FESTUCE^. 567 



Virginia and Tennessee to Maine, Michigan, and northward. 

 A form in northern Michigan is more robust; blades 6-8 mm. 

 wide, panicle 15-18 cm. long, rays in threes. 



5. P. nervata (Willd.) Knntze, Kev. Gen. PI. 783 (1891). Poa 

 nervata\i'\\\(\. tSp. PI. 1:389 (1797). G. Micl^auxii Kuuth, Rev. 

 Gram. 1:118, 343, t. 85 (1829). (Hyceria nervata Trin. Mem. 

 Acad. St. Petersb. (VI.) 1:365 (1831). 



Perennial; culms usually rather slender, sometimes robust, 60- 

 120cm. high. Sheaths often scabrous, variahle in length; ligule 

 3 mm. long; blades 5-7 in number, variable, Hat, often scabrous 

 above, 15-30 cm. long or more, 3-10 mm. wide. Panicle exserted, 

 erect when young, at length diffuse and pendulous, 10-20 cm. 

 long, rays in twos and threes, the longest two-thirds as long as the 

 panicle. Spikelets ovate-oblong, 4-5 mm. long, 4-7-flowered, often 

 purple; rachilla 0.5 mm. long, very brittle and soon separating, a 

 joint 0.5 mm. long; empty glumes variable, first 1-nerved, 1 mm. 

 long, second 1-1.5 mm. long; floral glume 1.7-2 mm. long, scabrid,. 

 strongly convex near the obtuse apex, 7-nerved; jjulea elliptical, 

 often incurved, about as long as its glume. 



Vermont, Pringle; Massachusetts, Beal; Pennsylvania, Scrih- 

 ner for U. S. Dept. Agricul. 689; Michigan, Cooley, Dr. Clarke 

 708, 2054, Beal 14, Wieeler, FarweU, Wood; Minnesota, Arthur 

 B 103, B 249, 349, Sandberg 14, 507; Montana, Amlersoii ZQ, Wil- 

 liams; Washington, Lake; Oregon, Howell. 



It thrives on wet land from the Atlantic to the Pacific. In 

 some places known as ''fowl meadow-grass"; a name more appro- 

 priate for Poaflava {serotina). 



6. P. laxa Scribu. Bull. Torr. Club, 37 (1894). 



A stout perennial, 60-120 cm. high. Leaves scabrous through- 

 out, sheaths slightly compressed, mostly longer than the internodes; 

 ligule 2 mm. long; blades 5-6 in number, flat, acuftiinate, 16-4(> 

 cm. long, 6-8 mm. wide. Panicle exserted, oval, 18-24 cm. long, 

 rays scabrous, mostly in twos and threes, the longest nearly two- 

 thirds as long as the panicle, flower-bearing on the outer half. 

 Spikelets green or tinged with purple, broadly oval, 3-5-flowered, 

 4-5 mm. long; empty glumes ovate, first 1.3 mm. long, second 1.5 



