GRAMINEAE (GRASS FAMILY) 



161 



awn; palea usually about equaling the lemma. Perennials or annuals with 

 UTininal panicles. (An ancient Latin name of some kind of grass, of uncertain 

 meaning.) 



1. Annuals; stamen usually one. V<JLPIA (C. C. Omel.) Relchenb. 

 Awn more than twice as long as the lemma; spikelets 1-5- flowered. 



First glume one third to one half as long as the second .... 1. F. myuron. 

 First glume two thirds to three fourths as long as the second . . 2. F. aciurett. 



Awn not longer than the lemma, spikelets 5-13-flowered : . . . 8. F. octoflora. 

 2. Perennials; stamens 3. EUFKST&CA Griseb. 

 Leaves involute ; lemma awl-shaped, awned or pointed. 



Innovations extravaginal ; spikelets more or less glaucous . . . 4. F, rulira. 

 Innovations intravaginal; spikelets green. 

 Awns longer than the membrauaceous lemmas . , . . . 5. F. occidentalis 



Awns shorter than the coriaceous lemmas 6. F. ovina. 



Leaves tint. 



Lemma indurated, not at all keeled, awnless or tapering into a short awn. 

 Lemma 5-7 mm. long ; panicle narrow, with short erect branches . 7. F. elatior. 

 Lemma 4-4.5 mm. long; panicle with long spreading or ascending 



branches. 

 Lemma subacute ; spikelets loosely scattered . . . 8. F. nutang. 



Lemma obtuse ; spiki-lcts somewhat aggregated 9. F. Sfiortii. 



Lemma membranaceous, indurated only near the base, keeled above, awned 



from a cleft apex . . . 10. F. gigantea. 



1. F. MYUROS L. Culms erect or geniculate at base, solitary or in small tufts, 

 2-6 dm. high ; sheaths smooth, overlapping ; blades smooth, linear, involute or 

 rarely flat; panicle 7-20 cm. long, narrow, the branches appressed, the tips 

 somewhat nodding ; spikelets 4-5-flowered, 8-11 mm. long ; glumes very unequal, 

 the first 1-1.6 mm., the second 4-5 mm. long ; lemma linear-lanceolate, scabrous 

 above, attenuate into a scabrous awn about twice its length. Dry fields and 

 waste places, N. E. to O., and southw. June, July. (Nat. from Eu.) 



2. F. sciurea Nutt. Similar to the preceding, usually lower ; panicle erect ; 

 spikelets 4-5 mm. long first glume 2 mm., second 3.5 mm. long ; lemma sparsely 

 short pubescent. Sandy ground, s.e. Va., and southw. May, June. 



3. F. octofl&ra Walt. Culms slender, erect, often tufted, 0.5-4 dm. high ; 

 sheaths shorter than the internodes ; blades narrowly linear, involute or rarely 

 flat, soft, erect or ascending; panicle narrow, erect, 3-12 cm. long, usually re- 

 duced to a more or less secund raceme ; spikelets 6-12 mm. long ; glumes subu- 

 late-lanceolate ; lemma lanceolate, attenuate into a scabrous straight awn 1-7 

 mm. long. (F. tenella Willd.) Dry sterile soil, w. Que. to B. C., and through- 

 out the U. S., especially southw. FIG. 174. 



4. F. rubra L. Culms solitary or few, erect from creeping rootstocks, 4-9 dm. 

 high ; sheaths and blades smooth ; panicle 5-20 cm. long, usually contracted, 

 the branches erect; spikelets 4-6(rarely 10)-flowered, mostly 7-8 mm. long, 

 often glaucous-purplish ; glumes smooth ; lemma 5-7 mm. long, smooth or sca- 

 brous toward the apex, terminating in a scabrous awn usually 



about half as long. Brackish meadows or low sandy soil, mostly 

 near the coast, Lab. to Va. (Eu.) Var. PROLfFERA Piper. Floral 

 organs abnormally elongated. Mts. of N. E. and Que. Var. 

 MEGASTACHYS Gaudin. Spikelets 10-12 mm. long. Que., N. J. 

 (Eu.) Var. MULTIFI^RA (Hoffm.) Asch. & Graebn. Blades flat ; 

 spixelets green. Me. (Eu.) Var. 8UBviLL6sA Mert. & Koch. 

 Spikelets pubescent with short hairs. Local, e. Que. to N. H. 

 (Briggs) and Vt. (Jones'). (Eu.) 



5. F. occidentalis Hook. Culms densely tufted, no root- 

 stocks, erect, slender, glabrous and shining, 6-^-8 dm. high ; basal 

 leaves numerous, filiform-involute, soft ; panicle loose, subsecund, 

 flexuous, 8-20 cm. long ; spikelets loosely 3-5-flowered, 6-10 mm. 

 long; glumes unequal, variable even on the same plant, mostly 

 acute or acuminate ; lemma 5-6.5 mm. long, awn about as long. 



Open woods, Keweenaw Co., Mich. (Fancell) ; and in the Northwest. 



6. F. ovina L. (SHEEP'S FESCUE.) Densely tufted ; culms erect, 1.5-6 dm. 

 high ; leaves pale green, capillary, strongly involute, firm, the basal ones 5-12 

 cm. long, those of the culm often very short ; panicle contracted after blooming. 



GRAY'S MANUAL 11 



174. F. octoflora 

 Ppikelet x 8. 



