210 



Fig. 204. BOUTEIiOTJA OLIGOSTACHYA (^Nutt. ) Torr. in A. Gray, Man. Bot. 

 ed. 2, 553. 1S5G. {Adieropogon oUgosfachijus Nutt. Gen. 1 : 78. 1818.) BLUE 

 GRAMA.— A slender perennial 2-8 dm. (i°-2°j high, with one to five remote, 

 pectinately many-flowered, usually spreading spikes 2.5-5 em. (l'-2') long. 

 Sheaths shorter than the internodes; leaves short, narrow, attenuate. Spike- 

 lets about G mm. (3") long; empty glumes (a) awn-pointed, the first one-half 

 to two-thirds as long as the second, which is about 6 mm. (3") long; flowering 

 glume (b) lanceolate, 6 mm. (3") long, including the awns, hairy on the back, 

 lobed to, or nearly to the middle; rudiment reduced to three equal awns with 

 one or two imperfect glumes at the base, on a short pedicel having a tuft of 

 white hairs at the top. —Wisconsin to Montana, north to Manitoba and Alberta, 

 south to Texas, Arizona, and southern California: al.'^o at Tami)a, Florida. 

 (Mexico.) June to October. 



One of the most abundant and most valued of the grama grasses; no other 

 grass withstands the trampling of stock Itetter, and it is unsurf)assed for grazing 

 purposes. 



