No. 49. 

 MELICA DIFFUSA Pursh. 



Plant perennial. 



Bootstock not seen. Roots slender. 



Culms usually single, simple, erect, 2 to 5 feet high, sometimes shorter, terete, 

 glabrous. 



Leaves of the stem 4 to 6; sheaths usiially distant, closely sheathing, glabrous, 

 margins grown together to within about i inch from the summit; blade 5 to 8 

 inches long, flat and reaching 4 lines broad, or much narrower (1| lines) and in- 

 volute, smooth or scabrous on both surfaces, scabrous points on the upper surface 

 often producing hairs; ligule 1 to 2 lines long, lacerate when old. 



Inflorescence paniculate. Panicle long-pedunculate, 4 to 10 inches long, with 

 3 to 7 nodes; branches 2 at each node, widely spreading, scabrous; one much the 

 smaller, longer not exceeding 2i inches; rachis terete, nearly scabrous. Spikelets 

 single, on slender scabrous pedicels enlarged and villous at the apex, abruptly 

 bent just below. 



Spikelets narrowly to broadly oblong, slightly compressed, 4£ to 6 lines long, 

 2- to 4-flowered with rudiments of 1 or 2 others above. 



Glumes with green nerved body and membranaceous margins and apex; first 

 5-nerved, 3 to 3| lines long, oval, apex from broadly acute to acuminate; second 

 about 5-nerved, 4 to 5 lines long, oblong-oblanceolate, apex broadly acute; flower- 

 ing glume narrowly oblong, many-nerved, acute, scabrous on the back, 1 to 3 nerves 

 passing through the membranaceous margin to the apex, lowest 4 to 5i lines long, 

 upper successively shorter. 



Flowers hermaphrodite. Palet oblong-oblanceolate in position, ciliate on the 

 2 nerves above, acute, with additional inflexed margins. Stamens 3; anthers linear, 

 about li lines long. Stigmas not seen. 



Grain 1 line long, narrowly oblong, obtuse at both ends, loosely inclosed be- 

 tween the glume and palet (and dropping from them when mature?); outer coat 

 loose, wrinkled, and shining. 



Plate LXIX; a and b, spikelet enlarged showing the parts, rachilla brokeD 

 above the second glume. 



