No. 28. 

 PAPPOPHORUM WRIGHTII Watson. (P. boreale Torr. non Griseb.) 



Plant perennial (?) from densely tufted, bulbous base. 



Roots fibrous, flexuous. 



Culms erect or ascending, geniculate at the lower nodes, branching, slender, 

 solid, terete, minutely pubescent with long white hairs at the nodes, 10 to 15 inches 

 tall. 



Leaves of radical.shoots numerous, minutely pubescent, blade filiform-involute, 

 2 to 4 inches long; of culm 4 to 6; sheaths shorter than the internodes, loose, open; 

 blade filiform-involute, 1 to 3 inches long; ligule a dense line of hairs | inch long. 



Inflorescence a compact, spike-like panicle, 1 to 3 inches long, simple, or with 

 numerous short appressed branches below. 



Spikelets on short hispid pedicels, about 3-flowered, 1 line long; empty glumes 

 lanceolate, acutish, 5-nerved; hyaline, sparsely pubescent, f line long; second 

 glume same but £ longer; floral gkimes broadly oval, pubescent, 1 line long and 

 nearly as broad; 5 nerves terminating in feathered awns li lines long, purple at 

 base, 4 similar intermediate awns alternating; sterile glume similar but smaller 

 and raised on a longer internode of the rachilla; palet elliptical, hyaline, 2-keeled, 

 nerves rather inconspicuous, £ line long. 



Grain about oval, dull-yellow, falling with the floret. 



Plate XXVIII; a, spikelet dissected; b, sterile flowers; c, floral glume; d, palet. 

 Texas to California and Mexico. 



