750 GRAMINEAE | MELICA 
mountains of eastern Oregon to California and Nevada. 
M. bulbosa 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 
airs, very unequal, erect: spikelets with 2-3 perfect flowers, about 4 {sea 
ong: 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, 10-4. Stems slender, 6-12 inches 
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 glumes 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 Brometica 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 sheaths 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 fewer-flowered: flowering glumes longer and entire or but slightly 
notched at the apex. On dry ridges southwestern Oregon. nhs, 
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 involute, scabrous above, slender-pointed, 6-10 inches long, 
I-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 4 line longer and 5-7-nerved ; flowering glumes lan- 
ceolate, barely acute or emarginate or sometimes short-awned, scarious- 
amargined above, minutely appressed-silkythroughout, pilose on the margin- 
