306 POACE^. 



leaf 20-30 cm. long. Panicle with the base enclosed, lanceolate^ 

 30-45 cm. long; rays very numerous, mostly single, or some in half- 

 whorls of 3-5, the longest 8-10 cm. long, flower-bearing for nearly 

 their entire length. Spikelets light lead-color [tinged with red; 

 empty glumes very thin, ovate-lanceolate, first 1 mm, or less long, 

 second 1-nerved, 1.5 mm. long; floral glume a little longer and 

 wider, otherwise like the second glume; palea with a groove on the 

 back between the nerves, notched at the tip, wider and a little 

 shorter than its glume. 



New Mexico, Vaseytor U. S. Dept. Agricul.; Arizona, Pringle. 



New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. 



This grows along watercourses, principally forming great 

 clumps nearly contiguous, four to six feet high, on which stock browse 

 down to within a foot or two of the ground. Though the leaves 

 are tough, they seem to be acceptable to animals. It is to this 

 species mostly that the Mexicans apply the name of Zacaton. The 

 name is also given to other tall grasses. 



61. (127). Epicampes Presl, Eeliq. Ha^nk. 1 : 235, t. 39 (1830). 

 CryjJsiima Fonrn. Benth. Journ. Linn. Soc. 19:87 (1881). 



Spikelets with one perfect flower, collected in a long and narrow 

 or spikelike panicle (diffuse in F. Bourgmi), rachilla articulate 

 above the persistent lower glumes, but not extended above the floret. 

 Empty glumes more or less unequal, membranous, convex or almost 

 keeled, delicately 1-3-nerved; floral glume usually about the length 

 of the empty glumes, 3-nerved, obtuse or emarginate, with or with- 

 out a slender dorsal awn a little below the apex; palea hyaline, 

 about as long as its glume, 2-nerved or 2-keeled. Stamens 3. 

 Styles distinct, short. Grain narrow, included, but not adherent. 

 The panicles of our species are usually of a light lead-colored hue. 



There are aljout 16 species peculiar to California, Mexico, and 

 western South America. 



Some species seem nearest to Cinna, others to MuMenhergiay 

 others to Sporoholus and all near to Agrostis. It seems to connect 

 Muhlenhergia and Sporoholus, with Agrostis. The chief general 

 feature is the long narrow dense panicle with very numerous rather 

 small spikelets, the awn of the floral glume, when it exists, much 



