FESTUCE^. 4or> 



A smooth erect tufted rather stout grass, 50-80 cm. high. 

 Sheaths compressed; ligule a ciliate ring; blades of the culm 3-4, 

 iuvolute, some of them 60-70 cm. long, 4-5 mm. wide. Panicle 

 exserted, spikelike, more or less interrupted below, 12-20 cm. long, 

 1-1.5 cm. diam. Spikelets of ten tinged with light pink or purple, 

 ovate or oval, 5-7-tlowered, 4-5 mm. long; empty glumes lanceo- 

 late, 1-nerved, subequal, 3-4 mm. long; floral glume ciliate on the 

 nerves, lance-oval, lateral nerves without a margin, 2.7 mm. long, 

 awn 0.3-0.5 mm. long; palea ovate-lanceolate, slightly revolute. 



Texas, Drionmond, Reverchon. 



Texas to Arizona. 



4. S. eragrostoides (Vasey & Scribn.) L. H. Dewey, Coult. 

 Contrib. U. S. iS^at. Herb. 2:539 (1894). Triodia eragrostoides 

 Yasey & Scribn. Contrib. U. S. Nat. Herb. 1 : 58 (1890). 



A slender erect light-colored, nearly smooth grass, 80-120 cm. 

 high; nodes smooth, culm solid, compressed. Sheaths compressed, 

 longer than the internodes; ligule obtuse. 1-2 mm. long, blades 10, 

 long-pointed, scabrous, involute, 20-30 cm. long, 4 mm. wide, often 

 breaking at the base. Panicle scarcely exserted, slendei', simple, 

 open, 30 cm. long, rays single, distant, the lower ones at length 

 drooping, the longest 15 cm. long, bearing a few slender branches, 

 which are flower-bearing for four-fifths of their length. Spikelets 

 slightly tinged with purple, ovate-lanceolate, 5-8-flowered, 5-G mm. 

 long; empty glumes ovate-lanceolate, 1-nerved, second 2.5-3 mm. 

 long; floral glume oval or ovate, obtuse. 2-2.3 mm. long, nerves 

 short-hairy below ; palea linear, about the length of its glume. 



Believed to be of value for cultivation. 



Texas, Beverclion, Nealleij; New Mexico, Wright 426, 478, 

 2054; Mexico (Nuevo Leon), Pringh 1972. 



Florida, Texas, Mexico. 



Var. scabra Vasey ined. Plant scabrous throughout; lower 

 blades broader. 



Texas, XeaJley for Nat. Mus. 



5. S. ambigua (Ell.) Kuntze Rev. Gen. PI. 2:789 (1891). 

 Poa amhigua Ell. Bot. S. C. & Ga. 1:165 (1816). Windsoria 

 ambigiia l^utt. Gen. 70 (1818). Tricuspis ambigua Chajym.. Fl. S. 

 States 559 (1860). 



