No. 17. 

 SPOROBOLUS BUCKLEYI Vasey. 



Culms erect, loosely tufted, slender, not branching, compressed, especially 

 below, smooth, 2 to 3 feet tall. 



Leaves; radical, few, sheaths green or purplish, compressed, tapering into 

 slender, mostly folded, smooth, long pointed blades, 6 to 15 inches long, green at 

 maturity; of culm 1 or 5; sheaths mostly exceeding internodes, lower ones com- 

 pressed and open, upper close, blades like those of radical leaves; ligule a minute 

 tawny fringe. 



Inflorescence a loose, spreading, erect panicle, 10 to 15 inches long; branches 

 spreading or becoming reflexed, mostly alternate, 3 to 5 inches long, slender, bear- 

 ing beyond the lower third, short branches of pedicellate spikelets. 



Spikelets obovate, 1-flowered, f line long; first glume lanceolate, acute, thin, 

 smooth, 1-nerved, ^line long; second glume same, but nearly twice as large; floi'al 

 glume ovate, acuminate, hyaline, smooth, 1-nerved, f line long; palet lance-ovate, 

 acute, obscurely 2-keeled, 1 line long, in age splitting to the base. 



Grain elliptical-globose, utricle light-brown, % line long. 



Plate XVII; a, spikelet enlarged. 



Well distinguished by the large panicle of capillary branches and many 

 flowered, small spikelets. A handsome species. 



Texas to Mexico. 



