322 GKAMINE.E. J.,pturus. 



C. UNiOLOiDEs, Beauv. {Fcstuca nniohidcs, WilKl., Jlromus uniuluiJcs, HHK., li. U'iUdcnovii 

 and B. Schraderi, Kuntli), was at one time in lii^'li leputi; in France, nnder tlie name (if " Brone 

 de Schriuier," as a t'uiagc plant f'luni Australia; at aliont the same time it was cnltivated in 

 Australia as "California l'iairie-(iras.s," ami was intioduced in the Southern States as " Keseiie- 

 Grass." The species is Sonth Anieiican and is i'ound in 'i'exas and westward, but is not known 

 to occur in C'alifoinia, notwithstanding its Australian name. It lias a mostly erect jmniele and 

 minutely scabrous sjiikelets ; the jialets are very pale green above, white below, and tenninated 

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

 Nevada are diliicult to separate from 0. breviarisluta. 



67. LEPTURUS, K. Br. 



Inflorescence in filiform simple or racemed spikes. Spikelets mostly solitary ami 



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



pedicelled. 8[>ikelets (in our si)ecies) l-llowered, sometimes with a second llower 



indicated by a minute stalk rarely bearing an imperfect tloret. Gkimes 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 ?). Scales 2, entire. Ovary smooth : stigmas sessile, distant and terminal. 



Grain free. 



A small genus, ehielly of low annuals, often found on the sea-coast and in saline soils in mo.-,t 

 parts of the world. 



1. L. paniculatUS, Nutt. Culms G to 2-4 inches high, leafy below : leaves 

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

 sheaths compressed-keeled : panicle of 3 to 10 recurved secund distant s])ikes, the 

 lower 3 or 4 inches long, shorter above, 3-angleil and rough ; spikelets H to 2 lines 

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

 equalling the floret, very rough on the single nerve : lower ])alet but partly covered 

 by the glumes, membranous and scabrous where ex})Osed, 3-nerved and mncronate- 

 pointed ; upper about equalling the lowur, 2-toothed. — Gen. i. 81 ; Torrey, Paeif. 

 R. Rep. iv. 157. Iluttboillia jjuniculata, Spreng. 



Monterey (/)/•. Canfichl), and elsewhere by i\''(«/^f(?; and Fremont ; New 'Mcx'xco {Fen dlcr, Bi'jeloii); 

 Texas {Reverchon), and eastward to Illinois. Plant mostly pale green, the leaves twisting si>irally 

 in drying. 



2. L. Bolanderi, Thurber. Culms forming small tufts 2 to T) inclies high, often 

 geniculate ami wiLli a few branches from the base : leaves 3 to (1 lines long, con- 

 volute, mucronate at ai)ex ; ligule a line or mova long, acute, decurreut ; 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 o-nerved : 

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

 shining below, scabrous near the irregularly 2-toothed apex, the luidnurve excurreut 

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

 about \ as long as the palet ; upper palet equalling or sliglitly exceeding the lower, 

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

 not exceeding those of the callus. — l>olander, Catalogue, 35. 



Russian \\\\&r {Bolander, n. 4G69) ; Yreka, Grcrac. This was distributed by Mr. Bolander 

 with the above name, but no descri|>tion has been j)ublished. His specimens, so far as exam- 

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

 Greene in 1870 collected a still more slemler form, the larger .siiecimens having the s|)ikclets in 

 j)airs. The plant is dark purple throughout, a magniiier showing the color to i)e di.sjiosed in 

 ndnute lines. The floret with its awn, basal hairs, and rudiment, beai> a strong resemblance to 

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



