GRASSES OF IOWA. 



103 



times downwardly bearded. 

 Sheaths firm, striate, smooth 

 or more often rough, with 

 downwardly pointed, sharp 

 prickles, which lie in the 

 grooves of the striae, aur- 

 icled at the apex; ligule firm- 

 membranaccous, about a line 

 long, smooth or sometimes 

 pilose on the hack ; leaf- 

 blade 4 to io inches (8-20 

 cm.) long, 4 to 8 lines (8- 

 l6 mm.) wide, acute, con- 

 tracted towards the base and 

 on the hack where the blade 

 joins the sheath. Panicle 4 

 to 8 inches (8-16 cm.) long, 

 the branches solitary or in 

 pairs, widely spreading or 

 finally deflexed, flower-bear- 

 ing near the extremities. 

 Spikelets on very short, scab- 

 rous pedicels, broadly oval, 

 strongly flattened lateralis. 

 2^ to 3 lines (5-6 mm.) 

 long, and about 2 lines (4 

 mm.) broad, closely imbri- 

 cate, the glume and palea 

 strongly bristly-ciliate along 

 the keels. August to Sep- 

 tember. 



1 his species is confined to eastern Iowa and occurs in alluvial flood 

 plains. 



Fig. T>. Leersia lenticularis—a, imbricated 

 spikelets;b, glume and palea. (Div. Agros. U. 8. 

 Dept. Agrl. ) 



DISTRIBUTION. 



Iowa. 3165 Steamboat Rock, 3142 Lansing_ ( Miss King); Clin- 

 ton, 242 (Pammel) ; Muscatine (Reppert) ; Iowa City (Hitchcock). 



Nbrth America. Virginia to Tennessee, Alabama, Iowa, south- 

 western Wisconsin (?), through Missouri, Illinois (Hancock County, 

 Arthur), Texas. 



