660 POACE-E. 



4. E. innovatns n. sp. 



A rather slender perennial, 60-70 cm. high, from creeping 

 rootstocks. Sterile slioots abundant, blades 20-30 cm. long, 2-3 

 mm. wide, scabrous, flat or involute, leaves of the culm 3 in num- 

 ber, sheaths shorter than the internodes; ligule very short; blades 

 4-10 cm. long. Spike erect, slightly exserted, 7-10 cm. long. 

 Spikelets puberulent, 2 at a joint, 3-4-flowered, 15 mm. long; 

 empty glumes mere bristles, 4-12 mm. long; floral glume oval- 

 lanceolate, 8-9 mm. long; palea as long as its glume. 



Montana (north fork of the Sims River in 188T), IL S. 

 Williams. 



5. E. triticoides Buckl. Proe. Acad. Pliila. 09 (1863). E. 

 Orcnttianus Vasey, Coult. Bot. (;az. 10:258 (1885). 



Rootstocks at least sometimes present. Culms rather slender^ 

 00-100 cm. high, nodes 3-5. Ligule very short; blades 15-25 cm. 

 long, erect, narrow, often involute, smooth or scabrous, the ui>per 

 equalling or exceeding the culm. S])ike 7-15 cm. long, erect, loosely 

 or rather closely flowered. Spikelets 2, sometimes 3 or only 1 at a 

 joint, 4-8-flowered, sometimes glaucous: empty glumes equal, linear- 

 lanceolate, rigid, long-pointed, 6-10 mm. long, about as long as 

 the floret; floral glume firm, lanceolate, acumiiuite or short-awned, 

 nerves indistinct below, 7 above. 



Very near to Agropyron, for which it would pass in cades Avhere 

 this jilaut is slender and has 1 spikelet at a joint. E. Onuttianns 

 Vasey is a slender or small form of the above, and perhai)s even that 

 passes insensibly into E. condcnsatns, which see for a full account. 



Washington, Stikxdorf ^V2^; Oregon, Howell; (JaWiovma, Parish 

 1102, 1162 A, Orcntt ; Arizona, linsby 909^, Pr ingle. Tourney 

 750, 762. 



Rocky Mountains, Colorado, Oregon, and California. 



6. E. condensatus Presl, Reliq. IIa?nk. 1:205 (1S30). Giant 

 Rye-guass. 



Culms in dense tufts, stout, reed-like, 1-4 m. higli. Ligule 

 very short, auricled ; blades flat, smooth, often glaucous, 2 cm. or 

 more wide. Spike 15-40 cm. long, compact or interrupted, bear- 

 ing branching clusters of spikelets at each joint. Spikelets 3-6- 



