G4 



SLENDER WHEATGRASS 



Agropy'rcn pauciflo'rum, syns. A. pseudore' pens, A. te'nerum, 

 "A. viola'ceum" 1 



Leaves rough to touch or 

 sometimes smooth beneath, 2 to 

 10 in. long, flat or inrolling, 

 narrow to broad, basal longer 

 than upper ones 



f~|i Stalks (culms) tufted, slender 

 to stout, erect, 6 to 48 in. high, 

 smooth and hairless, their joints 

 often dark-colored 



Flower heads (spikes) termi- 

 nal, erect, from loose and slen- 

 der to thick and, dense, and 

 from green to violet-purple in 

 color, 1 to 8 in. long 



Roots numerous, fibrous ; root- 

 stocks lacking 



Individual flower groups (spike- 

 lets) 3- to 6-flowered, pressed 

 close to and flatwise against the 

 slightly zigzag, continuous (i. e., 

 not breaking up at joints when 

 spikelets fall) flower-head axis 

 (rachis) 



Lowest (2) spikelet bracts 

 (glumes) 3- to 7-velned, 

 firm, persistent, up to K in- 

 long, % as long as or equal to 

 spikelet, often tapering, to a 

 bristled (awned) point, papery 



A represents form known 

 as "A. vivlaceum" ; B rep- 

 resents form known us A. 

 tenerum. 



Outer flower bract (lemma) 

 about as long as glumes, 5- to 

 7-nerved toward tip, blunt, 

 sharp-pointed, or ending in a 

 short bristle (awn) as in C 



1 Of U. S. authors. 



