Genus 92. 



GRASS FAMILY. 



257 



13. Poa autumnalis Muhl. Flexuous Spear-grass. Fig. 616. 



Poa autumnalis Muhl.; EH. Bot. S. C. & Ga. 1: 159. 1817. 



P. flexuosa Muhl. Gram. 148. 1817. Not J. E. Smith, 1803. 



Culms i°-3° tall, erect, slender, simple, smooth and 

 glabrous. Sheaths usually much shorter than the inter- 

 nodes; ligule i" long; blades 1" wide or less, smooth 

 beneath, rough above, those of the culm i4'-6' long, the 

 basal much longer; panicle 3'-$)' in length, the branches 

 long and slender, spikelet-bearing at the extremities, 2'-$' 

 long; spikelets 3-5-flowered, 2V-3" long; empty basal 

 scales acute, the first i-nerved, narrow, shorter than the 

 broad 3-nerved second ; flowering scales rounded or re- 

 tuse at the apex, iJ"-2" long, not webbed at the base, 

 pubescent on the lower part, 5-nerved, the midnerve 

 silky-pubescent for three-fourths its length. 



In woods, New Jersey to Missouri, south to Florida and 

 Texas. March-May. 



14. Poa sylvestris A. Gray. Sylvan Spear-grass. Fig. 617. 



Poa sylvestris A. Gray, Man. 596. 1848. 



Culms i°-3° tall, erect, slender, simple, slightly flat- 

 tened, smooth, glabrous. Sheaths shorter than the in.- 

 ternodes ; ligule i" long or less ; blades smooth beneath, 

 rough above, i"s" wide, those of the culm i4'-6' in 

 length, the basal much longer; panicle 3'-/ in length, 

 the branches spreading or ascending, often reflexed 

 in age, li's' long, spikelet-bearing at the extremities ; 

 spikelets 2-4-flowered, i"-2" long; empty basal' scales 

 acute, the lower 1 -nerved, the upper longer and 3-nerved ; 

 flowering scales about ij" long, webbed at the base, 

 obtuse, often pubescent below, 5-nerved, the midnerve 

 pubescent nearly its entire length and the marginal 

 nerves below the middle. 



In thickets and meadows, New York to Wisconsin, Ne- 

 braska, south to Florida and Texas. Branches of the 

 panicle sometimes reflexed when old. June-July. 



15. Poa alsodes A. Gray. Grove Meadow-grass. 

 Fig. 618. 



Poa alsodes A. Gray, Man. Ed. 2, 562. 1856. 



Culms 8'-2i° tall, erect, slender, simple, smooth and 

 glabrous. Sheaths usually longer than the internodes ; 

 ligule I" long; blades usually rough, i"-2" wide, those 

 of the culm 2-8' in length, the basal longer; panicle 

 3i'-8' in' length, the branches spreading or ascending, 

 ii'— 3' long, spikelet-bearing at the ends; spikelets 2-3- 

 flowered, about 2i" long; scales very acute, the empty 

 basal ones unequal, the lower I-nerved, the upper 3-nerved ; 

 flowering scales about 2" long, webbed at the base, the 

 midnerve pubescent near the base, the marginal nerves 

 naked, the intermediate ones very faint. 



In woods and thickets, Quebec to Minnesota, south to 

 North Carolina and Tennessee. May-June. 



17 



