778 GRAMINE^E elymus 



short, leaves 4-6 inches long, 2-4 lines wide, scabrous : empty glumes awn - 

 like 7-9 lines long, those of the lateral spikelets exceeding the other; flower- 

 ing glume of the central spikelets 5 lines long, broadly lanceolate, scabrous 

 toward the apex, bearing an awn about 5 lines long, that of the lateral 

 spikelets smaller, subulate-pointed or short-awned. California to Alaska- 



54 ELYMUS L. Sp. 93. 



Tall grasses with flat or involute leaves and dense terminal spikes. 

 Spikelets 2- to several-flowered, sessile, usually in pairs, sometimes 

 3 or more in the alternate notches of the continuous or jointed 

 rachis, the empty glumes forming an apparent involucre to the 

 clusters. Two lower glumes empty, narrow, acute or awned: 

 flowering glumes shorter, rounded on the back, 5-nerved, usually 

 bearing an awn. Palets a little shorter than the glumes 2-keeled. 

 Stamens 3. Styles very short distinct, with plumose stigmas. 

 Grain sparsely hairy at the summit, adherent to the palet. 



E. saxicolus Scribn. & Smith U. S. Dept. Agr. Div. Agrost. Bull. 11, 

 56. A rather slender wiry densely cespitose perennial : stems 3-5 inches 

 high, pubescent: sheaths pubescent: ligules very short: leaves 3-10 inches 

 long. 1-2 lines wide, pubescent on both sides, attenuate-pointed spikelets 

 2-5-flowered, about 9 lines long : empty glumes narrowly lanceolate, 1-3- 

 nerved, about 3 lines long: awns divergent, 10-12 lines long: -flowering 

 glumes 6 lines long, smooth or slightly scabrous near the apex, rather 

 broadly lanceolate and gradually tapering into a slender more or less di- 

 vergent awn an inch long. Among bowlders and rocky crevasses, summit 

 of Mount Chapaca. 



E. arenarius L. Sp. 83. Stems 13^-8 feet high, simple, usually softly 

 pubescent at the summit: sheaths smooth, often glaucous, the" lower 

 longer and the upper shorter than the internodes : ligules very short: 

 leaves 3-12 inches long, 1K~5 lines wide, flat or becoming involute, smooth 

 beneath, rough above: spikes 3-10 inches long, usually strict: spikelets 

 3-9-flowered; empty glumes 8-14 lines long, 3-5-nerved, acuminate, more 

 or less villous; flowering glumes 8-10 lines long, acute or awn-pointed, 

 5-7-nerved, usually very villous. On shores, California to Alaska and 

 across the continent: also in Europe and Asia. 



E. arenicolus Scribn. & Smith 1. c. Cir. 9, 7. A stout erect glaucous 

 perennial : stems simple, glabrous, 2-5 feet high ; sheaths smooth or the 

 upper ones strigose-pubescent, nearly as long as the internodes; ligules 

 about % line long, coarsely fimbriate : leaves rigid, deeply furrowed on both 

 sides, strongly scabrous on the nerves, X%-1 feet long, 1-4 lines wide, 

 strongly involute and pungently pointed: spikes rather slender, 6-10 

 inches long, interrupted below: empty glumes subulate or narrowly lance- 

 olate, rigid, scabrous above, 4-6 lines long: flowering glumes rounded on 

 the back, acute, sparsely hirsute toward the base, 5-nerved, about 6 lines 

 long. On sand-dunes along the Columbia river near the Dalles. 



E. mollis Trin. Spreng. N. Endt. ii, 172. Stems stout, 3-7 feet high : 

 sheaths smooth or more or less pubescent: ligules very short: leaves 16-20 

 inches long, 6-8 lines wide, strict and pungent: spike erect, 10-16 inches 

 long: spikelets 5-8-flowered, more or less soft-pubescent: empty glumes 

 1-H inches long, 5-7-nerved: flowering glumes 8-10 lines long, 7 -nerved. 

 Along the coast, Washington to Alaska, and Maine to Nova Scotia. 



E. flavescens Scribn & Smith 1. c. Bull. 8, 8. Stems stout, 2-4 feet 

 hio-h. usually pubescent just below the nodes: sheaths smooth, often some- 

 what glaucous, the lowest becoming loose and fibrous: ligules very short: 



