574 POACE^. 



culm 2-3, rigid, 1-6 cm. long. Panicle exserted, linear, oval or 

 pyramidal, 6-10 cm. long, rays in half-whorls of 4-9, the longest 

 2-4 cm. long, and flower-bearing above the middle. Spikelets 

 tinged with red, linear, 2-4-flowered, joint of rachilla 1 mm. 

 long; empty glumes keeled, acute, 1-nerved, first 1-2 mm., second 

 2-3 mm. long; floral glume oval, abruptly pointed, 2.7-3.2 mm. 

 long ; palea linear, ciliolate or scabrid on the keels, as long or nearly 

 as long as its glume. 



Nearly allied to A. cUstans, and perhaps it sliould be included 

 in that species. 



Oregon (alkali flats), HoweU; California, Lemmon. 



Alkaline soils, Xevada, Oregon, and California. 



4. A. Suksdorfii (Vasey). Pod SuJcsdorJii Vasey ined. 



A densely tufted light-colored grass, 10-15 cm. long; no root- 

 stocks. Ligule truncate, decurrent, 2 mm. long; blades of sterile 

 shoots rigid, recurved, conduplicate, jiungent-pointed, 5-7 cm. long, 

 those of the culm erect and shorter. Panicle narrow, simple, spike- 

 like, purplisli, 2-5 cm. long. Spikelets linear-lanceolate, 1-3- 

 flowered, 4-6 mm. long; empty glumes linear-lanceolate, first 3- 

 (rarely 1) nerved, 3-4 mm. long; second a little longer; floral 

 glume chartaceous, ovate when spread, 3.2-4.2 mm. long; palea 

 ciliate on the keels. 



Washington, Suksdorf lllG. 



Gravelly places near glaciers. September. 



5. A. pulchella (Vasey). Poa jmlchelki Vasey, Coult. Bot. Gaz. 

 7:32 (1S82). 



Densely tufted, the decumbent base from much-branched root- 

 stocks; culms slender, smooth, erect, 10-20 cm. high. Leaves of 

 sterile shoots numerous, blades conduplicate, abruptly pointed, 2-4 

 cm. long, less than 1 mm. wide when spread, those of the culm 

 1-2 in number, 1-2 cm. long; ligule 2-3 cm. long. Panicle ovoid 

 or pyramidal, 2-4 cm. long, with rays mostly in pairs, smooth, each 

 bearing a single spikelet. Spikelets purplish, oval or linear, 3-5- 

 flowered, 6-8 mm. long, joint of rachilla scabrid, 1.2 mm. long; 

 empty glumes obtuse or acute, often erosely denticulate, broadly 

 scarious-margined, first ovate-lanceolate, 1-nerved, second oval-Ian- 



