SPERMATOPHYTA GRAMINEAE GRASSES 355 



die from hunger and thirst. An instance is also recorded of a case where so 

 many of these needles had accumulated among the feathers of an American 

 Ostrich as to cause extensive ulceration which finally resulted in the death of 

 the bird. The old world S. inebrians acts very much like our sleepy grass. 



Stipa comata, Trin. and Rupr. Western Stipa. Needle Grass 



A rather stout, erect, caespitose perennial, 1^-4 feet high, with mostly in- 

 volute leaves; loosely-flowered panicles, 8 to 12 inches long; spikelets with 

 nearly equal, long-attenuate-pointed, empty glumes about 12 lines long, and thinly 



Fig. 146. Western Stipa or Needle Grass (Stipa comata). 



pubescent flowering glumes about 6 lines long; awn slender, 2 l / 2 -Z inches long, 

 strongly flexuose or variously curled and twisted. Distributed in western Iowa, 

 Nebraska, Utah, Oregon, California and Arizona. 



Stipa spartea. Trin. Porcupine Grass 



A stout, erect perennial, with simple culms 3 to 5 feet high; long, narrow 

 leaves and contracted, few-flowered panicles, 4 to 8 inches long; spikelets 



