34 >NTRIBUT!ONti PROM Nil NATION A] HERBARIUM. 



- mm. wide, Oat, rather firm, smooth beneath, scabrous above, auricula 

 panicle erect, 1<» to 20 cm. long, contracted after blooming, varying from 

 nearly simple to much branched; rays in 3 to 6 sets, rather Bhort, scabrous on the 

 angles, Bpikelet-bearing nearly to the bae :eleta oblong or lanceolate, 3 to 13, 



usually 6 or B-fiowered, 9 to 1 1 mm. lom_ r . pale green or more <»r less purplish; joints 

 of the rachills smooth, l to i.:> mm. Ion::: glumes lanceolate, the lower I to 

 about .". iimi. long, the upper -'J to 5-nerved, about 1 mm. long; lemma oblong- 

 lanceolate, coriaceous, Eaintly 5-nerved, 5 to 7 mm. long, scabrid toward tin- apex, 

 arious apex acutish or rarely short-awned; palea about equaling the lemma, 

 oblong, slightly notched at apex, the nerves scabrous, the indexed sides one-third 

 a- broad a- tin- internerve. 



Cultivated and more or less established throughout tin- United States and southern 

 ( ana-la. 



23a. Festuca elatior arundinacea Schreb. Gelak. 



■-/ arundinacea Schreb. Spic. Fl. Lips. ;7. 1771. 

 Fnt uca elatior arundinacea Celak. Prod. Fl. Bohm. 51. 1869. 



This subspecies Is rather sparingly introduced. It i- larger and coarser than 

 /•". elatior, and i^ conveniently distinguishable by it- tinner thicker leaves, the nerves 

 of which are prominent on both surfaces, \\ bile in F. • latior the nerves are prominent 

 only aho\ e. 



24. Festuca obtusa Spreng. 



Festuca nutans Spreng. Fl. Hal. Mant. 34. 1807. "E. Pennsylvania, Muhlenb." 

 Not Festuca nutans Moench, Meth. 191. I7W4. 



Festuca obtusa Spreng. loc. cit. "E, Pennsylvania, Muhlenb." In Muhlenl 



Herbarium in the Philadelphia Academy of Science- are specimens labeled / 

 nutans, and Fislnra gylvatica obtusa. Apparently both tlle-e aie herharinin name- of 

 Muhlenberg, which were first published by Sprengel. Both these specimen- are 

 clearly referable to the common eastern plant which has so long gone under the 



name I >f F( StUC I nutans. 



Festuca nutans palustris Muhl. Gram. 166. 1817. From Muhlenberg's briefdescrip- 

 tion this is merely a form of /•'. obtusa. It can scarcely he Festuca shortii to which 

 Wood" referred it. There is nothing so labeled in Muhlenberg's Herbarium. 



Poa nutans Link, Kiium. 1: s <>. lsi'i. Based on Festuca nutans Spreng. 



DESCRIPTH >N. 



Culms erect, 40 to 120 cm. high, glabrous or sometimes pubescent, 3 or 4- jointed; 

 sheath- striate, shorter than the internodes, glabrous or pubscent; ligule very Bhort; 

 blades dark green, flat, 1<» to 30 cm. Long, 4 to 7 mm. wide, smooth or scabrous 

 beneath, paler and Bcabrous or sometimes puberulent above, acute, auriculate at base; 

 panicle very loose, l ( » to l'O cm. long, often more or less secund, erect or but little 

 nodding; ray- in :; to 5 sets, mostly in twos, pulvillate at base, scabrous on the 

 prominent angles, sparingly branched ami bearing a fewspikelets near the end. at 

 first <-rect. then spreading: spikelets pale green, lanceolate. :; to 5-flowered, 5 to 7 

 mm. long; joint- of the rachilla cylindric, glabrous, about 5 mm. long; glomes rather 

 I inn. Bcabrid on the nerves, the lower I -nerved, about 3 mm. long, the upper 3-nerved, 

 a hoi it 4 mm. long; lemma coriaceous, smooth, convex, oblong-ovate, acute or acutish, 

 4 mm. long, the narrow margin hyaline, obscurely 5-nerved, the nerves very obscure; 

 palea firm, equaling the lemma, acute. 



Vermont, <>ntario, and Minnesota to Georgia and Texas. 



a Bot. ,v. I'lor. 399. L873. 



