1903] NEW WESTERN PLANTS ST 
entire, obtuse, decurrent on the margins of the sheaths. Pur- 
plish panicle ovate, 3-7°™ long; rays 2-4, unequal in length, 
ascending, scabrous toward their distal ends, branched beyond 
the middle; spikelets usually 3-5-flowered, 5™™ long, narrowly 
lanceolate to linear, upon thickened purplish pedicels; glumes 
obscurely nerved, glabrous, purplish, lower broadly obovate and 
a trifle longer than 1™™", upper 2.5™™ long, 3-nerved at the base; 
lower palet obscurely 3-5-nerved, of the same purple color 
except the brown hyaline tip, obtuse, averaging 3™™ long, 
broadly elliptical; upper palet at least equal in length, bifid, 
slightly scabrous on the 2 nerves above the middle; stamens 3, 
the anthers linear and nearly 2™ long; rachis thickened at the 
insertion of the flowers, puberulent, terminating in a rudimen- 
tary flower, each of the joints about 1.5™™ long; styles 2, with 
rather short and sparsely plumose stigmas, inserted separately 
upon the glabrous ovary; lodicules present. 
This grass is certainly closely allied to the genus Poa, in distinction from 
which it is chiefly characterized by its linear spikelets, shorter and very 
unequal glumes; it also bears a strong resemblance to the genus Panic- 
ularia, from which it is at once distinguished by its obscurely nerved glumes 
and palets. It is unlike P. Zemmoni (V.) Scb. in its smaller size, le 
culms and panicles, appressed and fewer flowered spikelets. Mr. : 
Cusick collected it in a moist alkaline meadow at Cold Spring on the Paty 
Prineville road of Crook county, Oregon, June, Igot. Type specimen 
(number 2621) is in my herbarium. 
Sitanion albescens, n. sp.— A cespitose annual or biennial, with 
smooth or sparsely woolly cord-like roots. Culms many, 1-2 °™ 
high, erect, striate and glaucous green below the spike, barely 
exceeding the uppermost sheath. Blades numerous, coriaceous, 
crowded below the middle of the stem, rigidly involute, smooth 
and light green on the outer surface, ridged and cinereous pubes- 
cent on the inner side, slightly scabrous along the edges, usually 
slender and ascending, 3-8™ long; sheaths overlapping, striate, 
smooth, glaucous green, persistent and marcescent near the base, 
open at the throat; ligule 5 ™™ broad, frequently produced on 
the sides into callous tips. Spike 7° long, barely exceed- 
ing the leaves, breaking up readily at its nodes, light green 
when in flower but soon turning purplish-gray; internodes of 
