FESTUCEiE. r)41 



A tufted erect rather slender perennial, 30-60 cm. high. Culms 

 compressed; sheaths striate, smooth, loose, shorter than the inter- 

 nodes; upper ligule obtuse, 3-4 mm. long; blades of the culm 3 in 

 number, nearly smooth, flat or conduplicate, 2-10 cm. long, 2-3 mm. 

 wide, acute or acuminate. Panicle contracted or open, 10-15 cm. 

 long, rays mostly in pairs, 3-5 cm. distant, tlie longest 5-8 cm. long,, 

 mostly flower-bearing along tlie upper third. Spikelets subsessile 

 or pedicellate, linear-lanceolate, 1-3-flowered, 3-6 mm. long. Joint 

 of rachilla 1.5 mm. long; empty glumes thin, green, scarious-mar- 

 gined, first 1-nerved, 2-3 mm. long, second ovate-lanceolate, acute 

 or obtuse, often lacerate, 3-nerved ; floral glume tinged witli violet, 

 linear-lanceolate, 3.5-4 mm. long, thinly webbed at the base, 

 otherwise smooth or scabrid; palea a little shorter than its 

 glume, adherent to the grain when mature. Nearly related to P. 

 arctica. 



Oregon, Hoivell; Southern California, Pahurr 242. 



Oregon and California. 



21. P. Howellii A^asey & Scribn. ; Vasey, Cat. Grass. U. S. 82 

 (1885). 



A slender erect perennial, 45-60 cm. high. Sheaths nearly 

 smooth; ligule acute, lacerate, 4 mm. long; leaves of sterile shoots 

 few, 4-8 cm. long, those of tlie culm 3, blades flat or becoming^ 

 conduplicate, smooth, tliin, acuminate, 2-7 cm. long, 3 mm. wide. 

 Panicle thin, linear or ovate-lanceolate, 12-25 cm. long, rays in. 

 threes to sevens, remote, ratlier rigid, the longest 4-10 cm. long 

 with short appressed branches bearing spikelets on the upper half. 

 Spikelets light green, ovate-lanceolate, 2-4-flowered, 3.5-4.2 mm. 

 long, joint of rachilla slender, 1 mm. long; empty glumes thin, 

 scabrid on the keel, first lanceolate, 1-nerved, 1.5-2.5 mm. long, 

 second oval-lanceolate, 3-nerved, 2-2.7 mm. long; floral glume 

 thin, sparingly webbed at the base, ciliate-pubescent on the mar- 

 gins and on the lower two-thirds of the keel, 2.4-2.7 mm. long, 

 ovate, subacute or obtuse, erose; palea about 2.4 mm. long, ciliate 

 on the keels. Much like P. Bohoideri. See description for the 

 differences in floral glumes. 



Once distributed as P. iriviuUs L. var. 



