Ordek t56.— GBAMINE^. ^97 



base, tjompressed, 3 to 8'; Ivs. lance-linear, short, smooth, carinate, on loose, 

 glabrous sheaths ; stip. oblong, dentate ; panicle spreading, the branches gener- 

 ally solitary, at length horizontal ; spikelets ovate-oblong, rather numerous, con- 

 taining about 5, loose flowers.— <D A small, abundant, annual grass, Can, and 

 U. S., forming a dense, soft and beautiful turf. May— Sept. 



2 P. nexabsa. Muhl. Culm erect from a tufted base, 12 to 20' ; Ivs. 2 to 5' by 1^ 

 to 2 }'', gradually acute ; upper half of the culm naked, bearing a thin, open pan. ; 

 ii-anches mostly in pairs, filiform, often fleocMOus, long (2 to 3'), with the few 

 pedicellate spikelets at the end ; fls. 3 or 4, lanceolate, scarious-pointed, pubes- 

 cent but not webbed at base, the gls. about as long (2J"). — y "Woods, Va., 



■ Ky. to Ga. _ Spikelets not puqjlish. Apr. — Jl. (P. autumnalis Muhl.) 



B. SOAEioSA. Pis. of the spikelet 4 to G, narrowly lanceolate, remote, nearly 

 glabrous, with conspicuously scarioua (blunt) points. — E. Tenu. 



3 P. hezSntha. Culm weak and slender, 18 to 24', erect from the decumbent 

 lower joint ; Ivs. 3 to 5' long, very gradually attenuated, the upper reaching the 

 panicle which is very open, the branches in pairs, long h to 4'), bearin<,' the long- 

 pediceled spikelets near the end; spikelets oblong (i"},9nosily 6 (5 io lyflower^ 

 fls. remote, ohhrig, villous (not webbed) at base, very oUuse and compressed at 

 the scarious apex. — if Found at Atlanta, Ga., in meadows, perhaps a foreigner. 

 Spikelets few but large. Jn. 



4 P. dindntha. Culms in dense tufts, very slender, 18' to 2f; from fibrous roots i 

 Ivs. narrowly linear, about 3' by 1", soon reflexed, sheaths rather shorter ; ligule 

 short, truncate ; paa very slender and few-flowered, branches erect, very few, 

 solitary or 2 together ; spikelets 2 or 3 (mostly 2)-flowered ; fls. acute, obscurely 

 veined, smooth, except the copious web at base, the acute glumes much shorter. 

 — Fields, Montgomery, Ala. May, Jn. 



5 P. brevifdlia MuhL Culm compressed, 1 to 2f; Ivs. of the culm about 2, flat, 

 oblong, cuspidate and pungent, lower about 1' long, upper 6", root Ivs. long and 

 narrow, all erect, keeled and pungent at the point; ligule truncate, lacerate; 

 sheaths nearly as long as the nodes ; pan. loose, branches filiform, in pairs ; spike- 

 lets ovate, 3 to 4-flowered ; fls. rather obtuse, aj" long, sUghtly webbed, y Penn. 

 (Jackson) to Va. and 111. Spikelets often tinged with purple. Apr., May. (P. 

 pungens Nutt. P. euspidata Bart.) 



6 P. debilis Torr. Culm erect 18' to 2f; Ivs. lance-linear, flat, gradually acule; 

 ligule oblong, acute; pan. loose, few-flowered, some spreading, branches mostly in 

 pairs, flexuous; spikelets ovate, obtuse; 3 (rarely 2)-flowered; fls. very obtuse, 

 IJ" long, faintly 3-veiued, webbed at base; palea green; glumes ovate, acute. — 

 Rocky woods, Conn, to III. 



7 P. laza Hcenke. Culm csespitous, 6 — 8' ; Ivs. linear, acute, erect ; stip. lanceo- 

 late; pan. 1 — 2' long, contracted, nodding, branches mostly in pairs, smooth, 

 flexuous; spikelets 2 J'' long, ovate, 3-flowercd; fls. often purple, acute, hairy, 

 somewhat webbed at base; glume lance-ovate, slightly scabrous on the keel; 

 lower palea hairy below, upper rough-edged ; anth. violet. — y Mountams N. Eng. 

 and N. Y. to Arc. Am. 



8 P. alpina L. Culms erect, 6', from fibrous roots; Ivs. short, broadly linear, 

 obtuse, lower with short, truncate ligules, upper with oblong, acute ones; pari, 

 eguai-sided, erect, ovate or oblong, loose, the branches in pairs, spreading, with 

 rather large, ovate, short-pedioeled, 5 (4 to 9)-flowered spikelets; fls. ovate. — 

 Can. West and high northward. Jn. 



9 P. compressa. Blue Gbass. Ctafoi decumbent and rooting at base, much eoTn- 

 pressed, 12 — 18'; Ivs. linear, short, bluish green; sheaths rather loose, with a 

 short, obtuse stipule ; pan. contracted, 3' by 1' or less, somewhat secund, branches 

 very short, in 2s and Ss; spikelets ovfite-oblong, flat^ 3 to T-flowered, subsessile, 

 fls. rather obtuse, webbed. A valuable grass, with sweet and nutritious herbage, 

 propagating itself everywhere (Va., Tenn., northward) in woods, pastures and 

 meadows. May, Jn. (a month later than P. pratensis). 



10 P. sylvestris Gray. Culm erect, compressed, 2 to 3f ; Ivs. flat, soft, 3 to 6' 

 long, 1 to 2" wide, gradually attenuated; ligules blunt; pan. oblong-pyramidali 

 thin, branches in 5s or more, flexuous, 1 to 2' long, spikelets (2") pedicellate, 

 broad-ovate, 2 or 3-flowered ; fl«. oblong, obtuse, copiously webbed. — Rooky woods, 



