GRAMINEAE. \2J 



times villous at the summit, the lower short, overlapping and crowded, the upper 

 longer, equalling or shorter than the internodes; leaves 1-3 dm. long or more, 6-12 

 nun. wide, flat, attenuate into a long tip, smooth beneath, scabrous above; panicle 

 I.5-4.5 dm. long, the branches finally ascending or spreading, the lower 1-2.5 dm. 

 long, usually dividing above the middle; spikelets 4-8-flowered, 6-8 mm. long, 

 purple; empty scales glabrous, obtuse, generally slightly 2-toothed; flowering 

 scales oval, the nerves pilose, excurrent as short tips. In fields, Conn, to Kans., 

 south to Fla. and Tex. July-Sept. {Sicglingia seslerioides (Micnx.) Scribn.) 



2. Tricuspis stricta (Nutt.) A. Gray. Narrow Tricuspis. (I. F. f. 422.) 

 Culms 4.5-12 dm. tall, erect, a little compressed. Leaves 1.5-3 dm. long or more, 

 flat, long-acuminate, smooth beneath, scabrous above; spike-like panicle 1.25-3 

 dm. in length, the branches appressed, the lower 2.5-5 cm - l° n g"> spikelets 4-10- 

 flowered, 4-6 mm. long; lower scales usually about two-thirds as long as the spike- 

 let, rarely extending beyond the flowering scales, acute, glabrous; flowering scales 

 ovate, the nerves pilose for more than half their length, the middle and often the 

 lateral excurrent as short tips. Moist soil, Miss, to Kans. and Tex. July-Oct. 

 \Sieglingia stricta (Nutt.) Kuntze.) 



3. Tricuspis elongata (Buckley) Nash. Long-panicled Tricuspis. (I. F. 

 f. 422b.) Culms 3-9 dm. tall, tufted, erect, rough, the sterile shoots about one- 

 half as long as the culms. Sheaths rough, a ring of hairs at the apex; leaves 

 rough, usually involute when dry, 7.5-2 5 cm. long, 2-4 mm. wide; panicle 

 narrow, 1.25-2.5 dm. long, 1.25 cm. wide, its branches erect, 3.75 cm. long or less; 

 spikelets 10-12-flowered, 9-12 mm. long, the empty scales scabrous, the first I- 

 nerved, the second 3-nerved; flowering scales about 6 mm. long, obtuse at the 

 scabrous apex, 3-nerved, the lateral nerves vanishing at or below the apex, the 

 midnerve usually excurrent as a short tip. Prairies, Kans. to Ariz, and Tex. 

 June- Aug. {Sicglingia elongata (Buckley) Nash.) 



4. Tricuspis pilosa (Buckley) Nash. Sharp-scaled Tricuspis. (I. F. f. 

 422c.) Culms tufted, 6.25-30 cm. tall, the sterile shoots 1 dm. tall or less. Sheaths 

 smooth, a tuft of hairs on each side of the apex, much shorter than the internodes; 

 leaves strict or curved, thick, linear, obtuse, I -nerved, the margins white, serrulate, 

 3.75 cm. long, or less, less than 2 mm. wide, folded, at least when dry, pubescent 

 with long hairs, especially beneath; panicle almost raceme-like, long-exserted, 

 1.25-3.75 cm. long; spikelets 3-10, crowded, 8-12-flowered; empty scales, acumi- 

 nate, 1 -nerved; flowering scales 6-6.5 mm - l° n g> acuminate, 3-nerved, the mid- 

 nerve generally excurrent as a short tip, all the nerves pilose (the lateral at the 

 top and bottom, the midnerve below the middle). Dry soil, Kans. to Colo., Tex. and 

 N. Mex. April-Sept. (Sieglingia pilosa (Buckley) Nash.) 



70. TRIPLASIS Beauv. 



Perennial (?) grasses, with narrow flat or involute leaves and contracted or 

 open somewhat branched panicles. Spikelets shortly pedicelled, 2-6-flowered, the 

 glabrous rachilla articulated between the flowers, the internodes very long. Scales 

 4-8. membranous, the lower 2 empty, keeled, the flowering scales dorsally rounded 

 at the base, 3-nerved, the lateral nerves pilose, deeply 2-lobed at the apex, long- 

 awned between the lobes, the callus long and subulate, pubescent on the outer sur- 

 face; palet 2-keeled, the keels long-ciliate. Stamens 3. Styles short, distinct. 

 Stigmas plumose. Grain free, enclosed in the scale. [Greek, referring to the 3 

 divisions of the flowering scales.] Species 3, natives of the eastern and southern 

 parts of N. Am. Besides the following, two others occur in the southern U. S. 



1. Triplasis purpurea (Walt.) Chapm. Sand-grass. (I. F. f. 424.) Culms 

 3-9 dm. tall, erect, prostrate or decumbent. Leaves 1.25-6.25 cm. long, 2 mm. 

 wide or less, rigid, scabrous, sometimes sparsely ciliate; panicle 2.5-7.5 cm. long, 

 the branches rigid, finally widely spreading, the lower 1.8-3.75 cm. long; spikelets 

 2-5 -flowered, 5-8 mm. long, the joints of the rachilla half as long as the flowering 

 scale; flowering scales oblong, 2-lobed at the apex, the lobes erose -truncate, the 

 nerves strongly ciliate, the middle one excurrent as a short point. In sand, espe- 

 cially on sea-beaches, Me. to Tex. and along the Great Lakes. Also from Neb. to 

 N. Mex. Plant acid. Aug.-Sept. 



