S24 POACE^. 



California to Mexico. 



5. A. canina L. Sp. PI. 62 (1753). Tricliodhi^n caninum Schrad. 

 Fl. Germ. 1:198 (1806). Agraulus caninus Beauv. Agrost. 146 

 (1812). Beown Bent Grass. A. Novm-AnglicB Vasey, in part. 



Culms slender, erect or spreading, 20-60 cm. high, from matted 

 perennial rootstocks. Sheaths smooth, mostly longer tlian the in- 

 ternodes; ligule obtuse, 2-3 mm. long; blades of sterile shoots in- 

 volute, slender, 5-10 cm. long, the upper flat. Panicle purple, 

 brown or greenish, open, 5-15 cm. long; rays scabrid, in clusters of 

 3-5-12, in pairs or solitary above, roughened, branching above the 

 middle. Sj)ikelets 2-3 mm. long; empty glumes slightly unequal, 

 very acute; floral glume truncate with 5 excurrent nerves, one-third 

 shorter than the empty glumes, Ijearing on the back at or below the 

 middle a twisted, exserted awn; j^alea absent or very small. Very 

 variable. Fig. 71, Vol. 1. 



Vermont, P r ingle ; New Hampshire, Flint 4365 from Congdon. 



Found in the mountains of New England to the Eocky Moun- 

 tains; also in South America, Euroije, Siberia, western Asia, 

 Australia, New Zealand. 



Var. alpina Oakes, Cat. Vt. PI. [reprint 12] (1842), not A. 

 alpina Scop, of Europe. Perhaps hardly a variety. 



Culms 8-20 cm. high ; blades all involute; panicle 2-8 cm. long, 

 open ; spikelets 2 mm. long. 



Vermont, Fringle, Clark 2950 from Blake; New Hampshire, 

 C. E. Faxon. 



Mountains of Maine, Labrador, to New York. 



Var. stolonifera Vasey, Monog. Grasses U. S. & Brit. Am. 75 

 (1890). 



Stoloniferous ; blades flat, thin, 2-4 mm. wide; empty glumes 

 more unequal ; floral glume but little shorter, awn straight. 



Oregon, Hender&on, Howell. 



In looking over specimens from all parts of Europe, some from 

 India and elsewhere, the chief peculiarity seems to be the presence 

 of an awn. Almost any style of small brown slender Agrostis is 

 called A. canina, provided it has an awn sticking out of the spike- 

 let. 



