750 GRAMINE^E MELICA 



mountains of eastern Oregon to California and Nevada. 



M. bnlbosa Geyer, Hook. Journ. Bot. viii, 19. Stems 1-3 feet high, 

 enlarged and bulb-like at base : sheaths longer than the internodes, nearly 

 smooth to scabrous : leaves 2-3 inches long setaceously convolute, nearly 

 smooth to scabrous: ligules nearly 2 lines long, often coarsely lacerate: 

 panicle strict, 4-8 inches long, interrupted below, the branches mostly in 

 pairs, very unequal, erect: spikeleta with 2-3 perfect flowers, about 4 lines 

 long: empty glumes membranaceous, broad, obtuse, the lower 3-5-nerved, 

 the upper 5-7- nerved : flowering glumes 3-4 lines long, scarious- margined, 

 minutely scabrous, 7-nerved, the unequal nerves all ceasing below the 

 broad hyaline obtuse apex : palet ciliate on the keels : sterile floret often 

 double, the uppermost minute and hooded. About the base of cliffs, 

 eastern Oregon to California. 



M. fugax Bolander Proc. Cal. Acad. iv, 104. Stems slender, 6-12 inchea 

 high, enlarged and bulb-like at base : sheaths, longer than the internodes, 

 nearly smooth to scabrous : ligules about 1 line long, truncate at the apex : 

 leaves flat or somewhat involute, 1-6 inches long, 1-2 lines wide, the lower 

 obtuse or barely acute, the upper acuminate and often setaceously pointed : 

 panicle 2-4 inches long, its branches mostly in pairs, erect or somewhat 

 spreading, very unequal, the longest 1-2 inches long: spikelets 3-4 lines 

 long, usually purplish, of 3-5 perfect flowers: empty glumes 3-5-nerved, 

 obtuse, with broad scarious margins; the first about 1^ lines long, the 

 second broader and about 2 lines long ; flowering glumea strongly 7-nerved, 

 only the midnerve reaching the narrow scarious apex : palets slightly 

 shorter than the glume, minutely ciliate: sterile flowers similar to the 

 glumes. About the base of cliffs, eastern Washington to California. 



2 BROMELICA Thurber Bot. Cal. ii, 304. Spikelets of 3-8 

 perfect flowers, the lower exceeding the empty glumes. Flowering 

 glumes prominently 7-nerved, apiculate or distinctly awned by 

 the excurrent midnerve at the notched or bifid or narrowly trun- 

 cate or long- attenuate tip. 



M. bromoides Gray Proc. Am. Acad. viii, 409. Stems slender, 3-4 

 feet high, enlarged and bulb-like at base: lower pheaths longer than the 

 internodes, the upper shorter, smooth: leaves flat, 6-12 inches long, 

 setaceously acuminate : ligules about 1 line long or less, the upper ones 

 often lacerate: panicle very loose, 6-8 inches long, very long-exserted, its 

 capillary branches few and spreading, 2-3 inches long, bearing only one or 

 two spikelets 6-8 lines long: first empty glume about 1 line long, acute, 

 the second broader, nearly 2 lines long, obtuse or barely acute, with broad 

 scarious margins : flowering glumes about 4 lines long, narrowly margined, 

 lanceolate, acute : palet about 3 lines long, ciliate on the nerves. On 

 open ridges southern Oregon to California. 



Var. Howellii Scribn. Proc. Phila. Acad. 47. Panicle more open 

 and f ewer- flowered : flowering glumes longer and entire or but slightly 

 notched at the apex. On dry ridges southwestern Oregon. 



M. Harfordii Bolander Proc. Cal. Acad. iv, 102. Stems erect, bran- 

 ched below, slender, rather wiry, 1-3 feet high, not bulbous at base : sheaths 

 slightly scabrous, about equalling the internodes : ligules 1-2 lines long, 

 leaves flat or invblute, scabrous above, slender-pointed, 6-10 inches long, 

 1-3 lines wide : panicle strict, 6-12 inches long, its scabrous branches erect : 

 or appressed, unequal, 2 inches long or less bearing 1-3 erect spikelets : 

 empty glumes oblanceolate, obtuse or barely acute,the first 5-nerved, 3-4 

 lines long, the second > line longer and 5-7-nerved ; flowering glumes lan- 

 ceolate, barely acute or emarginate or sometimes short-awned, scarious- 

 margined above, minutely appressed-silkythroughout, pilose on the margin- 



