No. 83. 

 POA PURPURASCENS Viis.'y, Bot. (Jaz. vi. 297 (1881). 



riiiiit perennial, tul'tcd ui- crspitost', IVoni a stiouf;' rootstock. 



CuVniA- erect, wiry, .smooth or sli<,'btly scalnid, usually naked above the middle, 10 to 

 15 indies tall. 



i(«ct'« of sterile shoots iiiinierous, witii short, narrow slieatiis and elosely involute, 

 smooth or sc.abrid, erect blades less than 1 line wideand 4 to (J inches long: leaves of the 

 culm 2 oi' ;?; sheaths stiiate, sinoulh. the lower ones short but exceedinj;- the inter- 

 nodes, the upper one extending half the length of theenlin; blades wider and less 

 involute than those of the base or often flat, 1 to 2 inches long; ligule obtuse, 1 line 

 long or less or often nearly obsolete. 



[tijlorvscnirr a rather I'losely (lowered, oblong jianiele 1 to .'} inches long; rays hispid, 

 2 to 4 at each of the .'5 to 7 nodes, 1 inch long or less, nearly erect or somewhat spread- 

 ing, subdivided and sjiikelet-bearing n(!ar the extremities or above the middle. 



Spikckts ratliei- turgid, .'!- to 5-tlowered, 2i to .'5 lines long; emi»ty glumes ovate, 

 acute or subobtuse, smootli, 1-nerved or ob.scurely 3-nerved, l.J to2 lines long, shorter 

 than the lower florets; floral glume lance-ovate, acute or obtuse, soinefimes sliglifly 

 cuspidate, minutely scabrid throughout, hisiiid-eiliate on the keel, narrowly searious- 

 margined above, 5-nerved, 2i to '.i lines long; i)alet oblong, obtuse, ciliate on the 2 

 keels, 2 lines long; gi-ain ()blong, greenish yellow, nearly opaque, 1 line long; inter- 

 node of rachilla slender, nearly smooth, about .J line long, the upper one bearing a 

 minute rudiment. 



Plate LXXXIII; o, spikelet; i<, floret. 



Central California to British Columbia and eastward to Colorado. 1 1 is somewhat 

 variable, as any Poa nuist be with such a range. The firsi description was based on a 

 series of .sjteeimens which were unil'oiiidy i)nr])le in the intiorcsceucc, but other forms 

 diflering only in this one respect cannot Iw excluded. 



