466 POACE^. 



A smooth erect rather slender grass, 60-90 cm. high. Sheaths 

 shorter than the internodes, compressed; ligule a ciliate ring; blades 

 of the culm 3-4 in number, flat, 20-40 cm. long, 3-4 mm. wide, the 

 apex long and slender. Panicle much exserted, becoming ovoid or 

 pyramidal, 10-14 cm. long, rays mostly single, smooth in the axils, 

 clammy, rarely branching, bearing nearly sessile spikelets on the 

 outer three-fourths. Spikelets purple, ovate, oval or deltoid, com- 

 pressed, 5-7-flowered, 5-6 mm. long; empty glumes 1-nerved. 

 ovate, acute or 2-toothed, 3 mm. long with a mucro; floral glume 

 villous on the nerves, oval, 3 mm. long, with three short awns; 

 palea ovate, obtuse, the folded margins wide, 2.3 mm. long. 



Florida, Curtiss 3455; Texas, U. S. Dejjt. Agricnl. 536, 



Florida, Texas to Arizona. 



6. S. Americana (Beau v.). TrijiT^asis Americana ^Q2i\x\. Agro?>i. 

 81, t. 16./. 10 (1812). 



A slender erect purplish grass, 40-90 cm. high; nodes pubes- 

 cent. Leaf -blades scabrous above, those of the culm 1-8 cm. long, 

 those of the sterile shoots 10-20 cm. long, 1.5-2 mm. wide. Pan- 

 icles thin, simple, the lateral ones included by the sheaths of the 

 leaves, the terminal exserted, 2-5-10 cm. long, rays capillary. 

 Empty glumes obtuse or lobed, 3.5-4 mm. long; floral glume 

 linear-lanceolate, about 5 mm. long; awn pubescent, 5-7 mm. long 

 from where it leaves the notch of the glume; palea 3 mm. long, acute. 



Alabama, Mohr; Florida, Curhss 3457, Garher, Chajmian; 

 Louisiana, Langlois in 1882; Mississippi (Ocean Springs), Tracy. 



Low piue-b.irrens, North Carolina to Florida and Mississippi. 



7. S. Texana (Thurb.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. PI. 2: 789 (1891). 

 Tricuspis Texana Thurb. S. Wats. Proc. Am. Acad. 18:180 

 (1883). 



A slender erect tufted grass, 50-70 cm. high, culm, leaves, and 

 branches of panicles more or less pubescent with short spreading 

 hairs, the nodes glabrous. Sheaths shorter than the internodes, 

 villous at the throat; ligule a mere ring; blades mostly involute, 

 15-20 cm. long, 1.5-3 mm. wide. Panicle thin, diffuse, 10-15 

 cm. long, rays single, hairy in the axils, longest 4-7 cm. long, 

 bearing 3-5 spikelets above the middle. Spikelets ovate-oblong, 5- 



