298 I'OACK.K. 



above the ground I'roin a loiij; prostrate portion. Slicaths loose, 

 half as long a.s the iiitoniodos; liirule nearly "i nun. long; blades 

 thin, scabrid, llator 'u.olute. abont 2eni. b»ng, nearly 1 ninu wide. 

 Panicles terminal and lateral, all more or less included by the 

 sheaths, spikelike, about 1 em. long. Kmply glumes sulu-qual. 1- 

 nerved. very broad, erose, about 0.5 mm. long: lloret olive-green 

 tinged with red; lloral glume ovate when spread. .'J-nervcd. 1.5 mm. 

 long; i)alea like its glume excej)ting the nerves, whieh are )i in 

 number. 



Mexico, lUiio'nean 3'^85. Tracy from Palmer, rrimjlv XWH. 



2*'.. S. Shepherd! Vasey, Ihdl. Torn Club. 14: S (1887). 



Apjiarently annual, branching at the base; culms smooth or 

 scabrid. '^0—10 cm. high. Sheaths loose, about the length of tlie 

 intornodes; ligule lacerate. '2-;J n)m. long; blades of sterile shoots 

 few anil short, those of the culm IJ-4 in number, involute. 4-iS cm. 

 long. '2 mm. or less wide. I'anicle exserted, open, S-i".* em. long, 

 rays mostly single, the longest 5 cm. long. Spikelets often nod- 

 ding oil extremely slender pedicels, which are thickened above; 

 empty glumes obtuse when spread. ol)scurely 1-nerved, lirst oidy a 

 little shorter than the secoiul. which is 1.5 mm. long; lloral glume 

 hairy, oval, ;5-nerved, as long as the second glume; jtalea hairy, 

 broadly oval, obtuse, as long as its glume. 



The plants examined were reddish throughout. 



Mexico. Pn'iit/Ic 14:24. 



'^:. S. asperifolius (Nees) Thurb. ; S. Wats. Hot. Calif. 2:'^(1!> 

 (18S0). \'i/f(i (iKju'rifdJia Meyen, KVise 1 : :54!t, 408. Trin. Mem. 

 Acad. St. IVtersb. (\'I.) ('):!I5 (1840). Sporobnlus areiiacviix 

 IJuckl. IVoc. IMiila. Acail. \>^iVl. 8!) (18»j;5). 



Culms branching, '20-40 cm. high, asceiuling from stout creep- 

 ing rootstocks. Sheaths smooth, loose, longer than the numerous 

 short intornodes; ligule very short; blades llat. scabrous, l{-8 cm. 

 long. 2 mm. wide. Panicle included at the base; open, pyramidal, 

 10-17 cm. long; rays single or in pairs, scabrous, bjaring single 

 spikelets at the ends of the very sleiuler still" branches. S])ikelets 

 lead-color, tinged with purple; empty glumes colorless, lanceolate, 

 scabrid under a lens, 1-nerved, lirst 0.;{-0.5 mm. long, second but 



