GRASS FAMILY. 



57 



I. 



32. POLYPOGON Desf. Fl. Atl. i: 66. 1798. 



Mostly annual grasses, with decumbent or rarely erect culms, flat leaves and sp, 

 anicles. Spikelcts i-flowered; scales 3; the 2 outer empty, each extended into an awn- thml 

 :ale smaller, generally hyaline, short-awned from below the apex. ,t,U,-,,ding a paid and 

 t erfect flower; palet shorter than the scale. Stamens 1-3. Styles abort, distinct. Stigma* 

 plumose. Grain free, enclosed in the scale and palet. [Greek, in allusion to the many U 

 awns which resemble a beard.] 



About 10 species, widely distributed in temperate and warm regions, rare in tin- tropic*. 

 Polypogon Monspeliensis (I,.) Desf. Kcanl-nr.. -.. 358.) 



Alofiecurus Monsfxli, -I. sj, ): ^ | 7M> 



Polypogon Monsficliensis I*f. Fl. AU. I: 67 



1798. 



Culms 2 tall or less, erect from a usually de- 

 cumbent base, smooth and glabrous. Sheath* 

 generally shorter than the interludes, looae. 

 sometimes slightly scabrous; ligule i, 1 -.. 

 long; leaves i#'-6' long, itf "-3" wide, sca- 

 brous, especially above; panicle i ' 4' in length, 

 dense and spike-like, the branches # ' in length, 

 ascending ; spikelets crowded ; outer scale* 

 about i" long, obtuse, slightly bifid, scabrous, 

 bearing a more or le* bent awn 2"-3" long; 

 third scale much shorter, erosc-truncate, hya- 

 line, bearing a delicate awn about % " long, 

 inserted below the apex. 



In waste places. New Hampshire t-i South Caro- 

 lina, mostly near the coast Very abnod.i 



n North America, from Ilriti-h Columbia U> 

 Mexico. Naturali/ed from Km. < also 



of Asia. July-Sept. 



ARCTAGROSTIS Griseb. in Ledeb. Fl. Ross. 4: 4 ;, 4 . 1853. 



A perennial grass with flat leaves and contracted panicle. Spikrlt-K i-nWrml. Scale* 

 3; the 2 outer empty, unequal, somewhat acute, membranous; the third scale exceeding 

 the second, subtending a palet and perfect flower, obtuse; palet obtust-. .' m-rvi-d. Stamen* 

 2 or 3. Styles distinct, short. Stigmas plumose. Grain oblong, free, enclosed in the Kale 

 and palet. " Seed adherent to the pericarp. [Latin, signifying an arctic Agrostis-\\]t.v grass. ] 



A monotypic genus of arctic and subarctic regions. 



i. Arctagrostis latifdlia (R. Br.) Griseb. 

 Arctagrostis. (Fig. 359.) 



Colpodium latifolium R. Br. Suppl. App. Parry's 



Voy. 286. 1824. 

 Arctagrostis lalifolia Griseb. in Ledeb. Fl. R->ss. 4: 



434- 1853. 



Culms 6 x -2 tall, erect, or sometimes decumbent 

 at the base, simple, smooth and glabrous. Sheaths 

 shorter than the internodes; ligule 2 /x long, trun- 

 cate; leaves \'--' long, i // -4 // wide, usually erect, 

 scabrous; panicle i^M^long, narrow, its branches 

 ^'-2' in length, ascending or erect; spikelets 

 i/^ // -2 // long; outer scales unequal, acutish, the 

 lower about two-thirds to three-fourths the length 

 of the upper; third scale obtuse, exceeding the 

 second, hispid on the keel. 



Greenland to Hudson Bay and Alaska. Also in 

 arctic Europe and Asia. Summer. 



