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GRASS FAMILY. 195 
1. Melica diffusa Pursh. ‘Tall Melic-grass. (Fig. 446.) 
Melica altissima Walt. Fl. Car. 78. 1788. Not L. i 
1753- 
Melica diffusa Pursh, Fl. Am. Sept. 77. 1814. 
Melica mutica var. diffusa A. Gray, Man. Ed. 5, 
626. 1867. 
Culms 114°-4° tall, erect, simple, smooth and 
glabrous. Sheaths shorter than the internodes, 
the lower often overlapping; ligule 1//-2’’ long; 
leaves 4/-7’ long, 2//-4’’ wide, rough; pan- 
icle 6%’-S%’ in length, open, the branches 
spreading or ascending, the lower 1 4/—3/ long; 
spikelets usually numerous, about 3-flowered, 
414’/-5'4”’ long, nodding, on slender, more or 
less flexuous pubescent pedicels; empty basal 
scales very broad, obtuse or acutish, the first 
shorter than the second, which is generally 
much exceeded by the spikelet; flowering scales 
314’’-4'4”’ long, acute or obtuse, scabrous. 
Pennsylvania to Missouri, south to Virginia, 
Kentucky and Texas. May-June. 
2. Melica parviflora (Porter) Scribn. Small Melic-grass. (Fig. 447.) 
f Melica mutica var. parviflora Porter; Porter & 
Coulter, Fl. Colo. 149. 1874. 
Melica Porteri Scribn. Proc. Acad. Phila. 1885: 44. 
pl. zr. f. 17,18. 1885. 
wee, parviflora Scribn. Mem. Torr. Club, 5: 50. 
Culms 114°-2%° tall, erect, simple, smooth 
and glabrous. Sheaths short, overlapping, 
more or less rough; ligule 1/’ long; leaves 
5/-9’ long, 1’’-2/’ wide, rough; panicle 5/—7’ 
in length, contracted, the branches erect, the 
lower 1/2’ long; spikelets few, 4-5-flowered, 
5//-6%4” long, nodding, on somewhat flexuous 
strongly pubescent pedicels; lower scales ob- 
tuse or acutish, the first shorter than the second, 
which is much exceeded by the spikelet; flower- 
ing scales 31%4’/-4/’ long, acutish, scabrous, 
Prairies, Kansas and Colorado to Arizona and 
Texas. 
3. Melica mutica Walt. Narrow 
Melic-grass. (Fig. 448.) 
Melica mutica Walt. Fl. Car. 78. 1788. 
Melica mutica var. glabra A. Gray, Man. Ed. 5, 
626. 1867. 
Culms 1°-3° tall, erect, usually slender, sim- 
ple, smooth and glabrous. Sheaths often over- 
lapping, rough; ligule 1//-2’’ long; leaves 
rough, 4’-9’ long, 1//-5’’ wide, panicle 314/— 
104’ in length, narrow, the branches spreading 
or ascending, 1/—2’ long; spikelets about 2-flow- 
ered, 31%4/’-41%4’’ long, nodding, on more or less 
flexuous pubescent pedicels; empty scales very 
broad, acutish to obtuse, the first shorter than 
the second, which is nearly as long as the spike- 
let or sometimes equals it; flowering scales 3//— 
4’ long, generally very obtuse, scabrous. 
In rich soil, Pennsylvania to Wisconsin, south to 
Floridaand Texas. June-July. 
