No. 3. 

 CENCHRUS PALMERI Vasey, Proa Oal. Acad. Ser. 2. ii. 211. 



Plant annual, rather low, spreading, usually rough-pubescent throughout. 



Culms geniculate below, branching, 5 to 15 inches high. 



Leaves of culm 4 to 6; sheaths rather loose, scarcely equaling the internodes; 

 blades flat, divaricate, slender-pointed, 3 to 6 inches long, 3 lines wide; ligule a row 

 of soft hairs £ line long. 



Inflorescence in involucrate clusters, solitary or 2 to 5 in a secund, interrupted 

 spike; involucre indurate, 3 to 5 lines in diameter, cleft on upper side, finely pubes- 

 cent, bearing yellow or purple spines J to £ inch long, minutely barbed at the points. 



Spikelets about 6 in an involucre, 2-flowered (one flower sterile), ovate, acuminate, 

 2 to 3 lines long; first empty glume ovate, acuminate, scarious and lacerate at apex, 

 minutely scabrid, 5-nerved, 2 to 3 lines long; second glume ovate, obtuse, smooth, thin, 

 5-nerved, 2 lines long; floral glume of sterile flower ovate, acute, nearly smooth, 

 5-nerved, 2 to 3 lines long; palet oblong, 2-nerved; floral glume of perfect flower 

 ovate, acuminate, smooth, 7-nerved, 2 Hues long; palet ovate, acuminate, smooth, 

 2-nerved, 2 lines long. 



Plate III; a, involucre cut away showing spikelets; b, empty glumes; c, floral 

 glume of sterile flower; d, palet of sterile flower; e, floral glume of perfect flower; 

 /, palet of perfect flower; #, grain. 



Lower California and, probably, in southern California. Dr. Palmer says of this 

 species that cattle greedily eat it when young, but when the spines on the involucre 

 begin to harden they give it a wide berth. The injury caused by the burs sticking in 

 sheep's wool more than counterbalances its value as a forage plant. 



