GRASSES OF IOWA. 255 



2. POA CHAPMANIANA. 



- Poa Chapmaniana Scribn. Bull. Torr. Bot. Club. 21: 38. 1894. Beal. 

 Grasses of N. A. 2: 545. 1896. Nash in Brittori and Brown. 111. PL 1: 

 202. f. 460. 1896. Scribner. Bull. U. S. D'ept. Agrl. Div. Agros. 7: 277 

 f.272. 1900. (3 ed.) 



Poacristata Chapni. PI. S. States. 562. 1860. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Chapman's Spear Grass. A low, caespitose annual, 4 to 8 inches 

 (1-2 dm.) high, with ascending, flat leaves, and usually narrow panicles. 

 1 to 3 inches (2-8 cm.) long. Sheaths close, mostly at the base of the 

 culm; ligule \ line (1 mm.) long, truncate; leaf-blades \ to 1 inch (1-2 

 cm.) long, \ line (1 mm.) wide or less, smooth. Spikelets three to 

 seven-flowered, 1] to i\ lines (2 0-3 mm.) long; empty glumes about 

 equal, three-nerved, acute; flowering glumes webbed at the base, obtuse, 

 three-nerved, sometimes obscurely five-nerved, the prominent nerves 

 sometimes pilose for three-fourths of their length, the keel with a promi- 

 nent, crest-like fringe. Dry, sandy soil. May to June. 



Poa Chapmaniana occurs in southeastern Iowa, especially in flood 

 plains of streams. See figure 177 on page 256. 



DISTRIBUTION". 



loua. Morning Sun (Carver) ; 1357, Ottumwa (Pammel) ; 

 Iowa City (Hitchcock). 



North America. Dry, sandy soil, southern Illinois, to Mississippi 

 and Georgia. 



3. POA COMPRESSA. 



Poa compressa L. Sp. PI. 69. 1753. Watson and Coulter. Gray. Man. 

 Bot. 664. pi. 10. 1890. (6 ed.) Scribner. Grasses of Tenn. Bull. Univ. 

 Tenn. Agrl. Exp. Sta. 7: 107. /. 143. 1894. Bull. U. S. Dept. Agr. Div. 

 Agros. 17: 248. f. 544 . 1899. Beal. Grasses of N. A. 2: 546. 1896. 

 Nash in Britton and Brown. 111. PI. 1: 202. /. 461. 1896. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Wire Grass. A slender, but rather rigid, perennial with much 

 flattened stems, 6 to 20 inches (12-40 cm.) high, ascending from a more 

 or less creeping base, and usually small, narrow 7 panicles. Leaves about 

 1 line (2 mm.) long, abruptly pointed at the tip; ligule -J- line (1 mm.) 

 long. Panicle expanded, or more often contracted, 1 to 3 inches (2-6 



