GRASS FAMILY. 49 



exceeds the bracts; palea narrow. Scales 2, oblong, entire, as long as the ovary. 

 Stamens 3. Stigma sub-sessile. (Greek gastrideon, ventricle, having refer- 

 ence to the ventricose bases of the bracts.) 



1. G. lendigerum (L.) Gaudin. Nit-grass. Stems tufted, erect from a 

 geniculate base, (5 to 24 in. high, branching at the lower nodes; sheaths slightly 

 rough; ligule about 2 lines long, lacerate fringed; blades 2 to 5 in. long, 

 about 2 lines wide, long-pointed, scabrous on both sides, pale green; 

 panicle 3 to 6 in. long, about % in. wide, very pale green, shining with a satiny 

 luster, in large specimens somewhat lobed ; pedicels clavate ; spikelets about 2 

 to 2y 2 lines long, very acute; bracts somewhat scabrous above; bractlet hairy, 

 white, shining, 4-toothed; awn from just below the apex, very slender. — (G. 

 anstrale Beauv.) 



Native of the Mediterranean Region; naturalized in California, and common 

 near the coast : Petaluma ; Briones Hills ; Berkeley, and northward and south- 

 ward. June-Oct. One of the latest grasses to appear. 



14. CALAMAGROSTIS Adans. Eeed Bent-grass. 



Stems tall, often reed-like. Panicle-branches whorled. Spikelets 1-flowered ; 

 rachilla jointed above the bracts, shortly prolonged beyond the insertion of 

 the flower and bearing a tuft of long, white, silky hairs, which in all of ours 

 are much shorter than the bractlet. Bracts enclosing the bractlet, sub-equal, 

 concave, acuminate, awnless; upper 3-nerved. Bractlet hyaline, 3 to 5-nerved, 

 truncate, 2-fid, toothed, in ours awned at the tip or on the back with a 

 twisted, strongly geniculate, conspicuously exserted awn. Palea small, 2-nerved. 

 Scales 2, entire, acute. Stamens 3. Ovary glabrous; styles short, distinct; 

 stigmas feathery. (Greek kalamos, reed, agrostis, a kind of grass, with 

 reference to the reed-like habit of some species.) 



In the absence of an adequate series of specimens the following key has 

 been adapted from that prepared by Kearney in his Kevision of the N. Ameri- 

 can species of the genus in Bull. 11 of the U. S. Dep. of Agriculture, Division 

 of Agrostology. 



Awn greatly exceeding the bracts. 



Strongly cespitose, rather hard in texture; leaf-blades strongly involute; panicle dense, 



branches appressed 1. C. purpurascens. 



Awn shorter than, or not much exceeding the bracts. 



Spikelets strongly compressed; bracts sharply keeled; plant tall; leaf-blades not fili- 

 form. 



Panicle wide, usually loose, not spikelike; leaves often flat 2. C. alcutica. 



Panicle narrower and dense, spikelike; leaves all strongly involute. 



Panicle strict; spikelets about 3 lines long 3. C. angusta. 



Panicle usually somewhat fiexuous; spikelets 2 to 2 l / 2 lines long; awn arising 



from near the base of the bractlet 4. C. subftexuosa. 



Spikelets not strongly compressed; bracts not strongly keeled; plant caespitose; stems 

 usually somewhat rigid; leaf-blades usually filiform. 

 Lower leaves in a dense tuft, short, rather rigid, strongly involute; spikelets about 



3]/ 2 lines long 5. C". fasciculata. 



Lower leaves rarely forming a dense tuft, usually elongated, not rigid; panicle narrow, 

 spiciform, usually red-purple 6 C. rubescens. 



1. C. purpurascens R. Br. Purple Reed-grass. Rootstock perennial, 

 strongly tufted; stems erect, 1 to 2 ft. high, rather hard in texture; ligule 

 about 1 line long, lacerate; blades strongly involute and .scabrous; panicle very 

 dense, spikelike, often slightly interrupted below, 3 to 4 in. long, varying from 

 pale to 'lark purple; branches usually in fives below, appressed, t lie longesl 

 not more than an inch long; spikelets .'! to 3% lines long; bracts sub-equal, 

 very acute; upper distinctly 3-nerved; calms hairs unequal, the longest, at the 



