514 



POACEiE. 



hyaliue, entire, emarginate or 2-tootlie(i, the midnerve terminating 

 iu a mucro or short awn; j^alea scarcely shorter than its ghime, 

 hyaline, with 2-winged ciliate keels. Stamens 3. Grain oblong, 

 hard, enclosed, but not adherent. Soft upright perennial grasses 

 with flat leaf-blades. Eacemes simple, shortly pedicellate, lax. 

 Spikelets large, distant, erector pendulous on short pedicels. 

 There are three species; one arctic, two in California. 

 1. P. Californicuin (Nees) Benth. ; Vusey, Grass. U. S. 40 

 (1855). LophorMwna CaUfornica Nees, 1. c. 



Culms 40-GO cm. high; nodes constricted and dark-colored. 

 Sheaths shorter or as long as the internodes; ligule thin, 6 mm. 

 long; blades 10-15 cm. long (the upper 3-5 cm.), 4 mm. wide. 

 Paeeme flexuose, 15-20 cm. long, containing G-12 spikelets. Spike- 

 lets 1.5-2.5 cm. long, on flattened pedicels, 3-6 mm. 

 long, suberect or spreading; empty glumes shining, 

 second 3-nerved, notched at the apex; floral g|ume 

 very scabrous, 5-6 mm. long, the 3 central nerves 

 uniting above, the awn 8-16 mm. long, lateral awns 

 very short; palea curved, cuneate, 5 mm. long, the 

 winged keels toothed. 



California, Bolcoider -i], Dovf/Ias in 1833. 

 Bolauder believed it worthy of cultivation as a 

 forage-plant. 



2. P. refractum (Gray) Ikmth. Proc. Am. Acad. 

 402 (1872). Lophochheiui refracta A. Gray, Proc. 

 Am. Acad. 8:409 (1872). 



Culms stout, 90-120 cm. high. Sheaths scabrous 

 orsmooth; ligule obtuse, 3-6 mm. long; lower blades 

 flat, about 20 cm., the upper 3-5 cm. long. 6-8 mm. 

 wide. Rachis very slender, flexuose, 20-30 cm. long. 

 Spikelets refracted by the curving of the i:)edicels, 

 cm. long, rather loosely flowered; lloral 



turn". A, spike- glume 7-8 mm. long, scabrous, ol)loug, apex truncate- 

 let ; a, floret. : 11^1 1 rv i j.i 

 b palea- c pis ^^"ose, awn about 6 mm. long; ])aiea 7 mm. long, tiie 



til. (Scribuer.) -wings ending eacli in a blunt tootli. 

 Oregoji, IlaU 636. Howell 



A 



riG.104.~PZe«- 2.5-3.5 

 ropogonrijr<tc 



