50 Festuceae 



sessile, 3-7-flowered, 4-6 mm. long; empty glumes compressed, 

 about 2.5 mm. long; flowering glume ovate, smooth, erose at 

 apex, 2.8-3.1 mm. long, with soft hairs on the keel and lower 

 part of the lateral nerves; palea 2.5-2.8 mm. long, ciliate or 

 pubescent on the keels. 



Common in moist places in all our valleys. Native of Europe. 



2. P. infirxna H. B. K. Annual ; culms slender, spreading, 1-2 

 dm. long; sheaths compressed, loose; ligule 2 mm. long; leaves 

 smooth; panicle ovoid, 2-4 cm. long, its branches mostly in pairs 

 bearing 2-5 spikelets above; spikelets subsessile, oblong, 2-4- 

 flowered, 3-4 mm. long; empty glumes scarious on the tips and 

 margins, the second larger than the first, 2-2.2 mm. long; flower- 

 ing glume broadly oval, about 3 mm. long, scarious toward the 

 apex and on the margins, ciliate on the keels and margins below ; 

 palea nearly equaling the glume, ciliate on the keels. 



In moist rather shady places. Glenn Ranch, Lytle Creek. 



** Perennials. 



3. P. pratensis L. (KENTUCKY BLUE-GRASS.) Perennial; 

 culms terete, glabrous, from running rootstocks, 3-6 dm. high ; 

 sheaths smooth ; ligule truncate, 1.5 mm. long; leaves of the ster- 

 ile shoots flat, abruptly concave-pointed, those of the culms 3, 

 smooth or scabrous; panicle usually rather open pyramidal, its 

 branches in half whorls of 3-6, densely flowered on the upper 

 half; spikelets 3-6-flowered, 4-7 mm. long; empty glumes acute, 

 scabrous on the keels, first 2.5-3 mm. long, second 3-3.5 mm. 

 long; flowering gluine webbed at the base, scabrous toward the 

 apex, pubescent on the marginal nerves and on the keel below ; 

 palea linear, 2.5-3 mm. long, scabrous on the keels. 



Frequent in lawns and occasional in mountain meadows. Bear Valley; 

 Cuyamaca. 



4. P. Fendleriana (Steud.) Vasey. Perennial; culms tufted, 

 3-7 dm. high, usually dioecious; leaves of sterile shoots usually 

 flat, 6-10 cm. long, 2 mm. wide, culm leaves 2-3, conduplicate, 

 1-10 cm. long; ligule 3-5 mm. long; panicle spike-like, 8-12 cm. 

 long, its branches in 2's or 3's, flower-bearing on the upper half; 

 spikelets ovate-lanceolate, flattish, often tinged with purple, 3-7- 

 flowered; empty glumes nearly equal, compressed, 4-5 mm. 



