PIPER NORTH AMERICAN SPECIES OF FESTUCA. 47 



DESCRIPTION. 



Densely tufted; culms smooth, 10 to 20 cm. high, nearly covered by the overlap- 

 ping sheaths; sheaths smooth, about6 to each culm; ligule truncate, scarious, 0.5 mm. 

 long; blades closely involute, very smooth, erect, 5 to 8 cm. long; panicle consisting 

 of few to several (2 to 15) large purple spikelets; spikelets 10 to 14 mm. long, 2 to 

 4-fiowered; joints of the rachilla hispidulous, 1 to 1.5 mm. long; glumes subequal, 

 lanceolate, smooth or minutely scabrous, 10 to 15 mm. long, nearly equaling the 

 spikelet; lemma minutely scabrous, elliptic-lanceolate, 8 to 10 mm. long, bearing a 

 short, straight awn; palea shorter than the lemma, bidentate at apex, scabrous on 

 the nerves, the inflexed sides half as broad as the internerve. 



A very peculiar species upon which Fournier founded the genus Helleria, which, 

 however, seems not distinct enough from Festuca. The species was poorly figured 

 by H. B. K., but has been finely plated by Hemsley.^' 

 The following specimens have been examined: 



Crater of Nevado de Toluca, Pr ingle 4304, Rose & Painter 8017. 



Iztaccihuatl, Purpus 27. 



Perote, Nelson 45. 



Volcano Toluca, N'elson 8. 



Mount Orizaba, Liebmann. 



Festuca procera H. B. K. 



Festuca procera H. B. K. Nov. Gen. & Sp. 1: 154. 1815. ''Crescit locis alsis, sub- 

 frigidis regni Quitensis prope Chillo, San Antonio de Lulumbamba et Lloa, inter 

 alt. 1280 et 1470 hexap." 



Biplachne procera Spreng. Syst. 1:351.1825. ''Quito." Festuca orgyalis W\\\A. 

 in herbarium and F. procera Humb. are cited as synonyms. 



Festuca orgyalis Willd.; Fourn. Mex. PI. 2: 124. 1886. Based on Biplachne pro- 

 cera Spreng. 



Fournier cites as a Mexican specimen Bonpland's no. 2285 in Herbarium Mus. Par. 

 "absque loco, e Nova-Hispania, " and further remarks that it differs from F. procera 

 H. B. K. especially in its smooth culm, implying that F. orgyalis is distinct from that. 

 Hemsley cites F. orgyalis as from South Mexico — on the authority of Humboldt and 

 j^^ Bonpland. ^/But F. orgyalis is founded on the name Biplachne procera Spreng. and 

 on nothing else;, and this in turn seems clearly founded on Festuca proceraH. B. K., 

 notwithstanding that Sprengel says "culmo procero glabro," while H. B. K. have it 

 "culmo scabro." The literary evidence indicates that the supposed Mexican speci- 

 men of Bonpland is probably some of the original material of Festuca procera. The 

 species is unknown to us. 



Festuca mirabilis sp. nov. 



Densely tufted; culms very stout, 1 to 2 meters high, 4-jointed, cylindric, smooth, 

 faintly striate; sheaths striate, scabrous, mostly shorter than the internodes; blades 

 pale-green, firm, mostly folded, 3 to 5 mm. broad, striate and scabrous on both sides, 

 50 to 80 cm. in length, long-attenuate to the apex; ligule scarious, truncate, short 

 on the basal leaves, 4 to 5 mm. long on the culm leaves; panicle 20 to 30 cm. 

 long, rather loose, usually secund, somewhat drooping, equaled or overtopped by 

 the uppermost leaf; axis smooth below, scabrous above; rays in about seven series, 

 usually in twos, slender, scabrous, simple or with but few branches, spikelet-bearing 

 at the tips; spikelets yellowish-green, strongly flattened, 5 to 7-flowered, 1.5 to 2 cm. 

 long; joints of the rachilla cylindric, 1 to 2 mm. long, strongly scabrous-hirtellous; 

 glumes subulate, the lower l-nerved, 7 mm. long, the upper 3-nerved, 10 mm. long; 



«Biol. Centr. Am. Bot. 3: 528. pi. 102 b. 



