No. 30. 

 CHLORIS CILIATA Swartz, var. TEXAN A Vasey n. var. 



Plant annual. 



Culms tufted, erect, compressed, glabrous, branching only at the base. 



Leaves of the stem 3 to 5; sheaths not contiguous, glabrous, conspicuously 

 striate, rarely loose; blades 1 to 2 lines wide, 9 inches or less long, flat or some- 

 times involute, scabrous on the margins. 



Inflorescence a short-pedunculate cluster of 4 to 6 sessile spikes. Spikes 2| to 3| 

 inches long, slightly spreading; spikelets in 2 rows along one side of the slen- 

 der scabrous rachis, inserted in each row at intervals of about f line. 



Spikelets 1 to 1| lines long, truncate-cuneate, compressed. 



Glumes 4; first and second lanceolate-oblong, acute, 1-nerved (nerves scabrous 

 on the back) first about one-half the length of the spikelet, second nearly as long 

 as the spikelet and with a short scabrous point; third (flowering) glume very 

 broadly oblong, acute, 3-nerved (2 lateral nerves nearly marginate), sharply 

 folded down the middle, densely long-pilose on the median nerve and on the middle 

 third of the marginal nerves, bearing below the apex a short straight scabrous awn 

 about one-half the length of the spikelet; fourth (sterile) glume broadly truncate- 

 cuneate, 3-nerved, glabrous, folded down the middle, awned like the flowering 

 glume. 2 or 3 additional successively smaller rudiments of glumes, of similar shape 

 but unawued, often present. Rachilla short-pilose between the second and third 

 glumes. 



Flower single, hermaphrodite. Palet ovate, acute, 2-nerved, margins folded 

 inward, nerves ciliate, body of the palet curved inward transversely and outward 

 longitudinally. Stamens 3; anthers ovate-sagittate, \ line long. Stigmas cylin- 

 drical. 



Grain not seen. Rachilla when mature disarticulating above the second glume. 



PLATE XXX; a, spikelet; b and c, same, with the parts spread open and the 

 rachilla broken at the point of disarticulation. 



This variety (?) differs conspicuously from the type in the longer spikes; but we 

 lack authentic specimens for comparison. It was collected near Brownsville, Texas, 

 and probably is not found far from the coast. 



