322 GRAMINE^E. Lepturus. 



C. TJNIOLOIDES, Beauv. (Festuca unioloidcs, Willd., Bromus unioloides, HBK., B. Willdcnovii 

 and B. Schraderi, Kuuth), was at one time in high repute in France, under the name of " Brome 

 de Schrader," as a forage plant from Australia ; at about the same time it was cultivated iu 

 Australia as "California Prairie-Grass," and was introduced in the Southern States as "Rescue- 

 Grass." The species is South American and is found in Texas and westward, but is not known 

 to occur in California, notwithstanding its Australian name. It has a mostly erect panicle and 

 minutely scabrous spikelets ; the palets are very pale green above, white below, and terminated 

 by an awn less than a line long. Specimens from Arizona have longer awns, and forms from 

 Nevada are difficult to separate from C. breviaristata. 



57. LEPTUKUS, R. Br. 



Inflorescence in filiform simple or raceined spikes. Spikelets mostly solitary and 

 sessile, at each joint of the alternately excavated rhachis, rarely in pairs with one 

 pedicelled. Spikelets (in our species) 1-flowered, sometimes with a second flower 

 indicated by a minute stalk rarely bearing an imperfect floret. Glumes 2 (rarely 1), 

 placed in front of the floret except in the terminal spikelet, where they are opposite, 

 rigid, coriaceous, nerved or ribbed. Palets thin or membranous, the lower keeled, 

 sometimes awned from the mid-nerve : callus minute, naked or bearded. Stamens 

 3 (or 1 V). Scales 2, entire. Ovary smooth : stigmas sessile, distant and terminal. 

 Grain free. 



A small genus, chiefly of low annuals, often found on the sea-coast and in saline soils in most 

 parts of the world. 



1. L. paniculatus, Nutt. Culms 6 to 24 inches high, leafy below: leaves 

 narrow with cartilaginous rough margins and point ; ligule conspicuous, the loose 

 sheaths compressed-keeled : panicle of 3 to 10 recurved secund distant spikes, the 

 lower 3 or 4 inches long, shorter above, 3-angled and rough ; spikelets 1^ to 2 lines 

 long : glumes suddenly narrowing to awn-like points, the upper and longer barely 

 equalling the floret, very rough on the single nerve : lower palet but partly covered 

 by the glumes, membranous and scabrous where exposed, 3-rierved and mucronate- 

 pointed ; upper about equalling the lower, 2-toothed. Gen. i. 81 ; Torrey, Pacif. 

 K. Rep. iv. 157. Rottbcellia paniculata, Spreng. 



Monterey (Dr. Canfidd), and elsewhere by Nuttall and Fremont; New Mexico (Fendler, Bigelow); 

 Texas (Reversion), and eastward to Illinois. Plant mostly pale green, the leaves twisting spirally 

 in drying. 



2. L. Bolanderi, Thurber. Culms forming small tufts 2 to 5 inches high, often 

 geniculate and with a few branches from the base : leaves 3 to 6 lines long, con- 

 volute, mucronate at apex ; ligule a line or more long, acute, decurrent ; sheaths 

 loose, striate, scarious margined : spike 1 to 2 inches long, sometimes recurved, very 

 slender ; spikelets 2 to 3 lines long, single or sometimes 2 at each joint, the second 

 spikelet on a stout grooved pedicel half its own length : glumes very thick, except 

 at the scarious margin, the upper and slightly shorter 2 - 3-nerved, the lower 5-nerved : 

 floret shorter than the lower glume ; lower palet indistinctly 5-nerved, smooth and 

 shining below, scabrous near the irregularly 2-toothed apex, the niidnerve excurrent 

 as an awn nearly as long as the palet ; the brief callus with unequal coarse hairs 

 about \ as long as the palet : upper palet equalling or slightly exceeding the lower, 

 rough on the nerves and 2-toothed above ; rudiment very minute, plumose with hairs 

 not exceeding those of the callus. Bolauder, Catalogue, 35. 



Russian River (Bolander, n. 4669) ; Yreka, Greene. This was distributed by Mr. Bolander 

 with the above name, but no description has been published. His specimens, so far as exam- 

 ined, had but a single spikelet at the joint. No one appears to have met with it until Mr. 

 Greene in 1879 collected a still more slender form, the larger specimens having the spikelets in 

 pairs. The plant is dark purple throughout, a magnifier showing the color to be disposed in 

 minute lines. The floret with its awn, basal hairs, and rudiment, bears a strong resemblance to 

 that of a Calamagrostis. The rudiment is very minute, not exceeding \ of a line in length. 



