No. 78, 

 POA HOWELLII Vasey & Scribner sp. nov. 



Plant perennial, loosely tufted. 



Culms erect, nearly smooth, striate, leafy to the middle or above, slightly thickened 

 at the base, 1 to 2 feet tall. 



Leaves from the base rather numerous, flat, thin, flexible, 1 to 2 lines wide, 3 to 6 

 inches long : leaves of the culm 2 or 3 ; sheaths striate, nearly smooth, half open above, 

 shorter than the long internodes; blades flat or involute near the attenuate points, 2 

 to 4 inches long: ligule obtuse and lacerate, 2 to 3 lines long. 



Inflorescence a rather loose, open panicle 5 to 8 inches long; rays 2 to 5 at each of 

 the 5 or 6 nodes, divergent or spreading, or contracted and erect until near maturity, 

 slightly scabrid, unequal, 3 inches long or less, spikelet-bearing to the middle or below. 



Spikelets oblong, 2 to 3 lines long, loosely 3- to 5-flowered with a rudiment; empty 

 glumes ovate, acute, thin, green, slightly hispid on the keels, 1- to 3-nerved, 1 to 1^ 

 lines long, shorter than the lower florets; floral glume ovate, acute, green, except the 

 narrow, membranaceous margins, pubescent throughout, but more so on the keel and 

 marginal nerves, 5-nerved, 1£ lines long; web at base thin, about equaling or shorter 

 than the glume; palet oblong, emarginate, nearly smooth on the green keels, slightly 

 shorter than the glume; grain lanceolate, flattened, semitranslucent, § line long; in- 

 ternode of rachilla pubescent, \ line long, readily disarticulating. 



Plate LXXVIII; a, spikelet; b, floret; c, mature grain. 



California to Oregon in woods and swamps. 



Note. — The few webby hairs at the base of the floral glume are not figured. 



