150 POACEAE 



5. Eatonia longffiora (Vasey) Beal. Stems tufted, stout, 6-10 dm. tall : leaf -blades 

 rough, lax, 5-20 cm. long, 4-8 mm. wide : panicle loose, lax, nodding at the apex, 1-2.5 

 dm. long, its branches long, slender and erect : spikelets 4-5 mm. long. 



In dry soil, Louisiana and Texas. Spring. 



6. Eatonia nitida (Spreng. ) Nash. Stems tufted, slender, 3-6 dm. tall: leaf- 

 sheaths pubescent ; blades 1-8 cm. long, 2 mm. wide or less, usually pubescent : panicle 

 5-15 cm. long, lax, its branches spreading at flowering time, finally erect : spikelets 3 mm. 

 long. [E. Dudleyi Vasey. ] 



In dry woods, Connecticut to Ontario, Georgia and Alabama. Spring and summer. 



7. Eatonia glabra Nash. Stems densely tufted, slender, 3-7 dm. tall : leaf-sheaths 

 glabrous ; blades rough, flat, 2-7 cm. long, 1.5-3 mm. wide : panicle 7-15 cm. long, slen- 

 der, nodding at the summit : spikelets 3-4 mm. long. 



In woods, southern New York to Tennessee. Spring and summer. 



105. KOELERIA Pers. 



Annual or perennial tufted grasses, with narrow flat or involute leaf -blades and usu- 

 ally dense contracted or spike-like cylindric, rarely elongated and interrupted panicles. 

 Spikelets numerous, crowded, 2-5-flowered, the flowers perfect or the upper ones staminate. 

 Scales 4-7, membranous, the 2 lower empty, narrow, unequal, the flowering scales similar 

 to the second, obtuse or acute at the summit, awnless, sometimes mucronate or short-awned 

 at or just below the apex, the upper scales gradually smaller, the upper 1 or 2 often empty ; 

 palet hyaline, 2-keeled, 2-toothed. Stamens 3. Styles very short. Stigmas plumose. 



1. Koeleria cristata ( L. ) Pers. Stems tufted, erect, rigid, often pubescent just be- 

 low the panicle, 3-8 dm. tall : leaf -sheaths smooth or rough, sometimes pubescent ; blades 

 2-30 cm. long, 1-3 -mm. wide, erect, flat or involute, sometimes hirsute : panicle 2-18 cm. 

 long, pale green, shining, usually contracted or spike-like, its branches generally erect : 

 spikelets 2-5-flowered, 4-6 mm. long, the scales acute, the flowering scales 3-4 mm. long. 



In dry sandy soil, especially on prairies, Ontario to British Columbia, Pennsylvania, Nebraska, 

 Texas and Arizona. Also in Europe and Asia. Summer and fall. 



106. MELICA L. 



Perennial grasses, with flat or convolute leaf-blades and contracted or open panicles 

 which are sometimes almost racemose. Spikelets few-many, erect or nodding, 1-several- 

 flowered, the flowers perfect or the upper ones staminate. Scales 3-several, the 2 lower 

 empty, membranous or hyaline, obtuse or acutish, unequal in length, the flowering scales 

 larger, membranous, the lateral nerves vanishing at the broad hyaline margin, acute or ob- 

 tuse at the apex, the remaining scales empty, gradually smaller, convolute and involving 

 each other and forming a clavate to obovoid mass ; palet shorter than the scale, 2-keeled. 

 Stamens 3. Styles distinct. Stigmas plumose. MELIC GRASS. 

 Second scale much shorter than the 3-5-flowered spikelet. 



Spikelets few : branches of the panicle spreading or ascending. 1. M. diffusa. 



Spikelets usually numerous : branches of the panicle erect. 2. M. parmflora. 



Second scale nearly equalling the 2-flowered spikelet. 3. M. mutica. 



1. Melica dtffusa Pursh. Stems 4-12 dm. tall, erect, tufted : leaf-blades 1-2 dm. 

 long, 4-8 mm. wide, rough : panicle 1.5-2 dm. long, open, its branches spreading or as- 

 cending : spikelets usually numerous, about 3-flowered, 9-11 mm. long, nodding, on slender 

 pubescent pedicels, the flowering scales 7-9 mm. long, acute or obtuse, hispidulous. 



In rich soil, Pennsylvania to Missouri, Virginia, Kentucky and Texas. Spring and summer. 



2. Melica parviflora (Porter) Scribn. Stems 4-8 dm. tall, erect, rough : leaf- 

 blades 1-2.5 dm. long, 2-4 mm. wide, rough : panicle 1-2 dm. long, contracted, its 

 branches erect : spikelets few, 4-5-flowered, 10-13 mm. long, nodding, on slender strongly 

 pubescent pedicels, the flowering scales 7-8 mm. long, acutish, hispidulous. 



On prairies, Kansas and Colorado to Arizona and Texas. Summer. 



3. Melica mutica Walt. Stems 3-9 dm. tall, erect, commonly slender : leaf-sheaths 

 rough ; blades 1-2.5 dm. long, 2-10 mm. wide, rough : panicle 1-2.5 dm. long, narrow, 

 its branches spreading or ascending : spikelets 7-9 mm. long, about 2-flowered, nodding, 

 on flexuous pubescent pedicels, the flowering scales 6-8 mm. long, usually very obtuse. 



In rich soil, Pennsylvania to Wisconsin, Colorado and Texas. Summer. 



107. KORYCARFCJS Zea. 



Perennial grasses, Avith long flat leaf-blades and elongated narrow panicles. Spikelets 

 few, erect, narrow, 3-5-flowered, the rachilla fragile and articulated between the perfect 



