FESTUCE^. 495 



perate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, Australia, and some 

 parts of Africa and South America. 



It is difficult to assign to Kcderia any positive character. The 

 glumes are more scarious and have fainter nerves than in the others 

 ■of the subtribe. It has been divided into two sections: 



1. Airocliloa Link. The glumes obtuse or acute without dis- 

 tinct points. 



2. Lopliochloa Reichb. The floral glume with a distinct point 

 or short awn at or just below the tip. 



1. K. cristata (L.) Pers. Syn. 1:97 (1805). Aira cristata L. 

 Sp. PI. 63 (1753). Festuca cristata Till. Dauph. 2:93(1787). 

 Poa pijramidata Lam. 111. 1: 183 (1791). P. cristata Willd. Spec. 

 1 : 102 (1797). Kieleria nitida Nutt. Gen. 1: 74 (1818). K. par- 

 viflora Bert. Schult. Mant. 2 : 344 (1824). 



An erect very variable perennial, 30-70 cm. high. Ligule very 

 short; blades flat or involute, the lower sparingly 

 hairy or downy, 10-20 cm. long, about 2 mm. wide, 

 obliquely auriculate at tlie base. Panicle spikelike, 

 more or less interrujated or lobed, 5-12 cm. long, 

 axis and rays downy. Spikelets 2-4-flowered, 4-5 

 mm. lon^; first empty orlume 2.5-3.5 mm. lonof, 

 second and floral glumes 3.4 mm. long. ,.j-^ 'cristata. 



Michigan, Beat 103, Mlieeler (Hubbardston) for ^,l?',^^Jet. 

 U. S. Dept. Agricul. 563, Cooley; Illinois, Beal, Bebh 

 for Clark 3390; South Dakota, Z)?/.^^!/ in 1889; Colorado, Camc?y, 

 Jones 254; Wyoming, Biiffum, c. 14, c. 15, c. 27, c. 50, c. 60; 

 Arizona, Tourney 721, 921, Jones 4013; Geol. Surv. Canada, A-^an- 

 couver Island; Washington, Lake; Oregon, Hoiodl ; California, 

 Torrey 569 in 1865, Bolander 31. 



114. (229). Catabrosa Beauv. Agrost. 97 (1812). 



Spikelets 2-rarely 3-4- flowered, in a loose panicle, rachilla articu- 

 late between the flowers, smooth. Empty glumes thin, mem- 

 l:»rauous, broad, unequal, very obtuse, nerves obscure, much shorter 

 than the floral glume; floral glume firm, membranous, obtuse or 

 barely 3-toothed, conspicuously 3-nerved, the upper one smaller, 

 empty or enclosing an imperfect flower; palea scarcely shorter than 



