No. 48. 
ERAGROSTIS OXYLEPIS Torr. (Poa interrupta Nutt.) 
Plant annual or a short-lived perennial, from slightly enlarged base, light 
green, usually tinged with purple, especially in the inflorescence. 
Roots with abundant coarse root hairs, sometimes branching. 
Culms ascending, prominently geniculate, hollow, not branching, terete, 
smooth, 1 to 2 feet tall. 
Leaves numerous; from abortive culms, involute, 8 to 12 inches long; of stem 
2 or 3; sheaths nearly equaling or usually exceeding the lower internodes, smooth, 
open above but appressed to culm, blade involute with slender rigid point, 3 to 6 
inches long; ligule a dense tuft of fine hairs 2 lines long. 
Inflorescence an irregular, oblong panicle, of dense clusters vikelets nearly 
sessile on the branches, which are short above, the lower some: mes 1 to 3 inches 
long, erect, and at irregular intervals on the rachis. 
Spikelets oblong-lanceolate, compressed, 2 to 3 lines wide, 7 to 9 lines long, 20- 
to 30-flowered; internodes of zigzag rachilla } line long, with minute pubescence at 
each node; first glume narrowly ovate, acute, carinate, 1-nerved, hispid on the 
keel, scarcely 1 line long; second glume same as first but $line longer; floral glumes 
ovate, acute, carinate, hispid on keel above, 3-nerved, 1} to 2 lines long; palet 
elliptical, cleft at apex, ciliate on the two reflexed arched marginal nerves, 1 to 14 
lines long. 
_ Grains not abundant, translucent amber color, narrowly onical, nearly 4 
line long. 
Puate XLVIII, 1; a, empty glumes; 
ce, palet. 
PuatEe XLVIII, 2; another form, with panicle more interrupted and branches 
longer; a’, empty glumes ; 6’, floral glume, dorsal and side views ; ¢’, palet. 
6, floral glume dorsal and side views; 
Gulf States, Texas, and northward to Kansas, » 
