Fescue Tribe 51 



long; flowering glume oblong, 4-5 mm. long, often denticulate at 

 the apex, scabrous; palea lanceolate, scabrous, shorter than or 

 equaling its glume. 



Frequent on dry open hillsides in the chaparral belt. 



5. P. scabrella (Thurb.) Vasey. Perennial; culms slender, 

 4-7 dm. high, scabrid; leaves of the sterile shoots flat or con- 

 duplicate, 12-20 cm. long, 1-2 mm. wide, those of the culm 2-3, 5-7 

 cm. long; ligule 5-12 mm. long; panicle rather open, 12-15 cm. 

 long, its branches in pairs, the longest 5-7 cm. long; spikelet 

 flower-bearing at least above the middle; spikelets 5-6 mm. long, 

 3-5-flowered; first empty glume 2.5 mm., the second 3 mm. long; 

 flowering glume 3 mm. long, rough, hairy on the lower part of 

 the nerves, apex denticulate; palea slightly shorter. 



Occasional in the canyons of our coast mountains. Pasadena, Davidson; 

 Santa Monica Mountains. 



35. FESTUCA L. FESCUE-GRASS. 



Mostly tufted perennial grasses with flat or convolute 

 leaves and paniculate inflorescence. Spikelets 2-several- 

 flowered. The 2 lower glumes empty, more or less un- 

 equal, acute, keeled ; flowering glumes membranous, 

 narrow, rounded on the back, 5-nerved, usually acute 

 and often awned at the apex. Palea scarcely shorter 

 than the glume. Stamens 1-3. Styles very short, dis- 

 tinct. Grain glabrous-, elongated, often adherent to the 

 glume or palea. 



1. F. microstachys (Munro) Nutt. Annual; culms slender, 

 erect, tufted, 1-4 dm. high; sheaths shorter than the internodes, 

 smooth or pubescent; ligule 0.5 mm. long or less; culm-leaves 

 2-4, erect, 3-8 cm. long, very narrow; panicle 3-10 cm. long, its 

 branches secund, divergent, remote, the longer 3-5 cm. long; 

 spikelets remote, 5-10 mm. long, 1-5-flowered; empty glumes 

 awnless, scabrous or glabrous, the first 3 mm., the second 5 mm. 

 long; flowering glume 3-4 mm. long, scabrous; awn slender, 6-8 

 mm. long. 



Occasional in the chaparral belt and in our dry interior valleys. 



