60 Kaxsas State boabd of Agriculture. 



and the middle one is soon refiexed and about the length of the palet. An inferior 

 grass. 



47. Beabd Gbass; Theee-awned Gbass; Aristida gracilis, Ell. — The culms are 

 erect, 6 to 18 inches high, and naked above. Outer glumes as in the last. The ex- 

 serted lateral awns (6 to 7 lines) are from ^ to 1 the length of the horizontally-bent 

 middle one. A worthless grass. 



48. Beabd Gbass; Theee-awned Gbass; Aristida stricta, Mx. — The culms are 

 2 to 3 feet high, and densely tufted, from a perennial root, bearing a long (1 foot) 

 spiked panicle. The awns in this and all the species following are diverging and 

 alike; they are about the length of the flower (6 lines), or the lateral ones a third 

 shorter. A worthless grass. 



49. Beabd Gbass; Teiple-awned Gbass; Aristida purpurea, Nutt. — The culms 

 are erect, slender, 6 to 15 inches high, bearing a purplish, loose-flowered panicle, 3 

 to 6 inches long. The awns are 1 to 2 lines long. In the var. longiseta, Vasey, the 

 awns are very long (1 to 3 inches). Another var. (filipendula) differs from the lat- 

 ter in its rather more closely flowered panicle, smaller spikelets, and shorter awns. 

 This is abundant on the plains, and contributes somewhat to the native forage. 

 (Plate No. 49.) 



50. Beabd Gbass; Teiple-awned Gbass; Aristida desmantha, Trin. — The erect 

 culms are about 2 feet high and branching. The panicle is about 6 inches long with 

 branches in pairs and erect-spreading, but fascicled at the top. The awns are about 

 1 inch long, separating by an articulation below the junction. Not valuable. 



51. Beabd Gbass; Teiple-awned Gbass; Aristida oligantha, Mx. — In this species 

 the culms are 6 inches to 1 foot or more in length, bearing a loosely few-flowered 

 raceme. The capillary awns are 1$ to 3 inches long. In value like the last. 



52. Tall Beabd Gbass; Tbiple-awned Gbass; Aristida purpurascens, Poir. — 

 The culms are slender, smooth, and usually 2 feet or more in height. The flowers 

 are in a long (10 to 18 inches) spiked panicle. The awns are much longer than the 

 flower — the middle one about 1 inch long. Not a valuable grass. 



Stipa, L. — A genus of mostly western, coarse, rigid perennial grasses. The spikelets are 1-flowered, 

 cylindrical, and spicate or paniculate. Tbe outer glumes are membranaceous and keeled. The flower- 

 ing glume is narrow, coriaceous, rigid, and involute, with a simple twisted awn at the apex. The palet 

 is usually small and inclosed by the flowering glume. There is, at the base of the flowering glume, a 

 hardened and bearded pedicel or stipe. 



53. Black Oat-geass; Stipa avenacea, L. — The slender culms are 1 to 3 feet 

 high, with an open panicle; the leaves are almost bristle-form. The flowering 

 glumes are blackish and nearly as long as the outer glumes (about 4 lines long). It 

 occurs rarely, if at all, within the eastern portion of our State, and is of no value. 



54. Pobcupine-geass; Feathee Gbass; Stipa comata, Trin. & Rupr. — The culms 

 are stout and from 1 to 4 feet high. The panicle is loose and open, 8 to 12 inches 

 long. The awns are 4 to 6 inches long, rough, variously curled and twisted when 

 mature. They give trouble to stockmen on account of injury done to sheep, the 

 awns penetrating the wool and often the flesh. 



55. Pobcupine-gbass; Featheb Gbass; Stipa spartea, Trin. — Like the preced- 

 ing, but the panicle is narrow and contracted, the callus (base of flowering glume 

 or grain) more pointed and densely bearded (when mature). This species is more 

 abundant than the preceding, which is found only in the western portion of the 

 State. 



Oryzopsis, Mx.— A small genus of perennial grasses with rigid leaves, and a narrow raceme or 

 panicle. The spikelets are one-flowered and nearly cylindrical. This genus differs from Slipa in the 

 shorter and broader flowering glume. The usually short awn is slender, twisted, and very deciduous. 



56. Mountain Rice; Oryzopsis melanocarpa, Muhl. — The culms are 2 or 3 feet 



