98 Bulletin VII. 1. 



glume about one and a half lines long". Palea broad, ciliate-scabrous 

 on the keels. Grain terete, smooth, about one-half a line long. 

 Spikelets usually variegated with red and purple. 



A native of Texas. Sometimes cultivated as an ornamental 

 plant. 



8. Eragrostis pectinacea Gray. Meadow Comb-grass. 



Plate XXXIII. Figure 131. 



An erect perennial one to three feet high, with a short, stout 

 root-stock and large, spreading panicle. Sheaths smooth or hairy 

 in the upper part; ligule a fringe of hairs two to three lines long; 

 leaf-blade two to three lines wide, six to fourteen inches long, more 

 or less pilose on the upper surface. Panicle six to thirty inches long, 

 the rather rigid, widely spreading or deflexed branches bearded 

 in the axils; pedicels somewhat appressed, longer or shorter than 

 the spikelets. Spikelets linear-lanceolate, three-fourths to one line 

 wide, two to five lines long, five- to twenty-flowered; empty glumes 

 three-fourths to one line long, ovate or oblong, sub-acute, scabrous 

 on the keel; flowering glumes about a line long, strongly three- 

 nerved, obtuse or rarely acute. Palea densely ciliate on the keels. 

 Grain oblong-spherical, irregularly striate. 



A native grass, the large diffuse panicles of which are often 

 gathered for dry bouquets. It is common in dry sandy soil in 

 open grounds and along the borders of fields and woods. June — 

 September. 



9. Eragrostis tenuis Gray. Branching Spear-grass. 



Plate XXXIII. Figure 129. 



A tall perennial, two to five feet high, with a rather narrow, 

 elongated panicle and somewhat rigid leaves. Sheaths firm, 

 smooth, pilose at the throat; ligule nearly wanting; leaf-blade one 

 to two lines wide, six to twenty inches long, glabrous or sparingly 

 hairy. Panicle twelve to thirty inches long, the ultimate branches 

 and long div^erging pedicels capillary. Spikelets ovate-lanceolate, 

 about one and one-half lines wide, three to four lines long, two- to 

 six- or ten-flowered; empty glumes narrow-lanceolate, very acute, 

 nearly equal, one to two lines long; flowering glume ovate-lan- 

 ceolate, acute, strongly three-nerved, about one and one-half lines 

 long, smooth or scabrous on the keel. Keels of the palea scabrous. 

 Grain very short, oblong, strongly grooved. 



Sandy soil, vicinity of Nashville (Gattinger). July — Septem- 

 ber. 



47. EATONIA Rafin. in Journ. de Phys. LXXXIX. 104, (1819.) 



Spikelets two- to three-flowered, in narrow, lax, or dense terminal 

 panicles, rachilla articulated above the empty glumes and between 

 the florets, and produced above the upper flower into a slender 

 naked bristle. Empty glumes two, a little shorter than the 

 florets, the flrst linear and one-nerved, the second broadly obovate, 

 three-nerved, with rather broad scarious margins. Flowering 



