No. 1. 

 ELIONURUS TRIPSACOIDES H. B. K. {E. riliaris H. B. K.) 



Plant 2:)ereiuiial, with short roDtstock, smooth throughout or with sliglit pubes- 

 cence near the ligule. 



Culms, loosely tufted, erect, branchiug, solid, terete, glabi"ous and shiny, 2 to 

 4 feet tall. 



Leaves; radical few, the broad loose slieaths tapering into the long involute 

 blades with scarcely a contraction at the ligule; of culm U to 12; sheaths rather 

 loose, open above, lower ones exceeding internodes, upjjer ones shorter; blades in- 

 volute, slender, 4 to 13 inches long: ligule membranaceous, ciliate, truncate, i line 

 long or less. 



Inflorescence consisting of a terminal, and several distant, long-peduncled. 

 lateral spikes. Spikes linear, 3 to 4 inches long, cylindrical; two appressed, 1- 

 flowered spikelets at each node of the hairy rachis, one sessile and jjerfect, and one 

 staminate on a stout hairy pedicel 1^ lines long. 



Sessile spikelel narrowly lanceolate; first glume lanceolate: nearly flat, })ifid 

 at ai>ex, acute or obtusish, rigid, herbaceous, ciliate on the prominent marginal 

 nerves, 5 to 7 other less prominent nerves; second glume lanceolate, membrana- 

 ceous, smooth, obscurely 3-nerved, 2i to 3 lines long; tliird and fourth glumes 

 lanceolate, acute, scarious, thin, smooth, the third ciliate, obscurely 3-nerved, 1^ 

 to 3i lines long; palet small or wanting; pedicellate spikelet similar, but all parts 

 smaller and the first glume always acute at apex ; stamens 3. 



Plate I; A, two spikelets, lower one perfect, upjjer one staminate, a to/, 

 parts of perfect flower; a, first empty glume, extreme forms, dorsal \aew; and h, 

 ventral view; c, second empty glume; r?, third empty glume; e, floral glume; /, 

 palet. Capital letters A, E indicate corresponding parts of staminate flower. 



Dr Havard states that this grass constitutes a large portion of the vegetation 

 of tlie plains of southern Texas. It occurs in Mexico, and also in Florida. 



