AVENE.E. 367 



Aljiiue summits of New Hampshire, New York, to Califoruiu 

 and uortliward. 



After some hours in comparing the original description of D. 

 atropurpurea and D. latifolia Vasey, in seeing the figures of the 

 latter in Hooker's Flora of N. A., comparing step by stej) authentic 

 plants from both the east and the west sides of the continent, I con- 

 clude that if we make two species, they will both be fouiul on each 

 side of the continent. It seems to me that the distinctions are not 

 broad enougli to warrant at most more than two varieties, and to show 

 this, even, I should need to see more good plants. From the Grand 

 Gulf, Mount Washington, is a plant from C. E. Faxon; from the 

 Rocky Mountains Hooker sends a plant collected by Drummond, 

 the type for D. latifolia. These two plants are of equal height; 

 the Avestern plant has leaves i)ossibly not quite so long-jjointed, those 

 of the culm about 1 cm. longer and 1 mm. wider, the panicle 4-5 

 cm. longer, the longest ray 3 cm. longer, bearing some 20 more spike- 

 lets, second empty glume 1 mm. longer; floral glume 0.1-0.2 mm. 

 longer, awns the same. Hooker in Fl. Bor. Am. 2:243 (1840) 

 says in regard to D. latifolia: " It is remarkable for the breadtli of 

 the leaves and for the large opaque (not glossy), purple-green color 

 of the glumes." 



5. D. danthonioides (Trin.) Vasey. Aira danthonioides Trin. 

 Mem. Acad. St. Petersb. (VI.) 1: 57 (1830). 



A slender erect smooth annual, 2-4 cm. high. Sheaths about 3 

 in number, longer than the internodes, the upper one reaching about 

 half way to tl\e top of the plant; ligule lanceolate, decurrent, 4 mm. 

 long; blades thin, involute, filiform, erect, 5-8 cm. long, 0.3 mm. 

 broad. Panicle thin, purple, linear or spreading, 10-15 cm. long, 

 rays in pairs, 2-3 cm. distant, the longest 5 cm. long, narrow, 

 flower-bearing on the outer three-fifths. Spikelets pedicellate; 

 empty glumes subequal, linear-lanceolate, 3.5-4 mm. long, first 1- 

 nerved, second 3-nerved, rachilla hairy, florets overlapping for 

 one- third their length, 1.4 mm. long, oval before opening, trun- 

 cate, irregularly 4-5-toothed, awn near the middle 4.5 mm. long; 

 palea as long as its glume, apex truncate, ciliate. 



California, Pringle in 1882. 



