868 



POACE^. 



This has been confounded with I), calycina Presl, which see. 

 6. D. osespitosa (L.) Beiuiv. Agrost. Itl, /. JS, f. 3 (1812). 

 Aira ccpspitosa \j. Sp. PI. 64 (1753). There is a very large num- 

 ber of other synonyms. 



A tul'tcd perennial, 60-120 cm. liigh. Ligule sliort. or long and 

 acute; blades rather stilf, the lower 30-50 cm. long, 3 mm. or less 



in width, often Hat, deeply grooved on 

 the upper side, scabrid. Panicle i)yram- 

 idal or oblong, 1-3 cm. long, rays slen- 

 der, bearing spikelets above the middle. 

 Spikelets 'I- (rarely 3-) ilowered, com- 

 pressed, shining, brownish, lead-colored 

 or i)ur})lisli, first emi)ty glume linear, 

 acute or obtuse or linear-lanceolate, 1-3- 

 nerved, 3-6 mm. long, second glume 

 oval, acute, a little longer, 3-nerved, the 

 lateral nerves obscure; Horets 2.7—1 mm. 

 long, overlapi»ing about half their length, 

 tlie base sparingly hairy, awn starting 1 

 mm. or less from the base, equalling the 

 glume or longer or shorter; iloral glume 

 usually thinner than the empty glumes, 

 oval, truncate. -1-5-toothed or jagged, 5- 

 (rarely 7-) nerved ; palea broad, as long 

 as its glume or shorter, 2-toothed. 



Vermont, Pringle; Michigan, Beal 

 82, Clark ^b, 30; Minnesota, Bailey M 

 424; Montana, Anderson 59, Buff urn C 

 43, C 53, C 03, C 73 ; Colorado, CassUly; 

 Alaska, Merriain iov '^oX. Herb. Ill, 133; California, Jowe^ 2579, 

 Parish 1543. 



Very variable and widely distributed in the north and south 

 temperate aiul arctic aiul mountain regions. Found in New Eng- 

 land and across the continent to Alaska. The European form is 

 often viviparous. See Vol. 1, p. 37. 

 Var. alpina Vasey ined. 



FiQ. 65.— Deschampaia eas- 

 pitosa. A, spikelet; a, 

 tiorets. (Scribiier.) 



