No. 44. 

 BOUTELOUA RAMOSA Scribner. 



Culms many from a crowded short rootstock, strongly rooted, wiry-branched 

 and almost woody below, slender, above leafy to the inflorescence, smooth. 



Leaves with blades narrow, short, 1 to 2 inches long, attenuated to a fine point; 

 sheath smooth, striate, with a few long hairs at the top; ligule very short. 



Inflorescence consisting usually of 2 spikes, 1 to 1^ inches apart at the apex 

 of the culm, 1 to 1^ inches long, crowded with the 20 to 30 one-sided spikelets. 



Spikelets about 2| lines long, with 1 perfect and 1 imperfect flower. 



Empty glumes smooth, acute, unequal; lower less than one-half as long as the 

 upper, narrow; upper lanceolate, nearly 2 lines long; flowering glumes over 2 lines 

 long, lanceolate, clothed with long white hairs on the back and margins, divided 

 at the apex into 3 sharply awned lobes. 



Palet narrower, 2-toothed at the apex, smooth. Imperfect flower consisting of 

 3 awns with 2 or 3 imperfect glumes at their base, on a short pedicel densely 

 hairy-tufted at the apex. 



Plate XLIV: a, spikelet spread open to show the parts; b, empty glumes; c, 

 flowering glume; d, palet; e, imperfect or sterile flower and its pedicel. 



This species extends from northern Mexico to Arizona and western Texas. 



