I 



Agropyron tenerum and its allies 



Charles Vancouver Piper 



Agropyron tenerum 



Much confusion has prevailed in regard to Agropyron tefmnnn 

 Vasey, and the supposedly different A, pseudorepois Scribn. & 

 Smith and A. Novae-Angliae Scribn. 



The problems surroundhig these three supposed species can 

 perhaps best be made clear by a consideration of the type speci- 

 mens upon which they are based, discussing only such points as 

 have been used in the segregation of the supposed different species 

 and subspecies. All are tall densely cespitose grasses, which only 

 rarely produce stolons. 



Agropyron tenerum Vasey, Bot. Gaz. lo : 258. 1885. 



The type of this is from Fort Garland, Colorado, collected by 

 Dr. Geo. Vasey. The specimen is about 90 cm. tall, with rather 

 short, narrow, slightly scabrous, involute leaf-blades, and slender 

 spikes 10-15 cm. long, with small appressed spikelets. The 

 joints of the rachilla are appressed-puberulent. The lowermost 

 sheaths are slightly puberulent. 



Agropyron tenerum majus Vasey, Contr. U. S, Nat. Herb, i : 



280. 1893. 



Type from Oregon, probably Union County, Cusick //J^, col- 

 lected in 1884. 



This differs from the type of A. tenerum only in having flat 

 leaf-blades, scabrous on both sides, 3-6 mm. broad, and some- 

 what stouter denser spikes 12 cm. long, 



Agropyron tenerum longifolium Scribn. & Smith, U. S. Dept. 



Agr. Div. Agrost. Bull. 4: 30. 1897. 



The type of this is Howell's no. 256, collected near Grant's 

 Pass, Oregon, in 1887. It is characterized by rather long, loosely 

 involute, quite smooth leaf-blades, and inordinately loose spikes, 

 20-25 cm. long. The rachilla is appressed-puberulent. The 

 short awns are better developed than in the types of A. tenenim 

 or ^. tenerum majus, 



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