56 POACE.\E 



Awn of the lemma geniculate, exserted; callus-hairs usually much shorter than the glume. 

 Awns of the lemma greatly exceeding the empty glumes; plant tufted; leaf-blades 

 involute. 

 Empty glumes very scabrous throughout; marcescent basal leaf-sheaths very 

 long, loose and numerous. 1. C. purpiirasccns. 



Empty glumes nearly glabrous, except on the keels; marcescent basal leaf-sheaths 

 short and few. 2. C. Vascyi. 



Awns of the lemma about equalling the empty glumes. 



Empty glumes sharply keeled; spikelets strongly compressed; plant stoloniferous. 



3. C. montanensis. 

 Empty glumes not strongly keeled; spikelets not strongly conpressed; plants 

 tufted. 

 Leaves usually involute; panicle very dense. 



Panicle very narrow, spike-like, usually red-purplish. 4. C. rubescens. 

 Panicle lance-oblong, usually pale green. 5. C. Suksrior/ii. 



Leaves usually flat; panicle ovoid, open. 6. C. luiurinns. 



Awn of the lemma straight or nearly so, included; callus-hairs usually equalling the 

 lemma (except in C. scopulorum and C. Cusickii). 

 Panicle open, the lower branches spreading; leaf-blades usually flat; callus-hairs 

 nearly or quite equalling the lemma. 

 Empty glumes 4-6 mm. long, narrow, sharp-acuminate: awn of the lemma at- 

 tached below the middle, e.xceeding the lemma. 7. C. Langsdorfii. 

 Empty glumes 2-4 mm. long;a\vn of the lemma attached at or above the middle, 

 shorter than the lemma. 

 Awn attached near the middle of the lemma; spikelets usually purple. 

 Spikelets :3-4 mm. long; panicle loosely flowered. S. C. canadensis. 

 Spikelets 2-2.5 mm. long; panicle densely flowered. 9. C. Macouniana. 

 Awn attached near the apex of the lemma; spikelets pale or white. 



10. C. blanda. 

 Panicle more or less contracted. 

 Leaf-blades flat or nearly so. 



Empty glumes smooth or nearly so, except on the veins. 



Callus-hairs copious, at least two-thirds as long as the lemma; plant with 



a rootstock. 11. C. Scribneri. 



Callus-hairs sparse, much shorter than the lemma. 



Plant tall, 9-12 dm. high; sheaths bearded at the summit; plant with a 



rootstock. 12. C. Cusickii. 



Plant lower, 3-8 dm. high; sheaths not bearded; plant tufted. 



13. C. scopulorum. 

 Empty glumes verj scabrous; plant tufted. 14. C. elongata. 



Leaf-blades strongly involute. 



Panicle open. 15. C. lucida. 



Panicle dense, narrow, spike-like. 



Spikelets 2 mm. long; empty glumes thickish, barely acute or obtusish. 



16. C. micrantha. 

 Spikelets 3-4.5 mm. long. 



Plant scarcely cespitose; empty glumes long-acuminate. 



Leaves filiform, soft; plant 4-6 dm. high, slender; empty glumes 



minutely scabrous on the veins. 17. C. neglccta. 



Leaves stiff and hard; plant 8^2 dm. high; empty glumes strongly 

 scabrous. 18. C. inexpansa. 



Plant densely cespitose; empty glumes abruptly acute or short-acumin- 

 ate, very scabrous. 19. C. americana. 



1. C. purpurascens R. Br. Tufted perennial; stem 3-6 dm. high; leaves 

 numerous and crowded at the base; blades of the basal leaves 2-4 dm. long, 

 4-5 mm. wide, scabrous, rigid, more or less involute; those of the stem 7-15 em. 

 long; panicle spike-like, strict, 7-10 cm. long, pm-plish; spikelets 6-7 mm. long; 

 lemma slightly shorter than the gknnes, acute or acuminate; awn near the base, 

 twisted below and bent at the middle. Moimtains: Greenl. — S.D. — Colo. — 

 Calif. — Alaska. Mont.— Alp. Jl-S. 



2. C. Vaseyi Beal. Tufted perennial; stem 3-7 dm. high, leafy; leaf-blades 

 1.5-2 dm. long, 3-7 mm. wide, the lower involute, the upi)er often flat; i)anicle 

 spike-hke, 7-10 cm. long, usually more or less purple; empty glumes 4-5 nun. long, 

 equal, lanceolate; le-nma one-foiu-th shorter, obtuse; awn inserted one-third 

 from the base and extending little beyond the empty glumes. Mountains: Ore. 

 —Wash. — Mont. Alp. — Subalp. Jl-Au. 



3. C. montanensis Scribn. Stoloniferous perennial; stem 2-4 dm. high, 

 stiff, erect; leaf-blades 5-15 cm. long, strongly involute, scabrous; panicle spike- 

 like, 5-8 cm. long, dense; empty glumes narrowly lanceolate, acute, 4-6 mm. 

 long, scabrous, pale or purple; lemma one-fourth shorter, thin, finely scabrous, 

 awn borne one-third from the base. Dry plains: Sask. — S.D. — Ida. — Alta. 

 Plain — Subtno7it. Jl-Au. 





