I5 GRAMINEAE. 



30. PHIPPSIA R. Br. Suppl. App. Parry's Voy. 275. 1824. 



A low annual tufted grass, with flat leaves and spike-like [panicles. Spikelets i -flowered r 

 scales 3; the 2 outer empty, minute, the first often wanting; the third scale thin-membran- 

 ous, keeled. Palet somewhat shorter, 2-keeled. Stamen i, rarely 2 or 3. Styles short, 

 distinct Stigmas plumose. Grain oblong, enclosed in the scale and palet, which readily 

 splitand allow it to drop out. [In honor of John Constantine Phipps, 1744-1792, Arctic 

 navigator. ] 



A monotypic genus of the arctic regions. 



i. Phippsia algida (Soland.) R. Br. Phippsia. (Fig. 340.) 



Agroslis algida Solander, in Phipps' Voy. 200. 

 1810. 



Phippsia algida R. Br. Suppl. App. Parry's Voy. 

 27^ 1824. 



Smooth and glabrous throughout, culms i'-5' 

 tall, erect, simple; ligule Vz" long; leaves i' in 

 length or less, X // ~ I// wide, obtuse; panicle 

 X'-iX' in length, contracted; branches ]^'-^ r 

 long, erect or appressed; spikelets Yz"-}&' r 

 long; outer scales minute, unequal, acutish, 

 the first often wanting; third scale broad, i- 

 nerved, obtuse, or sub-truncate and somewhat 

 erose, the palet about two-thirds as long, broad, 

 2-keeled, erose-truncate, 



Arctic regions of both the Old World and the 

 New. Summer. 



31. SPOROBOLUS R. Br. Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holl. i: 169. 1810. 

 [Vii<FA Beauv. Agrost. 16. 1812.] 



Perennial or rarely annual grasses, with flat or convolute leaves and open or contracted 

 panicles. Spikelets generally small, i-flowered, occasionally 2-3-flowered. Scales in the 

 i-flowered spikelets 3, membranous; the 2 outer empty, the first somewhat shorter; the 

 third scale equalling or longer than the empty ones; palet 2-nerved. Stamens 2-3. Styles 

 very short, distinct. Stigmas plumose. Grain free, and often early deciduous. [Greek, 

 referring to the deciduous grain.] 



About 80 species, in tropical and temperate regions, very numerous in America. Besides the 

 following, 4 or 5 others occur in the southern and western United States. 



Panicle contracted, spike-like. 



Spikelets more than iK" in length. 



Panicle terminal; upper sheaths 3' long or more. 

 Leaves glabrous or very nearly so. 



Third scale of the spikelet acuminate, much longer than the second and usually 



greatly exceeded by the palet. i. S. asper. 



Third scale of the spikelet acutish or obtuse, somewhat exceeding the second 



and equalling or a little shorter than the palet. 2. 5. longifolius. 



Leaves, at least the lower, papillose-hirsute. 3. 5. pilosus. 



Panicles terminal and lateral; sheaths iM' long or less. 4. S. vaginaeflorus. 



Spikt-U-ts 1 1 A" long or less. 



Sheaths inflated, the uppermost usually enclosing the base of the panicle. 



5. 5". neglect us. 

 Sheaths not inflated; panicle exserted. . 



Brandus of the panicle not crowded; third scale acuminate. 



Outer scales of the spikelet obtuse or abruptly acute, less than half as long as the 



third scale; ligule about i" long, acutish. 6. S. brci-ifolius. 



< Miter scales of the spikelet acuminate and awn-pointed, more than half as long as 



the third scale; ligule less than #" long, erose-truncate. 7. 5. cuspidatus. 

 Branches of the panicle densely crowded; third scale acute. 



Culms decumbent and branched at the base, from a stout horizontal rootstock;. 



panicle short. 8. 5. rin?inicns. 



Culms erect, simple, tufted; panicle usually elongated. 9. 5. Indicus, 



