No. 21. 

 MUHLENBERGIA DEBILIS Triii. .V-rost. ii. 40. 



Plant spreadirifj, bushy-brancheil, iicri-iiiiial, usually ]iui))lctiu)4(Ml or dark jmr])!*' 

 thronghout. 



('iilnis weak, ascendinff, {ifeuiculat*^ and ])r(>tiiscly l)raucliiiif>' below, soiiiewliat 

 thickened at tlie base and lower uo(h>s, striate, often angular, smooth, Id to ITi inelies 

 hiiih. 



Leares of lower nodes usually reduced to scarious sheaths, often several in knotted 

 fascicles at the nodes of mucli branched s|)cciiiicns. Leaves of culm •itofi; sheaths 

 slightly sc.abrid, mostly shoiter than the internodes; bliides tlat, his]nd on both sides, 

 1 to 2 indies long; ligule niendjranaceous, lac^erate, 1 line long. 



fiifliirescrnre an erect panicle 2 to ■> inches long, often included iit base; brandies 

 single or in ])airs and une(iual, angular, spreading, sligiitly ex(Hieding their intervals, 

 the lower an indi long, siiikelet-bearing to the base. 



Spikflctx |iedicdlate, I (lowered, spindle-shaped, \.\ lines long; empty glumes jier- 

 sistent. broadly elliptical, obtuse, thin ineml)ranaceous, smooth, Inerved, nearly 

 eipnil, i line long or less; tloi-et narrowly spindle-sha])ed, early deciduous, li lines 

 long; tloi-al glume lanceolate, bidentate at a])ex, i)uberuleiit. finely ]tubescent on the 

 nerves below, thin, .'(-nerved, lateral nerves marginal above, midnerve excurrent in a 

 slender, minutely scabrid awn 4 to 7 lines long; palet lanceolate, nearly acute, cleft, 

 minutely pubesent on the two nerves,! to 1.;! lines long; stamens .'?, included ; stig- 

 mas 2, rejieatedly branched; grain narrowly conical, translucent, reddish amber-color, 

 1 line long. 



Plate XXI ; '/. spikelet enlarged 25 times; b, empty glumes; e, palet. 



Southern California to western Texas. 



