No. 67. 

 MELICA STRICT A Bol'and. Proc. Cal. Acad. iii. 4 (1863). 



Plant perennial, densely tufted, pale green with, whitish inflorescence, or purple 

 and brown in the inflorescence and lower sheaths. 



Culms erect, or geniculate below, branched at base, retrorsely velvety-pubescent 

 or scabrous, leafy nearly to the panicle, 1 to 2 feet tall. 



Leaves of culm 2 or 3 ; sheaths striate, retrorsely velvety-pubescent, closed to the 

 throat, exceeding the internodes ; blades flat or involute toward the rather rigid poiDts, 

 subauriculate at base, velvety-pubescent on both sides or scabrid above, erect, 1 to 2 

 lines wide, 3 to 4 inches long; ligule about 2 lines long. 



Inflorescence an erect secund panicle of 6 to 12 nodding spikelets, the scabrous 

 rays mostly single, erect and appressed, making the panicle appear simple. 



Spikelets obovate, 5 to 7 lines long, with 2 or 3 perfect florets and rather large 

 rudiment; empty glumes lance-oblong, narrowed below, obtuse or barely acute, thin, 

 smooth, 5-nerved, 4 to 6 lines long, the first slightly shorter; floral glume lanceo- 

 late, acute, minutely hispid, 7-nerved, often with less prominent intermediate nerves 

 toward the base, 4£ to 5£ lines long; palet obovate oblong, obtuse, minutely hispid, 

 pubescent on the arched keels; stamens 3, with rather short anthers; internode of 

 rachilla straight, nearly smooth, 1 to 2 lines long. 



Plate LXVII; a, spikelet with florets nearly in natural position at maturity; b, 

 floret opened. 



California to Oregon, and extending eastward to Nevada. 



