GRASSES OF IOWA. 



193 



DESCRIPTION. 



Wild Oat Grass. A 

 smooth, slender, erect grass, 

 10 to 20 inches (23-45 cm.) 

 high, with a small, narrow 

 panicle, the short branches 

 of which spread only in 

 Hower. Sheaths glabrous, 

 bearded at the throat ; 

 basal leaves numerous, 

 usually involute, and curled 

 or recurved ; those of the 

 culm shorter, 1 line (2 

 mm.) wide or less, glab- 

 rous or pilose. Panicle 1 

 to 2 inches (2^-5 cm.) 

 long, simple, few-flowered, 

 the short branches usually 

 erect. Empty glumes 4 to 

 6 lines (8-12 mm.) long, 

 exceeding the florets, lan- 

 ceolate, acute, three-nerved 

 below; with broad, scarious 

 margins ; flowering glume 

 about 2 lines (4 mm.) long, 

 sparingly pilose on the 

 rounded back and along 

 the margins below; callus 

 glabrous; apex of the flow- 

 ering glume ending in two 

 short, usually blunt teeth. 

 Fig. 136. Danthoniaspicata— a, spikelet;b, flower; Cr»mmnn in Ar\r t-Vu'n onil-s 

 c, flowering glume ; d, empty glume (Div. Agroe. U. ^ ommon in ai T> tnin »>»*>• 



8. Dept. AgrI) June to September. 



Wild oat-grass is found only in a few, isolated localities in central 

 and eastern Iowa ; most frequently in the southeastern part of the state. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



Iowa. Lebanon, 25 (Ball and Sample) ; Steamboat Rock, Ledges, 

 Boone County (Pammel) ; Wild Cat Den (Barnes) ; Cliffland, Pitts- 

 burg (Shimek) ; Steamboat Rock (Shimek). 



North America. Atlantic coast, New Jersey (Woodbridge Twp., 

 Middlesex County, Lightpipe), West Virginia (Little Falls, Mills- 

 paugh), Georgia (DeKalb Mt.) ; south to Florida; west to Ohio 

 (Worthington and Baltimore; A. Bigelow), Illinois (Fulton, Wolfe; 

 Lake View, Pammel), Wisconsin (Pammel), Minnesota (Itaska Lake, 

 Sandberg), Iowa, Missouri (St. Louis, Eggert; Washington, and Crys- 

 tal City, Pammel), Arkansas (Harvey), Wyoming (Yellowstone Nat. 

 Park, Norn's; 6140, A. and E. Nelson). 

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