; stigmas sub-plumose. Grain free. ' 



Spikes usually elongated-cylindric; awns less than one-half the length of the outer glumes. 



..„.,, 1. P. praunse. 



awns 



P- pratense L. Short-lived 



2. P. alpinum. 



perennial, with a bulbiform thickened base; 

 stem erect, glabrous and smooth, 3-15 dm. high; sheaths often exceeding the 

 internodes, the upper long and close; leaf-blades 7-20 cm. long, 4-6 mm. wide 



3-4 



3^u.ijiunD, opiivt; tj-^u (jui. iuuf5, o-o mm. iiuck; outer glumes 

 e on the keel; awns about 1 mm long. Meadows; native but 

 also often escaped from cultivation: N.S.—Fla.— Calif.— B.C.; Eurasia. Plain 

 ■Subalp. Je-0. 



L. Short-lived perennial; stem 1-5 dni. hierh. erect or 



:£. if. aipinum l.. t^Hort-lived perennial; stem 1-5 

 times decumbent at the base, smooth; sheatlis often shc._. ....... ..^^ *...^..^v^^^o 



the upper usually inflated; leaf -blades scabrous above, 2-7 cm. long, 3-S mm! 

 wide; spike 1-5 cm. long, 6-12 mm. thick; outer glumes 3 mm. long, strongly 

 ciliate on the keel; awns 1.5-2 nun. long. Wet places: Lab.— N.H.— S.D.— 

 N.M, — Calif. — Alaska; Eurasia. Mont, — -Alp. Je-S. 



4 



