No. 18. 

 ORYZOPSIS WEBBERI (Thurb.) Vasey, Bull. Torr. Club, xv. 49. 



Plant perennial, densely eespitose. 



Culms erect, slender, thickened at the base, wiry, terete, hispidulous, 3 to 9 inches 

 high, covered at base with numerous scarious, brown, shiny, smooth sheaths, naked 

 only below the upper sheath. 



Leaves from the base numerous, filiform-convolute, rigid, scabrous, often ciliate 

 near the base, 3 to 4 inches long. Leaves of culm 2 or 3 below, and 1 or often 2 or 3 

 somewhat fascicled above; lower sheaths close, slightly hispid, overlapping, with 

 blades like those of the radical leaves but not exceeding them; upper sheath or 

 fascicle of sheaths .dilated, nearly smooth, with an erect, convolute, rigid, deciduous 

 blade scarcely equaling the panicle; ligule obscure or the upper ones membranaceous, 

 oblique, less than £ line long. 



Inflorescence a narrow, somewhat secund panicle, or often of 2 to 4 nearly equal 

 erect branches 1£ to 3 inches long, included at base, rays in twos or threes, erect, bear- 

 ing one or two spikelets on clavate pedicels. 



Spilcelets oblanceolate, 1-fiowered; empty glumes spreading, lanceolate, acuminate, 

 membranaceous above, often purple-tinged, smooth, 3-nerved, equal, 4 lines long; stipe 

 oblique, obconical, acute, bearded throughout like the glume, ^ line long; floret spin- 

 dle-shaped, 2^ to 2£ lines long, \ line thick; floral glume coriaceous, yellow when 

 mature, densely clothed throughout with erect, white, persistent hairs 1 to 1£ lines 

 long, 5-nerved, the lateral nerves uniting with the midnerve above; awn minutely sca- 

 brous, twisted, bent, 3 to 5 lines long, caducous ; palet 2 lines long, chartaceous and 

 bearded like the glume, especially above; lodicules 2, linear, 1 line long; anthers 

 naked; grain broadly spindle-shaped, nearly smooth, dark brown, opaque, nearly 2 

 lines long and \ as thick. 



Plate XVIII; a, spikelet enlarged 3 times; a 1 , spikelet before the awn has 

 dropped; Z>, empty glumes; c, floret; d, palet. 



California and Nevada. A rare species, reported by but two or- three collectors. 



