PIPEfi — NORTH AMERICAN SPECIES OF PEBTUOA. 5 



Helleria Fourn. Mcx. PI. 2: L28. 



Based on Bromus UvidMsH. B. K. (Festuca limda WiWd.). Included 

 in Festuca by Bentham and Booker and by Haekel. 



An examination of the lisl of names shows thai seven genera have 

 been proposed for varying groups of perennial Festucas (excluding 

 Leucopoa), and that fifteen names have been proposed tor varying 

 groups of the annual species. Of the former class none has received 

 wide acceptation. In regard to the latter class there has been much 

 difference <>f opinion. 



In the great modern works on plant genera the following views are 

 maintained: Haekel. in Engler and Prantl's Pflanzenfamilien, re 

 oizes Festuca, Sclerochloa, Catapodium, and Scleropoa a- distinct, 

 merging the remaining proposed genera, including Ctenopsis and 

 Leucopoa, into Festuca. Bentham and Hooker include Catapodium 

 and Scleropoa in Festuca, unite Leucopoa with Poa, hut maintain 

 Sclerochloa and Ctenopsis. Baillon follow- Bentham and Hooker. 



Atropis (Puccinellia) is maintained a- a genus by Haekel, hut 

 reduced to a section of ( rlyceria (Panicularia) by Bentham and Hooker 

 and by Baillon. Ascherson and Graebner, in their recent treatment 

 in Synopsis der Mitteleuropaischen Flora, unite Atropis with Festuca, 

 into which they also merge Sphenopus and Cutandia. 



We accept Hackel's delimitation of the genus, but exclude Leucopoa. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



The genus Festuca is represented in all parts of the world, but prin- 

 cipally in temperate or mountain regions. In Europe there are, accord- 

 ing to Haekel." us perennial species, but on a different species concept 

 Richter* increases this Dumber to 103. The European annual species 

 number about 26. 



In North America we recognize -2-2 perennial and L2 annual species, 

 two of each group introduced from Europe. In Mexico there are about 

 lo additional perennials, and in the remaining part-* of tropical North 

 America a few others. 



Excluding known synonyms there are still accredited to Asia about 

 32 species, t<» Africa about V-\ specie-, to Australasia about LO species, 

 and to Soul h America about 7.". species. It is altogether probable that 



any of these are 33 oonyms. 



Ill 



" Bdonographia Festucarum Europaearum. 

 '• Plantae Europaeae. 



