120 



Fig. 89. Scleropogon brevifolius Philippi. — a, A staminate or male spikelet; 

 b, a male floret; c, dorsal view of a fertile flowering glume, the long awns re- 

 moved; d, the pistil. 



89. SCLEROPOGON Philippi, Sert. Mendoc. 2 : 47. 1871. Spikelets unisex- 

 ual, the staminate and pistillate unlike, 2- to many-flowered. Staminate spike- 

 lets many-flowered; glumes narrow, acute, 3-nerved, awnless, the two lower 

 empty, unequal, somewhat smaller than the floral glumes; flowering glumes 

 sometimes minutely 3-dentate at apex. Palea narrow, rigid, nearly equaling the 

 glume, 2-carinate, 2-dentate. Stamens 3; ovary rudimentary. Pistillate spike- 

 lets 1- to many-flowered, sterile above; 2 lower glumes empty, persistent, very 

 unequal, larger than in the staminate spikelets; flowering glumes rigid, nar- 

 row, convolute about the flower, the three nerves produced into very long, 

 slender, divergent, and somewhat twisted awns; uppermost sterile glumes like 

 the flowering glumes, but thinner or reduced to slender awns. Palea rather 

 rigid, very narrow, inclosed by the flowering glume. Staminodia none. Styles 

 distinct, elongated; stigmas subplumose, with short hairs. Caryopsis narrow, 

 elongated, included in the glume, free. Perennial, csespitose or repent grasses, 

 branched at base or stoloniferous. Panicle nearly simple, with short branches. 



Species 1, southern Colorado southward to Chile. 



