532 POACE.E. 



mm. long, second linear-lanceolate or oval-lanceolate, 3-nerved 2.5- 

 3 mm. long; floral glume 2.5-3 mm. long, sparingly webbed at the 

 base, the lower half of tlie keel thinly pubescent or nearly smooth, 

 nerves conspicuous, the lateral oues usually smooth, oval, acute; 

 palea a little shorter, keels nearly smooth. Anthers 1.5 mm. long, 

 l^early allied to P. jirafensis. Bentham in his Handbook of the 

 British Flora says: "There are no creeping scions; the stems 

 are usually taller and more slender than those of P. pratensis ; 

 the ligule of the leaf longer; the panicle more slender, with slender 

 spreading branches ; the spikelets have seldom more than 3 flowers, 

 and usually only 2; the lateral nerves of the flowering glumes are 

 much more conspicuous."' 



Massachusetts, Ilorsford, Beal 121; Pennsylvania, Scrihner for 

 U. S. 673; Michigan, Clark ^OS^. 



Prominent in pastures of Europe and sparingly cultivated in 

 the older northern States. 



Yar. filiculmis Scribn. ined. 



Culms more slender; ligule shorter; panicle 4-7 cm, long. 

 Perhaps only a slender plant of the sjiecies. . 



Vancouver Island, Macoun 282 in 1893. 



■4. P. Vaseyana Scribn. ined. 



An erect robust perennial, GO-70 cm. high. Leaves 3-4, scabrid 

 throughout; sheaths about the length of the internodes; upper 

 ligule broad, abruptly pointed, 5 mm. long, the lower shorter; 

 blades flat or conduplicate, those of sterile shoots 20-30 cm. long, 

 4-0 mm. broad, the tips acute, rather firm, those of the culm 7-10 

 mm. long. Panicle ovoid, 12-15 cm. long, rays in threes and fours, 

 2.5-3 cm. distant, the longest 6-8 cm. long, bearing 5-10 spikelets 

 on tlie outer half or three-fifths. Spikelets tinged with purple, 

 liuear to broadly oval, 4-6-flowered, about 10 mm. long; empty 

 glumes ovate, acute, first one-nerved, 4-5 mm. long, second three- 

 nerved, 4-5.5 mm. long; floral glume 5.5-6.5 mm. long., the keel 

 and lateral nerves hairy on the lower third, ovate when spread, 

 the apex usually obtuse; palea incurved, 4-5 mm. long, linear 

 before spreading, ciliute on the keels, two-toothed. 



Colorado, Patterson in 1885 in herb. U. S, Dept. Agricul. 



