GRASS FAMILY. 



i 7 . Poa alsodes A. Gray. Grove Meadow-grass. (Fig. 475 .) 



Poa alsodes A. Gray, Man. Ed. 2, 562. 1856. 



Culms 8 x -2^ tall, erect, slender, simple, smooth 

 and glabrous. Sheaths usually longer than the inter- 

 nodes; ligule y^ ff long; leaves usually rough, \"-i" 

 wide, those of the culm 2 / -8 / in length, the basal 

 longer; panicle 3> / -8 / in length, the branches spread- 

 ing or ascending, 1%'-$' long, spikelet-bearing at the 

 ends; spikelets 2-3-flowered, about 2j" long; scales 

 very acute, the empty basal ones unequal, the lower 

 i-nerved, the upper 3-nerved; flowering scales about 

 i" long, webbed at the base, the midnerve pubescent 

 near the base, the marginal nerves naked, the inter- 

 mediate ones very faint. 



In woods and thickets, Nova Scotia to Ontario and 

 Minnesota, south to North Carolina and Tennessee May- 

 June. 



18. Poa Wdlfii Scrilm. Wolfs Spear-grass. 



(Fig. 476.) 

 Poa Wolfii Scribn. Bull. Torr. Club, ai: wg. 1894. 



Culms 2-3 tall, erect, slender rnooth and 



glabrous. Sheaths shorter than the internodes; ligule 

 X" long; leaves i" wide or less, smooth beneath. 

 rough above, those of the culm 2^4' in length, the 

 basal much longer; panicle 3'-6' in length, lax, its 

 branches erect or ascending, flexuous, l#'-a#' long; 

 spikelets 2-4-flowered, 2#"-j" long; scales acute. 

 the lower unequal, 3-ncrved, glabrous, rough on the 

 keel, the first shorter than the second; flowering scales 

 about ~i" long, copiously webbed at the base, 5-nenred, 

 the marginal and midnerves silky-pubescent for more 

 than half their length, the intermediate nerves promi- 

 nent, naked. 



Illinois, Tennessee and Kansas. 



19. Poa brevifolia Muhl. Short-leaved Spear-tfra-.-. 1 i- ;; 



Poa brevifolia Muhl. Gram. 138. 1817. 



Culms i-3 tall, erect or spreading, slender, 

 smooth, glabrous. Sheaths often shorter than the 

 internodes; ligule Y^'-iYi" l n g; leaves smooth 

 beneath, rough above, i // -2 // wide, abruptly acute, 

 those of the culm >z / -4 / long, the uppermost 

 sometimes almost wanting; basal leaves usually 

 equalling or nearly as long as the culm; panicle 

 2)^ '-5' in length, open, the branches ascending, 

 widely spreading or often reflexed, !%'-$' long, 

 spikelet-bearing at the ends; spikelets 3-6-flow- 

 ered, 2^ // -3X // lon g; empty basal scales unequal, 

 acute, glabrous, the lower i-nerved, the upper 3- 

 nerved; flowering scales slightly webbed at the 

 base, 2 // -2^ // long, obtuse, 5-nerved, the keel and 

 marginal nerves sparingly pubescent, the inter- 

 mediate nerves prominent, naked. 



In rocky woods, New Jersey and Pennsylvania' to Illinois, south to 

 Tennessee. April-June. 



14 



North Carolina 



