310 GRAMINEiE. Atropis. 



at once. Specimens from localities near the coast generally have very pale green s])ikelcts, while 

 in those fi-oni the mountains, especially eastwaini, the lh)rets are more or less piir[)lc, save the 

 colorless broad margin and apex. In some sjieeimens the lower palet is minutely scabrous and 

 without the pubescence upon the nerves. The plant seems to be completely dJLecious, the staminate 

 llorets being more acute than the others. 



4. A. tenuifolia. Cuhus very slender, densely tufted, 1 to 2 feet liigli and 

 Avith the foliage glabrotis or more or less scabrous ; radical tufts 3 or 4 (rarely G) 

 inches high, of exceedingly narrowly linear mucronate-pointed leaves ; those of the 

 culm scarcely wider, }j to 1 incli long ; ligule long, pointed : panicle 2 to G inches 

 long, the erect rarely spreading distant rays mostly in threes ; spikelcts 2-5- 

 (mostly 3-) flowered, usually puberulent : glumes very acute, f as long as tlie florets, 



. rough on the midnerve, the lower occasionally and the upper strongly 3-nerved near 

 the base : lower palet barely 2 lines long, narrowly lanceolate, obtuse, often erose at 

 the apex, rough on the midnerve, the other nerves reaching about | its length, 

 ])uberulent or with a few scattered hairs near the l)ase ; upper about as long. — 

 Foa tenuifolia, Nutt. ; Buckl. in Proc. Pliil. Acad. 18G2, 96 ; Gray in same, 336, 

 excl. syn. ; Watson, Bot. King Exp. 387 ; Gray, Proc. Amer. Acad. viii. 409. 



Frequent throughout the State, from San Diego (^Cooper) to Oregon and northward, and east to 

 Colorado. According to Mr. Watson this is one of the most valuable of the " bunch grasses," 

 and the grain is collected by the natives for food. A most interesting as well as puzzling series 

 collected by Mr. Lemn)on illustrates the great variety of I'orms assumed by this species, but the 

 strikingly slender leaves are conspicuous in all. In the majority, the panicle and often the whole 

 plant is purplish, as they are in a specimen of Nuttall's Poa tenuifolia, connnunicated by the late 

 ]\Ir. Durand. 



5. A. pauciflora. Culms 2 to 2^ feet high : leaves pale green, striate-nerved, 

 finely scabr us, folded or convolute, erect and somewhat rigid ; radical clusters about 

 a foot long, narrowly linear, those of the culm Avider (about 2 lines), the uppermost 

 1 to 3 inches long, mucronate ; ligule about 2 lines long, wider than the leaf : pani- 

 cle 5 to 10 inches long, very narrow, much interrupted below with one or two soli- 

 tary distant rays ; upper rays in twos or threes, 1 or 2 inches long, erect, with short 

 2-4-flowered branches ; spikelets 1 -2-flowered : glumes nearly equal, acute, smooth, 

 3-nerved at base, the upper nearly equalling the lower floret ; lower palet 1 h lines 

 long, finely scabrous throughout, the broad apex entire or barely mucronate, tlie 

 lateral nerves extending about two-thirds its length; upper palet equalling the 

 lower, strongly ciliate on the nerves. 



"Wet Meadows, Sierra Valley, Lemmon, 1871. Apparently a perennial, of which the very long 

 iiaiTow and somewhat rigid leaves and the slender panicle are strikingly unlike those of any other 

 species. The plant bears a strong resemblance in color and general appearance to some forms of 

 Jgroslit exarata, Trin. Spikelets with one and two perfect florets are found in the same ])anicle ; 

 those with one perfect floret have a much larger abortive flower than the 2-tlowered, in which it 

 is often reduced to a minute point. 



6. A. scabrella. Culm perennial, 1^^ to 2| feet high, slender, leafy and clothed 

 below with loose; sheaths, and with the leaves, sheaths and panicle minutely sca- 

 brous : leaves flat or carinately folded, the lower G to 9 inches and the upper about 

 3 inches long, scarcely over a line Avide, curved-mucronate and rougher at the apex ; 

 ligule (at least the upper) 6 lines long, acute, and pubescent on its outer surface : 

 jianicle 4 to G inches long, narrow, somewhat dense ; rays in pairs, the lower 1^ to 2-| 

 inches long, erect, mostly branched and flower-bearing to the base ; spikelets 3-5- 

 flowered, the uppermost floret imperfect, all rather distant : glumes two-thirds as 

 long as the florets, both 3-nerved below : lower palet 2 lines long, narrowly lanceo- 

 late, prominently 5-nerved, punctulate-scabrous all over and rough-hairy on the 

 nerves, especially below, where the hairs are somewhat crisped ; apex obscurely 

 toothed or mucronate; upper palet slightly the shorter, 2-toothed at the apex, 

 strongly ciliate on the nerves and scabrous between them : stamens 3 : ovary abortive. 



Oakland, Bolantlr. Tlie six-cimens, which are without radical leaves, appear as if from a wet 

 locality. The large anthers and abortive ovary indicate that the jilant is probably dio-cious. It 



