POACEAE 155 



purple, the branches spreading, ascending, or often drooping : spikelets 3-7 -flowered, 2-H 

 mm. long, the flowering scales about 1.5 mm. long, obtuse or rounded. 



In wet places, Newfoundland to British Columbia, Florida, Texas and Mexico. Summer and fall. 



4. Panicularia Americana (Torr. ) MacM. Stems 9-15 dm. tall : leaf-sheaths loose, 

 sometimes rough ; blades 2-3 dm. long or more, 6-16 mm. wide, rough above : panicle 2-4 

 dm. long, the lower branches 1-2 dm. long : spikelets 4-7-flowered, 4-6 mm. long, the 

 flowering scales about 2 mm. long. 



In wet soil, New Brunswick to Alaska, Tennessee, Colorado and Nevada. Summer. 



5. Panicularia pallida (Torr.) Kuntze. Pale green. Stems 3-9 dm. long, assur- 

 gent : leaf-blades 5-15 cm. long, 2-4 mm. wide, rough above : panicle 4-18 cm. long, its 

 branches spreading or ascending : spikelets 4-8-flowered, 5-7 mm. long, the flowering scales 

 2.5-3 mm. long, truncate and denticulate at the apex. 



In shallow water, New Brunswick to Ontario, Virginia, Tennessee and Indiana. Summer. 



6. Panicularia fluitans (L. ) Kuntze. Stems 1-1.5 m. long, flattened, usually stout, 

 often rooting from the lower nodes : leaf -sheaths loose, usually overlapping ; blades 1-3 

 dm. long or more, 4-12 mm. wide, rough, often floating : panicle 2-4.5 dm. long, its 

 branches finally ascending : spikelets 7-13-flowered, 2-2.5 cm. long, the flowering scales 

 4-5 mm. long, thick, oblong, rounded or truncate at the erose apex, hispidulous. 



In wet places or in water, Newfoundland to British Columbia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Iowa 

 and California. Summer and fall. 



7. Panicularia acutiflora (Torr.) Kuntze. Stems 3-6 dm. tall, flattened, erect from 

 a decumbent base : leaf-sheaths loose, smooth ; blades 7-15 cm. long, 4-6 mm. wide, 

 rough above : panicle 1.5-3 dm. long, its branches erect or appressed : spikelets 5-12- 

 flowered, 2.5-4.5 cm. long, the flowering scales 6-8 mm. long, lanceolate, acute, smooth. 



In wet places, Maine to southern New York, Ohio and Tennessee. Summer. 



113. FESTUCA L. 



Usually perennial, rarely annual, tufted grasses, with flat or convolute sometimes seta- 

 ceous leaf-blades and contracted often spike-like or open panicles which are sometimes 

 nearly racemose. Spikelets 2 -several-flowered, the flowers perfect or the upper ones stami- 

 nate, the rachilla articulated between the flowers. Scales 4-several, membranous, the 2 

 lower empty, unequal, acute, keeled, the flowering scales rounded on the back, at least 

 below, acute or rarely obtuse, usually more or less awned, occasionally awnless, the remain- 

 ing scales if any, empty ; palet a little shorter than the scale, 2-keeled. Stamens 1-3- 

 Styles very short, distinct, terminal or nearly so. Stigmas plumose. FESCUE GRASS. 



Annuals : stamens 1 or 2. 



First empty scale less than % as long as the second, usually very small. 1. F. Myuros. 



First empty scale more than % as long as the second. 

 Flowering scales not hirsute. 



Spikelets 3-i-flowered ; flowering scales glabrous or nearly so, appressed to the 



rachilla. 2. F. parmflora. 



Spikelets 6-13-flowered ; flowering scales usually strongly hispidulous, decid- 

 edly diverging from the rachilla. 3. F. octoflora. 

 Flowering scales appressed-hirsute. 4. F. sciurea. 

 Perennials : stamens 3. 



Leaf-blades very narrow, 2 mm. wide or less, involute or folded. 



Plants without rootstocks : flowering scales awnless. 5. -F. capittata. 



Plants with long rootstocks : flowering scales short-awned. 6. F. rubra. 



Leaf-blades 3 mm. wide or more, flat. 



Panicle open, its branches at maturity ascending or spreading : spikelets usually 



less than 6- flowered. 



Panicle-branches elongated, spikelet-bearing toward the end. 7. F. nutam. 



Panicle-branches not elongated-, spikelet-bearing from the middle or below it. 



Flowering scales obtuse, 4-5 mm. long. 8. F. obtusa. 



Flowering scales acute, 6-7 mm. long. 9. F. Tezana. 



Panicle contracted, its branches erect or appressed : spikelets often 10- flowered. 10. F. elatior. 



1. Festuca Myuros L. Stems 3-6 dm. tall, erect : leaf-blades 5-13 cm. long, sub- 

 ulate, involute, erect : panicle usually one-sided, 1-3 dm. long, spike-like, its branches ap- 

 pressed : spikelets 3-6-flowered, the flowering scales, exclusive of the awn, 4-6 mm. long, 

 narrow, acuminate into an awn much longer than itself. 



In waste places and fields, New Hampshire to New Jersey and Florida. Naturalized from Europe- 

 Summer. 



2. Festuca parviflora Ell. Stems 3-5 dm. tall, slender : leaf-blades 5-10 cm. long, 

 about 1 mm. wide : panicle very slender, 1-2 dm. long, its branches appressed : spikelets 

 3-4-flowered, the flowering scales 4-5 mm. long, exclusive of the awn which is of equal 

 length or somewhat longer. 



In dry soil, South Carolina to Florida and Texas. Spring and summer. 



