156 POACEAE 



3. Festuca octoflora Walt. Stems 1-5 dm. tall, erect, slender, rigid : leaf -blades 

 4-8 cm. long, involute, bristle-form : panicle or raceme often one-sided, 2.5-15 cm. long, con- 

 tracted, its branches erect, or nearly so: spikelets 6-13-flowered, 6-10 mm. long, the flower- 

 ing scales, exclusive of the awn, 3-5 mm. long, usually very rough, acuminate into an awn 

 nearly as long as itself or shorter, or sometimes awnless. [F. tenella Willd.] 



In dry sandy usually sterile soil, Quebec to British Columbia, Florida, Texas and California. 

 Summer. 



4. Festuca sciurea Nutt. Stems 1-5 dm. tall, slender : leaf-blades 5 cm. long or 

 less, less than 1 mm. wide : panicle slender, 4-15 cm. long, its branches erect or appressed : 

 spikelets 3-5-flowered, the flowering scales about 3 mm. long, exclusive of the awn which 

 is 2-3 times as long as the scale. 



In dry soil, Florida to the Indian Territory and Texas. Spring and summer. 



5. Festuca capillata Lam. Stems densely tufted, erect, 1.5-4 dm. tall, slender, 

 glaucous : leaf-sheaths confined to the base of the stem ; blades filiform, the basal ones from 

 j- as long as the stems, the stem-blades 2.5-4 cm. long : panicle contracted, 1-5 cm. long, 

 its branches erect : spikelets 4-5-flowered, 4-5 mm. long, the flowering scales about 2.5 

 mm. long, acute. 



In fields and along roadsides, Maine, New York and Mississippi. Introduced from Europe. Summer. 



6. Festuca rubra L. Stems 4-8 dm. tall, erect : basal leaf-blades involute-filiform, 

 7-15 cm. long, those on the stem shorter, erect, flat, or involute in drying, minutely 

 pubescent above : panicle 5-13 cm. long, sometimes reddish : spikelets 3-10-flowered, 8-12 

 mm. long, the flowering scales about 6 mm. long, bearing an awn less than its own length. 



In meadows and fields, Labrador to Alaska, and in the mountains to Virginia, Tennessee and 

 Colorado. Also in Europe and Asia. Summer. 



7. Festuca nutans Willd. Stems 6-9 dm. tall, slender : leaf-blades 1-3 dm. long, 

 4-6 mm. wide, flat, rough above : panicle 1-2.5 dm. long, the lower branches 6-13 cm. 

 long : spikelets lanceolate, 3-5-flowered, 5-6 mm. long, the flowering scales 3-4 mm. long. 



In rocky woods, Nova Scotia to Ontario, Nebraska, Florida and Texas. Summer. 



8. Festuca obtusa Spreng. Stems 6-12 dm. tall : leaf-blades 1-2.5 dm. long, 2-6 

 mm. wide, rough above : panicle 7-18 cm. long, the lower branches 4-9 cm. long : spike- 

 lets broadly obovate when mature, 3-6-flowered, 5-6 mm. long, the flowering scales 4-5 

 rnm. long. 



In woods and thickets, Pennsylvania and Illinois to Kansas, Georgia, Mississippi and Texas. 

 Summer. 



9. Festuca Tezana Vasey. Stems 4-8 dm. tall : leaf-blades 5-15 cm. long, 3-5 mm. 

 wide : panicle 1-2 dm. long, its branches stiff and widely spreading, the lower ones usually 

 in pairs : spikelets 2-4-flowered, the flowering scales glabrous, acute, sometimes short-awned. 



In shady places, Oklahoma and Texas. Spring. 



10. Festuca elatior L. Stems 6-15 dm. tall : leaf-blades 1-4 dm. long, 4-8 mm. 

 wide, rough above : panicle 1-4 dm. long, often nodding at the top, simple to very com- 

 pound : spikelets 5-10-flowered, 9-12 mm. long, the flowering scales acute or short-pointed, 

 5-6 mm. long, indistinctly 5-nerved. 



In waste places and fields, Nova Scotia to Ontario, North Carolina, Tennessee and Kansas. Natural- 

 ized from Europe. Summer. 



114. BROMUS L. 



Annual or perennial grasses, with usually closed leaf-sheaths, flat blades and contracted 

 or open sometimes almost racemose panicles, the branches often nodding. Spikelets usually 

 large, often drooping, few-many-flowered, the flowers perfect or the upper ones imperfect. 

 Scales few-many, membranous, the 2 lower empty, persistent, narrow, unequal, acute or 

 the second sometimes short-awned ; flowering scales longer and often broader, rounded 

 on the back, at least below, usually awned, rarely awnless, the straight or rarely recurved 

 awn dorsal and inserted just below the 2-toothed or shortly 2-cleft apex ; palet shorter than 

 the scale, 2-keeled. Stamens 3, rarely fewer. Ovary crowned by a villous appendage, at 

 the base of which arise the very short but distinct styles. Stigmas plumose. BROME GRASS. 

 CHESS. CHEAT. 



A. Lower empty scale 1-nerved, the upper 3-nerved. 



Annuals : stems usually less than 6 dm. tall : awn longer than the flowering scale. 

 Spikelets numerous, several on each panicle-branch : flowering scales 8-12 mm. 



long, appressed-hirsute. 1. B. tectorum. 



Spikelets few, 1 or sometimes 2 on each panicle-branch : flowering scales 12-16 



mm. long, sparingly hispidulous. 2. B. sterilis. 



Perennials : stems usually exceeding 6 dm. in height : awn shorter than the flower- 

 ing scale or wanting. 



