No. 66. 

 MEL1CA HARFORDII Boland. Proc. Cal. Acad. iv. 102 (1870). 



Plant perennial, tufted or in " bunches, " with a rootstock and rather coarse roots, 

 but not bulbous. 



Culms erect, branched below, slender, rather wiry, smooth, leafy nearly to the pani- 

 cle, 3 to 5 feet tall. 



Leaves of culm about 5 ; sheaths slightly scabrid, striate, closed, about equaling the 

 internodes; blades flat or involute, scabrid above, slender pointed, somewhat auric- 

 ulate-lobed at base, 1 to 3 lines wide, 6 to 10 inches long; ligule 1 to 2 lines long. 



Inflorescence a linear, strict, erect or slightly nodding panicle, 6 to 12 inches long, 

 including the lower node which is usually distant from the others; rays mostly in 

 twos at the 5 or 6 nodes, scabrous, erect or appressed, unequal, 2 inches long or less, 

 bearing 1 to 3 erect, short-pedicel! ed spikelets. 



Spikelets narrowly lanceolate, 5 to 7 lines long, the florets well imbricated or at 

 length somewhat spreading, readily disarticulating even in young specimens ; empty 

 glumes oblanceolate, obtuse or barely acute, minutely scabrid, purple-nerved, the first 

 5-nerved, 3 to 4 lines long, the second £ line longer and 5- to 7-nerved; floral glume 

 lanceolate, barely acute or emarginate or sometimes short-awned, scarious-margined 

 above, minutely appressed, silky throughout, pilose on the marginal nerves below the 

 middle, 7- to 9-nerved, 4 to 5 lines long; palet oblong, obtuse or emarginate, pubescent 

 on the two arched keels, 3 to 4 lines long; grain linear, 2-horned at the apex, dark 

 purple, 2 lines long. 



Plate LXVI; a, spikelet with florets spread out; Z>, floret with awned glume; c, 

 floral glume, dorsal view. 



California to Washington, mostly in the mountain valleys and on the foot hills. 

 Less likely to be of value in cultivation, because of its bunched habit and rather stiff 

 culms. 



