47 



brachyantherum Nevski or H. nodosum var. boreale (Scribn. & Smith) 

 Hitchc. This western taxon is rare and adventive in the east. 



HYSTRIX Bottlebrush Grass 



Inflorescence a large, loosely flowered spike, the spikelets in pairs, well 



separated, horizontally spreading at maturity (ours), up to 2 cm long, 



including the awn. 



1. Hystrix patula Moench (figures 43 and 44) Bottlebrush Grass 



Wooded talus, rich rocky woods and alluvial forests. Uncommon, 

 occurring scattered throughout the state. 



A form with pubescent lemmas (f. bigeloviana (Fern.) Gl,, 

 sometimes treated as var. bigeloviana (Fern.) Deam) is found with 

 about the same degree of frequency, with no geographical or ecological 

 distinction. 



Natural hybridization between sympatric Elymus canadensis var. 

 canadensis and Hystrix patula has been postulated by Church (1954, 

 1967), and both Church and Bowden (1964) place the latter in the 

 genus Elymus, as E. hystrix L. 



ELYMUS Wild Rye 



Large grasses with dense, bristly spikes; spikelets in pairs at each rachis 

 node. Native grasses of wet woodlands, riverbanks and shores. 



A. Plants spreading, with coarse rhizomes; lemmas without awns, tapering 

 to narrowly acute apex (occasionally appearing short-awned) 



E. mollis 



A. Plants with culms tufted, rhizomes lacking; lemmas with awns nearly 

 always present. 



B. Awns of lemmas straight, more or less erect at maturity or very 

 occasionally lacking; body of glume at least twice the length of its 

 awn. 



C. Glumes 0.8-2 mm wide, flat but stiff; spike erect; leaves 3-13 

 mm wide E. virginicus 



C. Glumes narrow, bristle-like, less than 0.8 mm wide; spike 

 arching; leaves 10-20 mm wide E. riparius 



B. Awns of lemmas arching outward at maturity; body of glume 

 shorter than or equal in length to its awn. 



D. Leaves 13-24 mm wide, flat at tips or slightly involute; glumes 

 (0.5-) 1.0-2.0 mm wide E. wiegandii 



D. Leaves 5-15 mm wide, involute at tips; glumes 0.3-0.7 (-1.0) 

 mm wide E. canadensis 



1. E. mollis Trin. (figure 45) Dune Grass 



Rocky shores and sandy beaches. This northern species reaches its 



southern limit on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. We regard it as very rare 



and perhaps now extinct in N.H., as it apparently has not been 



collected in the state since 1895 (Eaton s.n., 1895, NEBC). 



