G5 



BLUESTEM 



Agropy'ron smi'thii, syn. A. occidenta' Us 



Leaves 4 to 8 in. long, rigid, upright, 

 becoming inrolled, ridged, rough-mar- 

 gined and usually rough on back, other- 

 wise smooth 



ndividual flower groups (spikelets) 7- 

 o 13-flowered, lisually solitary at each 



Flower head (spike) straight, and at 

 top of stalk, 2 to 7 in. long, pale bluish 

 color 



Leaf sheaths hairless, shorter than 

 stalk intcrnodes 



Stalks (culms) numerous, ridged, 

 hairless 



Kootstocks pale gray or tawny, scaly, 

 long-creeping, underground 



Koots fibrous 



Lowest (2) spikclet bracts (glumes) 

 equal in length, narrow but broadened 

 above the base, sharp, often beard- 

 (awn-) pointed, rough along veins, 

 from ]'i to 73 as long as spikelet they 

 partly enclose 



Outer flower bract (lemma) hard, 

 hairless, awn-pointed at tip; inner 

 flower bract (palea) shorter than 

 lemma, stiff-hairy along edges 



