GRAMINACEAE (GRASS FAMILY) 43 



C. Panicle dense, 5-12 cm. long; plant 1.5-6 dm. high; spikelets 5-6 mm. long. 



W. C. E. T. spicatum (NARROW FALSE OAT) 



CC. Panicle not dense, 12-20 cm. long; plants 3-12 dm. high; spikelets 6-8 mm. 



long. 



D. Leaf sheath glabrous; lemma 5-6 mm. long, awn arising below the cleft. 



W. C. E. T. cernuum (NODDING FALSE OAT) 



DD. Leaf sheath pubescent; lemma 6-7 mm. long, awn arising at the cleft. 



W. C. E. T. canescens (SILVERY FALSE OAT) 



DANTHONIA (OAT-GRASS) 



Spikelets solitary or in a raceme or panicle. Glumes narrow, keeled, 

 acute, awnless, usually as long as the spikelet. Lemma rounded on the 

 back, awned, with 2 firm scarious terminal lobes ; awn twisted, bent, arising 

 between the lobes. Grain glabrous, free. (Honor of Etienne Danthoine, 

 a French botanist.) The ist and 3rd are good range grasses. 



A. Spikelets in a narrow close panicle, ascending. 



B. Callus elongate, densely hairy. W. C. E. D. intermedia (SMALLER OAT-GRASS) 

 BB. Callus very short, with a few short hairs. W. E. D. pinetorum 



AA. Spikelets solitary or spreading in a loose panicle. 



C. Spikelets 3-10; leaf sheath only slightly hairy; apex of lemma with 2 teeth 2-3 

 mm. long. E. D. calif ornica (CALIFORNIA OAT-GRASS) 



CC. Spikelets 1-4; leaf sheath quite hairy; apex of lemma with 2 awl-like teeth 



3-10 mm. long. 

 D. Spikelets usually 2-4; lemma abruptly narrowed, 6-8 mm. long. W. C. 



D. americana 



DD. Spikelets usually only i; lemma not abruptly narrowed, 8-10 mm. long. E. 



D. unispicata (MOUNTAIN OAT-GRASS) 



AVENA (OATS) 



Annual or perennial. Spikelets few-flowered, rarely i-flowered, in a loose 

 panicle ; rachilla hairy under the lemma. Glumes scarious at least at the 

 apex, lanceolate, nearly equal. Lemma smaller than the glumes, rounded 

 on the back, 5-n-veined, 2-cleft at the apex, awned; awn dorsal, twisted. 

 Palet narrow, 2-toothed. Stamens 3. Grain deeply grooved. (The Latin 

 name.) 



A. Lemma awn 2-4 cm. long, abruptly bent near the middle, arising near middle of 



lemma. W. E. Sometimes cut for hay. A. fatua (WILD OATS) 



AA. Lemma awn 2 cm. or less long, not or hardly abruptly bent, arising f way up 



lemma. 



B. Annual; spikelets 20-25 mm. long, 2-3 -flowered; glumes g-n-veined. W. E. 



This is common cultivated oats, one of our best grain crops. A. sativa (OATS) 



BB. Perennial; spikelets 10-15 mm. long, 3-6-flowered; glumes 3~5-veined. E. 



A. striata (PERENNIAL OATS) 



FESTUCEAE (Blue-grass Tribe). Inflorescence a panicle, spikelike 

 or spreading. Spikelets 2- to many-flowered, very rarely i -flowered ; glumes 

 keeled, acuminate to obtuse, shorter than the first lemma. Lemma entire 

 to 3-cleft, awnless; awns terminal, rarely dorsal. Palet 2-keeled. 



