234 



CONTRIBUTIONS FEOM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Vernal plants light olive green; culms densely tufted, 25 to 45 cm. Mgh, slender, 

 erect or ascending, papillose-pilose with spreading hairs 3 mm. long; sheaths shorter 

 than the internodes, pilose like the culm; ligules 4 to 5 mm. long; blades rather firm, 

 ascending or sometimes spreading, 6 to 10 cm. long, 5 to 10 mm. wide, often subin- 

 volute toward the acuminate apex, little narrowed toward the base, pilose on both 

 surfaces, the hairs of the upper surface appressed, longer and less copious; panicles 

 short-exserted, 4 to 8 cm. long, usually as wide, loosely flowered, the spikelets long- 

 pediceled, the axis sparsely pilose, the branches rather stiffly ascending or spread- 

 ing; spikelets 2.2 to 2.3 mm. long, 1.1 mm. wide, oblong-elliptic, obtuse or obscurely 



pointed, papillose-pubescent with spreading hairs; 

 first glume sometimes glabrous, one-third to nearly 

 half the length of the spikelet, acute; second glume 

 and sterile lemma subequal, the glume slightly 

 shorter than the fruit ac maturity; fruit 1.9 mm. 

 long, 1 mm. wide, elliptic, subacute. 



Autumnal form at first decumbent, often with 

 geniculate nodes and arched internodes, the first 

 branches appearing at about the matmity of the 

 primary panicle, late in the season prostrate, the 

 leaves of the fascicled branchlets appressed, gi"ving 

 a combed-out appearance, a character conspicuous in the field but less so in the herba- 

 rium; blades not greatly reduced, often with only a few hairs on the upper surface, 

 overtopping the much reduced panicles; winter rosette appearing rather early, 

 blades long, bluish green, densely pilose. 



This is fairly uniform as a whole for a species of so wide a range, but exceptional 

 specimens with spikelets only 2 mm. long occur, such as Andrews, Southington, Conn., 

 in 1902; Chase 2378, 3762; Dodge 60, 83; Heniot 86; Hitchcock 1635; Smith, Framing- 

 ham, Mass., in 1898. In these the habit and other characteristics are those of the 

 typical form. Another rarer variation with blades nearly or quite glabrous on the 

 upper sm'face is found, as Ashe, Manteo, N. C, Chase 3121, Commons 52. 



Fig. 247. — P. villosissimum. 

 type specimen. 



From 



DISTRIBUTION. 



Dry sandy or sterile soil, open woods and hillsides, Massachusetts to Minnesota, 

 south to Florida and Texas. 



Massachusetts: Framingham, Smith in 1898. 



Connecticut: Franklin, Graves 14; Southington, Andrews in 1902. 



New York: Bronx Park, Nash in 1897; Long Island, Biclnell in 1902 and 1904. 



Ontario: Gait, Heniot 86; Squirrel Island, Dodge 60, 83. 



New Jersey: South Amboy, Mackenzie 1S81; Wildwood Junction, Chase S522. 



Pennsylvania: Westchester, Windle 12f. (Hitchcock Herb.) 



Ohio: Sandusky, Moms 135. 



Indiana: Clark, Bebb 2833, 2834; Miller, Chase 1545, 1563; Umbach 2646 and in 

 1897. 



Illinois: Madison County, Eggert 293; Starved Kock, Chase 1606. 



Michigan: Carleton, Wheeler in 1890 (Mich. Agr. Col. Herb.). 



Wi^ee-NSTN: Juneau County, i/earns 25. "^ /-i-i2C«>?^<^ 



Minnesota: Minneapolis, Sandberg 316 in part (Hitchcock Herb.). 



Missouri: Monteer, Bush 732, 750, 4788; Chadwick, Bush 14; Eagle Rock, Bush 

 141; Pleasant Grove, Bush 333;' Carter County, Eggert 291; Jefferson County, 

 Eggert 292; Noel, Bush 5023. 



Delaware: Rehoboth, Commons 56 in part; Greenbank, Comnnons 38; Frank- 

 ford, Commons 52; Lewes, Hitchcock 161. 



