No. 49. 
} 
ERAGROSTIS PURSHII Shrad. 
Plant annual, diffuse, spreading from a tufted base. 
Roots sometimes secondary from lower nodes, seldom branched. 
Culms ascending, often prominently geniculate, slightly compressed, a 
grooved or flattened above each sheath, smooth, often branching below, 15 to 2 
inches t 
Leaves of sterile culms rather numerous, with flat or slightly involute blades : 
3 to 6 inches long; of stem 3 or 4; sheath 1 to 2 lines wide, 4 to 7 inches long; 
ligule a spreading tuft of fine white hairs 14 lines long. 
Inflorescence a rather loose, oblong panicle, 5 to 7 inches long; rachis angular, 
somewhat flexuous, branches 1, 2, or 3 in a place, 2 to 4 inches long, with few or no 
hairs at the axis, bearing 12 to 20 appressed spikelets on angular, twisted, hispid 
pedicels of varying lengths. 
Spikelets linear-lanceolate, 5- to 10-flowered, 2 to 34 lines long; internodes. of 
slender rachilla 4 line long; first glume ovate, acuté, minutely hispid on back 
above, 1-nerved, 4 line long; second glume same as first but nearly twice as large; 
floral glumes broadly ovate, acutish, convex, scarious, 3-nerved, 3 to nearly 1 line 
long; palet linear-oblong, minutely pubescent on the 2 nerves, 2 line long, arched, 
egaenen) on the rachilla after the seed falls with the floral glume. : 
nm amber colored, oblong, 4 line long. 
oe LIX; a, spikelet with pedicel; b, empty glumes; bY, and b”, apexes 
of empty glumes; ¢, floral glume, dorsal and side view; d, palet. 
Texas to Arizona and Mexico. In the others States this species seems to 
be confused with Eragrostis pilosa. 
