32 PATAGONIAN EXPEDITIONS I BOTANY. 



oblonga, 7-8 mm. longa, callo obtuso, 0.7 mm. longo, breviter barbulata, 

 livide viridula, tota pilis erecto-patulis, griseo-albis, c. i mm. longis, 

 versus margines densioribus hirtula, in aristam continue abiens, apice sine 

 corona, arista 2.5 cm. longa, rigidula, paullo infra medium geniculata, 

 columna subflexuosa, basi eodem modo ac gluma hirsuta, pilis sursum 

 decrescentibus, seta glabra, scabra ; palea glumam aequans, oblonga, acu- 

 tiuscula, convoluta, dorso pilis parvis adsperso, apice barbata ; antherae 4 

 mm. longae, apice barbulatae. 



Description. Perennial, cespitose, with extravaginal innovations; 

 culms cylindrical, glabrous, up to 50 cm. tall, 3-nodose, the uppermost 

 node above the middle of the culm ; sheaths shorter than the internodes, 

 glabrous, the lowest squamiform ; ligules very short, truncate, ciliate ; 

 leaf-blades narrow, linear, convolute, junciform, acute, the lowest ones up 

 to 20 cm. long, rigid, glaucescent, glabrous, densely nerved on their upper 

 side; panicle linear, contracted, lax, 12-15 cm - l n g; rachis at the nodes 

 2-pedicelliferous, pedicels erect, filiform, puberulous, the lowest ones about 

 5 cm. long, 2-spiculate, the other ones i-spiculate, spikelets laxly 

 disposed, the uppermost ones very short pedicellate ; spikelets linear-lan- 

 ceolate, about 1 1 mm. long, light-green to garter-blue variegated ; sterile 

 glumes subequal (I 10 mm., II 1 1 mm. long) lanceolate, in the lower half, 

 part violet on the back, else light green, thinly membranaceous, medial 

 nerve scabrous ; fertile glume linear-oblong, 7-8 mm. long, livid pale green, 

 hirtellous all over, with shortly barbulate, obtuse callus 0.7 mm. long; 

 crown none; awn 2.5 cm. long, rigidulous, genuflect a little below the 

 middle, lower part twisted, hirsute at the base like the glumes, hairs 

 gradually shortening upwards, seta scabrous ; palea as long as the glume, 

 oblong, acutish, convolute, covered with small and sparse hairs on the 

 back ; stamens 4 mm. long, barbulate at the top. 



The present species is not very much akin to the American species of 

 the same genus, but stands close to Stipa sibirica Lam. The last differs 

 from S. hirtiflora by longer, broader, usually plane, scabrous leaves, by 

 denser panicle richer in flowers and with 3-5 rays at the nodes of the 

 rachis, by 3-nerved empty glumes, about 8 mm. long and floral glumes of 

 the same length and by awn being glabrous or at the most scabrous- 

 puberulous at the base, but never covered with long hairs. D. 



