GRAMINEJB. (GRASS FAMILY.) 549 



from the base; panicle very simple and raceme-like, few-flowered; won 2-3 

 times the length of the rather hairy whitish palece. (Urachne, Trin.) Hill-sides, 

 &c., in rich woods; common northward. May. Leaves concave, keelless, 

 rough-edged, pale underneath, lasting through the winter. Squamula? lanceo- 

 late, almost as long as the inner palea ! 



3. O. Cauadensis, Torr. Culms slender (6'- 15' high), the lowest 

 sheaths leaf-bearyag ; leaves involute-thread-shaped; panicle contracted (l'-2' 

 long)', the branches usually in pairs ; palese pubescent, whitish ; awn short and 

 very deciduous, or wanting. (O. parviflora, Nutt. Stipa juncea, Michx. S. Can- 

 adensis, Poir. Milium pungens, Torr. Urachne brevicaudata, Trin.) Rocky 

 hills and dry plains, W. New England to Wisconsin, and northward; rare. 

 May. Glumes 1" -2" long, sometimes purplish. Through the species, or 

 perhaps variety, Urachne micrantha, Trin., this genus is strictly connected with 

 Stipa. 



14. STIPA, L. FEATHER-GRASS. 



Spikelets 1 -flowered, terete : the flower falling away at maturity, with the con- 

 spicuous obconical bearded and often sharp-pointed stalk (callus), from the mem- 

 branaceous glumes. Lower palea coriaceous, cylindrical-involute, closely em- 

 bracing the smaller upper one and the cylindrical grain, having a long and 

 twisted or tortuous simple awn jointed with its apex (naked in our species). 

 Stamens mostly 3. Stigmas plumose. Perennials, with narrow involute leaves 

 and a loose panicle. (Name from OTVTT?;, tow, in allusion to the flaxen appear- 

 ance of the feathery awns of^he original species.) 



*= Callus or base of the Jlower short and blunt ; glumes pointless. 



1. S. Richard sonii, Link. Culm (l-2 high) and leaves slender; 

 panicle loose (4' -5' long), with slender few-flowered branches; glumes nearly 

 equal, oblong, acutish (2" long), about equalling the pubescent linear-oblong 

 lower palea, which bears a tortuous or geniculate awn 6" - 8" long. Pleasant 

 Mountain, near Sebago Lake, Maine, C. J. Sprague ; and northwestward. 

 (Flowers rather smaller than in Richardson's plant, as described by Trinius 

 and Ruprecht.) 



*# Callus or base of the Jlower pungently pointed : at maturity villous-bearded : lower 

 palea slender and minutely bearded at the tip : glumes taper-pointed. 



2. S. avenacea, L. (BLACK OAT-GRASS.) Culm slender (l-2 

 high) ; leaves almost bristle-form ; panicle open ; palece blackish, nearly as long a* 

 the almost equal glumes (about 4" long), the awn bent above, twisted below (2'- 

 3' long). Dry or sandy woods, S. New England to Wisconsin, and (chiefly) 

 southward. July. 



3. S. spartea, Trin., not of Hook. (PORCUPINE GRASS.) Culm rather 

 stout (l-3 high) ; panicle contracted ; palece linear, f'-l' long (including the 

 long callus), pubescent below, shorter than the lanceolate slender subulate-pointed 

 greenish glumes ; the twisted strong awn 3^' - 7' long, pubescent below, rough 

 above. (S. juncea, Pursh?) Plains and prairies, from Illinois and N. Michi 

 gan northwestward. 



