GRASS FAMILY. 
6. Sporobolus brevifdlius (Nutt. ) Scribn. 
(Fig. 346.) 
Agrostis brevifolia Nutt. Gen. 1: 44. 1818. 
Sporobolus depauperatus Scribn. Bull. Torr. Club, 9: 103. 
In part. 1882. 
Sporobolus brevifolius Scribn. Mem. Torr. Club, 5: 39. 1895. 
Smooth and glabrous, culms 6’—-19/ tall, arising from a 
horizontal rootstock, erect, slender, decumbent and 
branching at the base. Sheaths much shorter than the 
internodes ; ligule 3/’’-1/’ long, acutish ; leaves 14’—2/ 
long, involute-setaceous; panicle }2/-3/ in length, usu- 
ally about 114’, linear, its branches 4/—%4’ long, erect 
or appressed; spikelets 114’/-114’’ long, the outer scales 
unequal, less than half as long as the third, obtuse or 
abruptly acute, scabrous on the keel and at the apex; 
third scale long-acuminate, sometimes cuspidate, scabrous 
toward the apex. 
Anticosti Island and Maine to British Columbia, south in 
the mountains to New Mexico and California. Summer. 
153 
Short-leaved Rush-grass. 
7. Sporobolus cuspidatus (Torr.) Wood. 
Prairie Rush-grass. (Fig. 347.) 
Vilfa cuspidata Torr.; Hook, Fl. Bor. Am. 2: 238. 1840. 
Sporobolus cuspidatus Wood, Bot. & F1. 385. 1870. 
Sporobolus brevifolius Scribn. Mem. Torr. Club, 5: 39. 
In part. 1894. 
Smooth and glabrous, culms 1°-2° tall, erect, sim- 
ple or somewhat branched. Sheaths shorter than 
the internodes ; ligule a mere ring, {’/ long or less, 
erose-truneate ; leaves 1/—4’ long, less than 1// wide 
at the base, erect, involute-setaceous, at least when 
dry ; panicle 114/-5’ in length, slender, its branches 
44/-1/ long, appressed; spikelets 14 ’/-1 4’ long, the 
outer scales half to three-quarters as long, acuminate 
or cuspidate, scabrous on the keel; third scale long- 
acuminate and cuspidate, sparingly scabrous. 
In dry soil, Manitoba to the Northwest Territory, south 
to Missouri and Kansas, Aug.—Sept. 
8. Sporobolus Virginicus (l,.) Kunth. Seashore Rush-grass. (Fig. 348.) 
Agrostis Virginica I,. Sp. Pl. 63. 1753. 
Sporobolus Virginicus Kunth. Rey. Gram. 1:67. 1835. 
Culms 6/-2° tall, erect or sometimes decumbent, 
simple or branched at the base, smooth and glab- 
rous. Sheaths numerous, short, overlapping and 
crowded at the lower part of the culm, smooth, 
glabrous or sometimes pilose on the margins and 
at the throat; ligule a ring of short hairs; leaves 
1/-8/ long, 2’’ wide or less at the base, distichous, 
acuminate into a long point, involute on the mar- 
gins and at the apex, smooth beneath, scabrous 
above or sometimes sparingly hairy; panicle 1/—3/ 
long, 2//-5’’ thick, dense and spike-like, usually 
exserted; spikelets 1/’/-14’’ long, the outer scales 
about equal, acute, smooth and glabrous; third 
scale smooth and glabrous, acute, slightly shorter 
than the second and about equalling the obtuse 
palet. 
On sandy shores, Virginia to Florida, west to Texas 
and Mexico. Alsoin Cuba, Aug.—Sept. 
