No. 80. 

 POA MACRANTHA Vasey, Bull. Torr. Club, xv. 11 (1885). 



Plant perennial, tufted or in small "bunches," usually somewhat glaucous, from 

 a strong rootstock. 



Culms erect, or somewhat decumbent at the base, often branched below, smooth, 

 rigid, leafy nearly to the panicle, 1 to 2 feet tall. 



Leaves from the base numerous, with loose, smooth sheaths and involute, rigid, 

 smooth, curving or recurved blades 6 to 12 inches long, often somewhat constricted 

 below the less involute corneus points : leaves of the culm U to 4; sheaths striate, nearly 

 smooth, scarious-margined, loose and open above, exceeding the internodes; blades in- 

 volute, pointed, recurved, 2 to 4 inches long; ligule truncate, somewhat erose, decur- 

 rent, J line long. 



Inflorescence a closely flowered, oblong, rather secund panicle, somewhat inter- 

 rupted below, 2 to 4 inches long; rays in twos or threes, erect, unequal, \ to 2 inches 

 long, spikelet-bearing nearly to the base. 



Spilcelets lance-ovate, compressed, 5- to 8-flowered, 6 to 7 lines long; empty glumes 

 lance-ovate, acute, sparsely hispid on the keels, rather thin, 5- to 7-nerved, 3£ to 4 

 lines long, about equaling the lower florets; floral glume broadly lance-ovate, barely 

 acute, or more often emarginate, scarious-margined above, strigose-pubescent through- 

 out, ciliate on the keel and marginal nerves, 3J to 4 lines long; palet oblong, emargi- 

 nate, pubescent on the keels, the broad margins infolded, nearly as long as the glume; 

 stamens 3 with exserted anthers; grain spindle-shaped, roughly wrinkled, golden 

 brown or gray, opaque, 2 lines long; lodicules rather prominent, J line long ; internode 

 of rachilla thick, pubescent, less than i line long. 



Plate LXXX; a, spikelet; &, floret opened; c, floral glume, dorsal view; d, grain. 



California to Washington, in the sand along the seashore or along the low river 

 banks in the tide-water region. It is dioecious, the staminate panicles being less 

 dense, with more compressed, loosely-flowered spikelets and thinner glumes. 



