404 POACE^. 



Empty glumes membranous, 1-nerved, first ovate, 1.7 mm. long, 

 second lanceolate, 2.5 mm. long, with a short awn; floret ovate-ellip- 

 tical, 2.5 mm. long, with short stiff hairs at the base; floral glume 

 obscurely 3-nerved, gibbous in the middle, ciliate on tlie mid nerve 

 and margins with hairs towards the summit 2 mm. long, apex 2- 

 toothed, awn 5 mm. long; palea as long as its glume; empty glume 

 above the flower truncate, with an awn 4 mm. long, rachilla termi- 

 nated by a second rudimentary glume. Grain elliptical. 



New Mexico, Vasey for U. S. Dept. Agricul. 498; Arizona, 

 Toumeij ; California, Orcutt ; Mexico, Palmer 118, 133, ScMffer 

 1073. 



Texas, Arizona, and Mexico. 



"Naturally selecting moist places of plains and mesas, this annual 

 falls into line with the needs of tillage. Its rather succulent stems 

 and leaves are acceptable to grazing animals. Owing to its spread- 

 ing habit, it would hardly serve as a grass for mowing. Eaten by 

 all kinds of stock. It is not so abundant in Chihuahua, a region 

 of elevated tablelands and mountains, as on the dry mesas and 

 desert hills of southern Arizona and western Sonora. There the 

 Indians bring it during winter and spring long distances into the 

 towns to sell, the men tying the bundles behind and beside them on 

 tlieir ponies and the women carrying them on their backs or heads 

 and trudging painfully behind the ponies. How many times I 

 have contended with the horrid musquite bushes, to gather an 

 armful of this grass to carry joyfully to my hungry and jaded 

 horses!" C. G. Pkixgle. 



2. C. polydactyla (L.) Sw. Prod. 26 (1788). Andr-ojjogon poly- 

 dadijlon L. Amoen. Acad. 5 : 412 (1759) ; Sp. PI. Ed. 2, 1483 (1763). 



Culms erect, simple, glabrous, 45-100 cm. high. Sterile shoots 

 few, leaves of the culm 7, sheaths nearly smooth, strongly ciliate at 

 the throat; ligule very short, blades mostly involute, 15-20 cm. 

 long, 7-10 mm. wide, pungent-pointed, the upper much shorter. 

 Spikes umbellate, 13-20, sessile, 9-12 cm. long, the rachis scabrous. 

 Spikelets crowded ; empty glumes linear-lanceolate, 1-nerved, first 

 2 mm. long, second 2.5 mm. long; floral glume 2.2 mm. long, 3- 

 nerved, broadly oval, ciliate on the keel, the hairs on the marginal 



