606 FLORA or TEXAS. 



ter; spikelets 4-8-flowered ; loioer imlea rather obtuse, 

 hairy below, faintly nerved. AVith the preceding. May. 

 Culms V high; leaves bluisli green. 



ERAGROSTIS, Beauv. 



8pihelcts few-man y-floAvered, compressed; loiuer palea 

 3-nerved, not hairy nor woolly, the iipper one remaining 

 after the rest of the flower has fallen. Otherwise as in 

 Poa. Culms often branched ; leaves and slieaths smooth 

 or hairy. 



* Culms prostrate and creeping, diffusely hranclied. 



E. REPTAXS, l^ees. Culms filiform, the flowering 

 branches erect (4-6' high), leaves short (1-2' long), linear ; 

 sheaths downy at the base ; panicle small (2-3' long), 

 ovate or oblong, often contracted ; spikelets linear, 10-30- 

 flowered, nearly sessile, imperfectly dicecious ; ^?«/eo? acute. 

 (Poa reptans, Michx.) Low sandy places. August and 

 September. Plant pale green. Annual. 



** Culms branching, erect or ascending ; annuals. 



E. MEGASTACHYA, Link. Culms prostrate and genicu- 

 late at the base, ascending ; leavesWwQinv, sheaths ^raooih.', 

 panicle oblong or pyramidal, contracted or spreading; 

 spikelets oblong or at length linear (3"-5" long), 10-30- 

 flowered, often lead-color ; lojvei^ palecLOYSite, obtuse. (Briza 

 Eragrostis, E.) July and August. 



E. ciLiARis, Link. Culms slender, prostrate or ascend- 

 ing, geniculate ; leaves (2'-3' long) linear, smooth ; sheaths 

 smooth, bearded at the throat; panicle spiked, cylindrical, 

 the minute (J" long) ovate spikelets densely crowded on the 

 short appressed branches, 5-7-flowered; loiver palea ob- 

 tuse, mucronate, rough or ciliate on the back ; the upper 

 one fringed on the margins with long bristly hairs. — 

 Varies with the culms nearly erect, open lanceolate or oh- 



