AUROSTIDE.E. 335 



In swiunps. Massachusetts to Texas; also in California. 



26. A. Hallii Vasey, Contrib. U. S. Xat. Herb. 3:74 (1893). 



Perennial; culms slender, erect, 60-80 cm. high. Sheaths 

 scabrid, a little shorter than the internodes; upper ligule acute, 

 5-7 mm. long, the lower ones shorter; blades flat, scabrous 

 above, 12-20 cm. long, 3-5 mm. wide. Panicle exserted, whitisli, 

 green or broMU, linear, thin, 10-18 cm. long, the rays capillary in 

 half-whorls of 5-20, some of the longest 5-7 cm. long, branching 

 and flower-bearing above the middle. Spikelets lanceolate, 3-4 mm. 

 long; .empty glumes thin, the keels toothed, first glume scarcely 

 longer than the second floral glume, about 2.4 mm. long, the hairs 

 at the base about 1.5 mm. long, awnless, obtuse, toothed, minutely 

 scabrid, 5-nerved, the central one not always extending to the tip; 

 palea 0. 



Southern Oregon, Hendersoji 1608; California, Priugle in 

 1882. 



67. (135). Gastridium Beauv. Agrost. 21, f. 6. /. 6 (1812). 



Spikelets 1 -flowered in a close tapering spikelike panicle ; rachilla 

 articulate above the persistent lower glumes and produced beyond 

 the perfect flower as a short bristle. Empty glumes very acute, the 

 base shining, enlarged, ventricose, concave below, keeled above, 

 first glume longer than the second; floret about one-fourth as long 

 as the second glume, having a tuft of very minute hairs at the 

 base, also hairy on the back, apex truncate-dentate, usually with 

 a slender twisted awn on the back below the apex exceeding the 

 spikelet; palea as long as its glume. Stamens 3. Styles short, 

 distinct. Grain subglobose included, but not adherent. 



Tufted annuals with flat leaf-blades. Spike exserted. 



By some authors this genus has been included with Agrostis. 

 The older authors included it in Jlilium on account of the hardness 

 in the glume. 



There are 2 species from the Mediterranean region, one of which 

 is also found in tropical Africa and in South America. 



1. G. AUSTRALE Beauv. 1. c. i\iT-GRASs. G. lendigerum Gaud. 

 FI. Helv. 1:176 (1828). G. laxwn Boiss. & Rent. Pugill. PI. 

 Nov. 126. G. vestitum Spreng. Neue Entdeck. 2 : 36 (1793). 



