G26 



SPRUCETOP GRAMA 



Boutelou'a chondrosioi'des 



Mower head (raceme) with few (3 to 7), 

 densely woolly flower groups (spikes) up to % 

 in long, erect or spreading, , attached by short 

 stalks to angles of zigzag, rather short (up to 

 2# in. long) stem axis 



Spike hairy, enlarged to show arrangement of 

 the 7 to 13 individual flower groups (spikelets) 

 composing it and which are stalkless, crowded 

 m 2 rows on one side of flowering branchlet 

 (rachis) 



Spikelet hairy, showing single perfect flower 

 (floret) and the modified imperfect floret reduced 

 to 3 rigid bristles (awns) % in. long, middle awn 

 with papery margins 



Lowest (2) spikelet bracts (glumes) hairy 

 unequal, lower %. as long as upper 



Outer flower bract Gemma) 3-vcined, 3-toothed 

 and hairy at tip 



Inner flower bract (palea) 2-nerved, 2-toothed 

 at tip, hairy along edges and on nerves 



Stalks (culms) few-leaved, erect, ridged) 

 smooth 



Leaves mostly basal; sheaths of lower leaves 

 short, loose, minutely furrowed, longer than 

 upper; blades slightly hairy beneath, flat, rather 

 rigid, longer (3 to 6 in. long) than upper (1 in. 

 long) blades. 



Collar fligule) between leaf sheath and blade, 

 a ring of fine, short hairs 



Rootstock underground, short 

 Roots fibrous, very strong 



