GRASSES OF IOWA. 307 



DESCRIPTION. 



Corn Brome. A more or less tufted annual, i to 2 feet (2-4 dm.) 

 high, with a short, somewhat nodding panicle, and densely soft pilose 

 sheaths. Culms erect or slightly geniculate at the base, smooth. Sheaths 

 densely, retrorsely pilose-pubescent jligule, about l line ( 1 mm.) long; 

 blades linear, about 4 to 7 inches (8-15 cm.) long, i-J- to i\ lines (3-5 

 mm.) wide, softly pubescent on both sides. Panicle usually 3 to 6 

 inches (6-12 cm.) long, open, branches ascending or drooping, fre- 

 quently flexuous. Spikelets oblong, ovoid, turgid, six to twelve-flowered, 

 l\ to 10 lines (15-20 mm.) long; empty glumes broad, obtuse, glabrous, 

 the lower three or indistinctly live-nerved, two-thirds to three-fourths 

 the length of the upper, the upper seven to nine-nerved, 3 to 4 lines (6- 

 8 mm.) long; flowering glume very broad, seven to nine-nerved, obtuse, 

 with a broad, scarious margin, somewhat obtusely angled above the mid- 

 dle, glabrous or minutely scabrous, apex minutely notched ; awn rather 

 stout, attached below the apex, about the length of the glume, somewhat 

 twisted and divergent, especially at maturity; palea a little shorter than 

 its glume. In waste places. July-August. 



Adventive from Europe. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



Iowa. Alden 11 67 (Stevens). 



North America. It has been found most frequently in waste places 

 on the eastern coast. 



General. Europe, Great Britain, Germany, France, etc. 



18. BROMUS PATULUS. 



Bromus patuhis M. and K. Roehl. Deutsch. PI. 1: 684. 1823. Shear. 

 Bull. U. S. Dept. Agrl. Div. Agros. 23: 21. f.5. 1900. 



Serrafalcus patulus Pari. PI. Ital. 1: 394. /. 5. 1848. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Spreading Brome Grass. An annual or perennial, with culms 

 smooth, erect, or somewhat geniculate at the base, about 2 to 3 feet (4- 

 6 dm.) high. Sheaths softly pubescent; ligule 1 to \\ lines (2-3 mm.) 

 long, subtruncate, laciniate throughout; blades linear-lanceolate, pubes- 

 cent throughout. Panicle 6 to 10 inches (12-20 cm.) long, very broadly 

 pyramidal, diffuse, somewhat drooping, lanceolate to ovoid-lanceolate. 



