No. 16. 

 HETEROPOGON CONTORTUS K. & S. 



Rootstock short. Roots stout. 



Culms tufted, smooth, branching above, erect, about 3 feet high. 



Leaves 6 to 12 inches long, upper ones gradually shorter; blade flat, upper sur- 

 face and margins rough, lower surface smooth; sheath smooth, much flattened. 



Inflorescence spicate, cylindrical, about 2 inches long without the awns, main 

 rachis smooth. 



Spikelets 3 to 5 lines long, in pairs, lower sessile and perfect, upper on a short 

 pedicel, and staminate only. Male spikelets turned to one side of the spike, almost 

 concealing the fertile ones. 



Glumes in the female spikelets 4, outer hard, hairy, convolute; second much 

 narrower, hard, 3-nerved; third very thin, hyaline, smaller; fourth hyaline at the 

 base, above extended into a hard twisted and bent awn 2 to 3 inches long or 

 more. Glumes of the male spikelet 4; first ovate-lan'ceolate, flattish, keeled near 

 the margin, thick, green, ciliate, many-nerved, margins thin; second thinner, nar- 

 rower, 3-nerved, ciliate on the margin; third and fourth hyaline, somewhat 

 shorter. 



Stamens 3. Styles 2. 



Plate XVI; a, pair of spikelets, the upper male, the lower female, with the long 

 twisted and pubescent awn; b, a male flower spread open to show the parts. The 

 fourth glume is omitted. 



This grass furnishes a large amount of foliage, and is deserving of trial in cul- 

 tivation. 



