No. 78. 

 POA HOWELLII Viisoy & Scribner sp. nov. 



Plant perennial, loosely tufted. 



Vidiits eicet, nearly sniootJi, striate, leal'y to the middle or above, .slightly tliickened 

 at the base, 1 to 2 feet tall. 



Learcx from tiie base rather numerous, Hat, thin, flexible, 1 to 2 lines wide, 3to(> 

 inches long: leaves of the culm li or 3; sheaths striate, nearly smooth, half open above, 

 shorter than the long iuteruodes; blades flat or involute near the attenuate points, 2 

 to 4 inehes long: ligule obtuse and laeerate, 2 to .'{ lines long. 



Injlorcsfcncc a rather loose, ()i)en panicle 5 to 8 inches long; rays 2 to 5 at each of 

 the 5 or C nodes, divergent or spreading, or contracted and erect until near maturity, 

 slightly scabrid, uneiiual, .3 inches long or less, spikeh^t-bearing to the middle or below. 



iSjnkclcts oblong, 2 to 3 lines long, loosely 3- to 5-Uowercd with a rudiment; empty 

 glumes ovate, swmte, thin, green, slightly liisi)id on the keels, 1- to 3-nerved, 1 to Ih 

 lines long, shorter than the lower florets; floral glume ovale, acute, green, except the 

 narrow, mcml)ranac('ons margins, pubescent throughout, but more so on the keel and 

 marginal nerves, 5-nerved, IJ lines long; web at base thin, about equaling or shorter 

 than the glume; palet oblong, ennirginate, nearly smooth on the green keels, slightly 

 shorter than t!ic glume; grain lanceolate, flattened, semitranslncent, g line long; in- 

 teniode of rachilla pubescent, i Hue long, readily disarticulating. 



Plate LXXVIII; a, spikelet; h, floret; c, mature grain. 



California to Oregon in woods and swamps. 



Note. — The few webby hairs at the base of the floral glume are not figured. 



