232 



POACE^. 



New Mexico, Wright 1997; California, Lemmon 2923 ; Arizona, 

 Pringle. 



This has been found in partial shade of calcareous cliffs. 

 New Mexico to Arizona. 



48. (110). Eriocoma Nutt. Gen. N. Am. PI. 1:40 (1818). 

 Panicle few-llowered with stiff, slender, llexuose, dichotomously 

 branched rays. Spikelets solitary, 1 -flowered. Empty glumes 

 membranous, alternate, rostrate, first 3-, second 5-nerved, floret be- 

 coming coriaceous, ventricose, clothed with long white silky hairs, 

 bearing at the base a short, stout, chisel-shaped callus and at or 

 just below the apex a short straight or curved, obscurely trique- 

 trous, caducous awn. Lodicules 3, as long as the ovary. Stamens 3. 

 1. E. membranacea (Pursh.). Sfipa mcmhrcniacea Pursh. Fl. 

 Am. Sept. 2:728 (1814). *S'. I/ymeiwides E. & S. Syst. 2:339 

 (1817). Eriocoma cuspidaf a ^wii. Gen. 1:40 (1818). Milium 

 cuspidahtm Spreng, Syst. 1 : 251 (1825). Uracil ne Janata Trin. 

 Act. Petrop. 126 (1834). Ori/zopsis cusjjidata Benth. Vasey, 

 Gram. U. S. 23 (1883). 



Culms hard, smooth or scabrous, nearly solid, 30-60 cm. high. 



Sheaths scabrous or smooth, 

 mostly shorter than the inter- 

 nodes; ligule acute, 3-5 mm. 

 long; blades scabrous, narrow, 

 involute, the lower often equal- 

 ling the culm, the uppermost 

 very short or nearly as long as 

 the panicle. Panicle often in- 

 cluded at the base, diffuse, 12- 

 15 cm. long; the rays flexuose, 

 each bearing one spikelet, which 

 is oval, acute, becoming ventri- 

 cose, pubescent, 6-7 mm. long; 

 empty glumes subequal, attenu- 

 ate-rostrate, 1-2 nerves at the 

 liase on eitlier side of the prominent mid-nerve; floret hard, oval, 

 3-4 mm. long, densely clothed with white hairs, often extending" 2 



Fig. 43. — Eriocoma membranacea. A 

 spikelet ; a, floret, (llicliardson.) 



