POACEAE. 23 



Stipa thurberiana Piper. Tufted, pale green; stem slender, 30-75 cm. 

 high, pubescent at the nodes; blades involute, rather rigid; ligules large and 

 conspicuous; panicle erect, 8-15 cm. long, rather dense, often included at base 

 in the upper sheath; lower glume 5-nerved, longer than the 3-nerved upper 

 glume; lemma 6-7 mm. long, pubescent; awn 3-5 cm. long, plumose to the 

 second bend. Common in the sagebrush region of Central Washington, but 

 rare in our limits. 



Stipa elmeri Piper & Brodie. Tufted, pale green, 60-75 cm. high, the 

 whole plant pubescent; blades mostly involute; ligules very short; panicle 

 erect, rather dense, 5-20 cm. long, its base usually included; glumes subequal, 

 the lower 5-uerved, the upper 3-nerved; lemma 6 mm. long, pubescent; awn 

 20-25 mm., long, pubescent to the second bend. Near Spokane, but more 

 common westward in the sagebrush region. 



Stipa lenunoni Scribn. Stems slender, rigid, glabrous, 40-60 cm. high; 

 leaves rather numerous; sheaths glabrous, shorter than the internodes; ligule 

 1.5 mm. long; blades 5-10 cm. long, 2-3 mm. wide, glabrous beneath, striate 

 and pubescent above, strongly involute; panicle narrow, erect, 5-12 cm. long; 

 spikelets pale green or purplish, shiny; glumes nearly equal, broadly lanceolate, 

 long-acuminate, scarious, about 12 mm. long; lemmas oblong, 5-7 mm. long, 

 2-toothed, sparsely pilose; callus obtuse, short-bearded; awns 10-12 mm. long, 

 sparsely pilose to the second bend. In rocky soil in the mountains. 



Stipa minor (Vasey) Scribn. Perennial, tufted, 50-100 cm. tall, dark green; 

 leaf-blades involute, long-attenuate, 10-30 cm. long, scabrous; sheath shorter 

 than the internodes, loose, smooth ; ligule very short ; panicle erect, rather dense, 

 8-20 cm. long, narrow, its base included in the uppermost sheath, the branches 

 mostly in pairs; spikelets 8-12 mm. long, purple-tinged; lemma sparsely 

 appressed-hairy, the awns 20-30 mm. long, bent near the middle, below which 

 they are pubescent. Grassy hillsides and pine woods, infrequent. 



Stipa nelsoni Scribn. Stout, glabrous, 70-90 cm. high; basal leaves rather 

 few; stem leaves 3; sheaths long, nearly equalling the internodes; ligules very 

 short, fringed; blades 10-30 cm. long, involute, strongly nerved; panicle erect, 

 10-15 cm. long, the branches appressed; glumes subequal, thin and hyaline, 

 acuminate, 9-10 mm. long; lemmas 7 mm. long, pilose, the apex 2-toothed; 

 awn minutely scabrous, 3.5-6 cm. long; callus acute. In dry ground, rather 

 common. 



37. PHLEUM. 



Annuals or perennials ; inflorescence a spike-like raceme ; spike- 

 lets 1-flowered; glumes membranous, compressed, keeled, the 

 apex obliquely truncate, the raid-nerve produced into an awn; 

 lemma much shorter; grain ovoid, free, enclosed in the lemma 

 and palea. 



Spike-like racemes cylindric; awns of glumes short. P. pretense. 



Spike-like racemes ovate-oblong; awn as long as body of glume. P. alpinum. 



Phleum pratense L. Timothy. Tall, erect, 60-150 cm. tall; leaf blades 

 15-20 cm. long, 8-10 mm. wide, smooth or scabrous; spike-like raceme nar- 

 rowly cylindrical, erect, 5-15 cm. long; spikelets 2-5 mm. long; empty glumes 

 ciliate on the keels which are prolonged into awns 1 mm. long. Abundantly 

 introduced. 



Phleum alpinum L. Mountain Timothy. Stems 20-60 cm. high; leaf 

 blades flat, rather short; spike-like raceme usually purple, cylindric, 2-3 cm. 

 long; awns of glumes 2 mm. long. In alpine meadows, Craig Mountains. 



