368 



POACEiG. 



This has been confounded with D. calycina Presl, which see. 

 6. D. caespitosa (L.) Beauv, Agrost. 91, t. 18, f. 3 (1812), 

 Aira ccespitosa L. Sp. PL 64 (1753). There is a very large num- 

 ber of other synonyms. 



A tufted perennial, 60-120 cm. high. Ligule short, or long and 

 acute; blades rather stiff, the lower 20-50 cm. long, 3 mm. or less 



in width, often flat, deeply grooved on 

 the upper side, scabrid. Panicle pyram- 

 idal or oblong, 1-3 cm. long, rays slen- 

 der, bearing spikelets above the middle. 

 Spikelets 2- (rarely 3-) flowered, com- 

 pressed, shining, brownish, lead-colored 

 or liurjjlish, first empty glume linear, 

 acute or obtuse or linear-lanceolate, 1-3- 

 nerved, 3-6 mm. long, second glume 

 oval, acute, a little longer, 3-nerved, the 

 lateral nerves obscure; florets 2.7-4 mm. 

 long, overlapping about half their length, 

 the base sparingly hairy, awn starting 1 

 mm. or less from the base, equalling the 

 glume or longer or shorter; floral glume 

 usually thinner than the empty glumes, 

 oyal, truncate, 4-5-toothed or jagged, 5- 

 (rarely 7-) nerved; palea broad, as long 

 as its glume or shorter, 2-toothed. 



Vermont, Pringle; Michigan, Beal 

 82, ClarJc 25, 30; Minnesota, Bailey B 

 424; Montana, Anderson 59, Buff urn C 

 43, C 53, C 63, C 73; Colorado, Cassidy; 

 Alaska, Merriam for Nat. Herb. Ill, 133; California, Jones 2579, 

 Parish 1543. 



Very variable and widely distributed in the north and south 

 temperate and arctic and mountain regions. Found in New Eng- 

 land and across the continent to Alaska. The European form is 

 often viviparous. See Vol. 1, p. 37. 

 Var. alpina Vasey ined. 



Fig. 65. — Deschampsia ccbs- 

 pitosa. A, spikelet; a, 

 florets. (Scribuer.) 



