GRAMINEAE (GRASS FAMILY) 73 



Culms 5-10 dm. high, scabrous below the panicle: sheaths and leaves scabrous, 

 very narrow and folded when dry; the radical 15-25 cm. long; the upper 3-6 

 cm. long; ligule scabrous, about 4 mm. long: panicle narrow, dense, 10-15 cm. 

 long; branches 2 or more at each node, the lower often 4-5 cm. long and 

 branched: spikelets 3-8-flowered, 6-8 mm. long: glumes scabrous, subequal, 

 obtuse or subacute, 3-nerved; lemma shorter, scarious margined above, the 

 nerves obscure; palet ciliate on the keels, scabrous between them. Not in- 

 frequent, especially in the western part of our range. 



23. Poa lucida Vasey, 1. c. 274. Culms 6-8 dm. tall, erect, the innovations 

 2-3 dm. long: sheaths smooth and glabrous; leaves of the culms 1 dm. or less 

 long, those on the innovations much longer: panicle 1-2 dm. long, its larger 

 branches 3-5 cm. long: spikelets 6-10 mm. long, 4-6-flowered : the lemmas 

 about 4.5 mm. long, appressed-pubescent below with long hairs, obtuse or 

 acutish. (P. planifolia S. & W. 1. c. 3.) Moist hillsides and meadows; Mon- 

 tana to Colorado and Nebraska. 



24. Poa Buckle yana Nash, Bull. Torr. Bot. Club 22: 465. 1895. Culms 

 1.5-4 dm. tall, rarely taller, erect, rigid: ligule 4-6 mm. long, acute; leaves 

 2.5-10 cm. long, about 2 mm. wide, erect, flat, becoming involute, smooth or 

 rough: panicle 2.5-10 cm. in length, contracted, the branches erect, 3.75 cm. 

 long or less, spikelet-bearing nearly to the base: spikelets 2-5-flowered, 4-6 

 mm. long: lemmas about 4 mm. long, obtuse or acutish, appressed-pubescent 

 below with long hairs. P. tenuifolia. [P. gracillima Vasey (?), Contrib. Nat. 

 Herb. 1: 272. 1893; P. Sandbergii Vasey, 1. c. 276.] Very common in our 

 range, and westward to California. 



25. Poa Sheldonii Vasey, Contrib. Nat. Herb. 1: 276. 1893. Culms 3-6 dm. 

 tall, erect, rigid: sheaths usually overlapping; ligule 2-4 mm. long, acute; 

 leaves smooth beneath, rough above, 1-2 mm. wide, flat or folded, pungently 

 pointed, those of the culm 1 .'J.~> '2.~> cm. long, erect, the basal leaves 7.5-15 cm. 

 long: panicle contracted, 5-12.5 cm. in length, the branches erect, spikelet- 

 bearing nearly to the base, 3.75 cm. long or less: spikelets 4-7-flowered, 5-7 

 mm. long: lemmas 3-4 mm. long, erose-truncate at apex, strongly silky- 

 pubescent on the nerves for half their length, the lower part very pubescent 

 between the nerves; intermediate nerves very obscure. (P. arida Vasey, 1. c. 

 270, name untenable; P. pratericola Kydb. & Nash, Mem. N. Y. Bot. (lard. 

 1: 51. 1900; P. juncifolia Scribn. Bull. U. 8. Dept. Agr. Div. Agrost. 11: 52. 

 1898, seems to be only the large forms of the species.) Common and varying 

 greatly under the extremely variable environments found within our range. 



56. GRAPHEPHORUM Desv. 



Slender erect grasses, with flat leaves and a usually contracted nodding 

 panicle. Spikelets 2-4-flowered, flattened, the rachilla hirsute and extending 

 beyond the flowers. Glumes somewhat shorter than the lemmas, thin- 

 membranous, acute, keeled: lemmas membranous, obscurely nerved, entire, 

 sometimes short-awned just below the apex. Stamens 3. Styles distinct; 

 stigmas plumose. Grain glabrous. 



1. Graphephorum Wolfii Vasey, Desc. Cat. Gr. U. S. 55. 1885. Culms 

 erect, 3-6 dm. high: leaves scabrous, flat, 15-20 cm. long: panicle upright, 

 subspicate, 6-15 cm. long: spikelets 2-3-flowered, purplish: glumes subequal, 

 5-6 mm. long, the first 1-nerved, the second 3-nerved; lemma nearly as long, 

 faintly 5-nerved, bearing an awn 1 mm. or less long; palet usually shorter than 

 its lemma: grain linear-oblong. G. melicoides, as to our range. Colorado, 

 Utah, Wyoming, and northward. 



57. GLYCERIA R. Br. MANNA GRASS 



Rather coarse broad-leaved grasses, the florets early deciduous. Spikelets 

 4-15-flowered, slightly compressed, linear or oblong, smooth or slightly hispid, 

 awnless, in narrow or open spreading panicles. Glumes unequal, persistent, 



