GRASS FAMILY. 183 
58. BULBILIS Raf. Am. Month. Mag. 4: 190. 1819. 
[BucHrok Engelm. Trans. St. Louis Acad. 1: 432. pl. rg. figs. 1-17. 1859.] 
A perennial stoloniferous monoecious or apparently dioecious grass with flat leaves and 
spicate inflorescence. Staminate spikelets borne in two rows on one side of the rachis, the 
spikes at the summit of the long and exserted culms. Pistillate spikelets in spike-like 
clusters of 2 or 3, on very short culms, scarcely exserted from the sheath. Stamens 3. 
Styles distinct, long. Stigmas elongated, short-plumose. Grain ovate, free, enclosed in the 
seale. [Name apparently from the supposed bulb-like base of old planis. ] 
A monotypic genus of central North America. 
1. Bulbilis dactyloides (Nutt.) Raf. 
Buffalo Grass. (Fig. 418.) 
Sesleria dactyloides Nutt. Gen. 1:65. 1818. 
Buchloé dactyloides Engelm. Trans. St. Louis Acad. 
1: 432. 1859. 
Bulbilis dactyloides Raf.; Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 763. 
1891. 
Culms bearing staminate flowers 4’—12’ tall, 
erect, slender, naked above, smooth and gla- 
brous; those bearing pistillate flowers 14/3’ 
‘long, much exceeded by the leaves; ligule a 
ring of short hairs; leaves 1’’ wide or less, more 
or less papillose-hirsute, those of the staminate 
culms 1/—4’ long, erect, those of the stolons and 
pistillate culms 1/ long or less, spreading; stam- 
inate spikes 2 or 3, approximate; spikelets 2//- 
214’ long, flattened, 2-3-flowered, the empty 
scales r-nerved, the flowering 3-nerved; pistil- 
late spikelets ovoid, the outer scales indurated. 
On plains and prairies, Minnesota to Dakota, 
south to Arkansas, Texas and Mexico. A valuable 
fodder grass. June-July. 
59. MUNROA Torr. Pac. R. R. Rept. 4: 158. 1856. 
A low diffusely branched grass, with flat pungently pointed leaves crowded at the nodes 
and the ends of the branches. Spikelets in clusters of 3-6, nearly sessile in the axils of the 
floral leaves, 2-5-flowered, the flowers perfect. Two lower scales empty, lanceolate, acute, 
1-neryed, hyaline; flowering scales larger, 3-nerved; I or 2empty scales sometimes present 
above the flowering ones; palet hyaline. Stamens 3. Styles distinct, elongated. Stigmas 
barbellate or short-plumose. Grain free, enclosed in the scale and palet. [In honor of 
Gen. William Munro, English agrostologist. ] 
Three known species, the following of the plains of North America, the others South American. 
1. Munroa squarrosa (Nutt.) Torr. 
Munro’s Grass. (Fig. 419.) 
Crypsts squarrosa Nutt. Gen. 1: 49. 1818. 
Munroa squarrosa Torr. Pac. R. R. Rept. 4: 158. 
1856. 
Culms 2/-8/ long, tufted, erect, decumbent or 
prostrate, much branched, smooth or rough. 
Sheaths short, crowded at the nodes and ends 
of the branches, smooth, pilose at the base and 
throat, sometimes ciliate on the margins; ligule 
a ring of hairs; leaves 1’ long or less, %//-1/ 
wide, rigid, spreading, scabrous, pungently- 
pointed; spikelets 2~5-flowered, the flowers per- 
fect; empty scales 1-nerved, shorter than the 
flowering scales which are about 214’ long, 3- 
toothed, the neryes excurrent as short points 
or awns, tufts of hairs near the middle; palets 
obtuse. 
On dry plains, South Dakota to Alberta, south to 
Nebraska, Texas and Arizona. Aug.—Oct. 
