44 CONTRIBUTIONS PROM Till NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



daplo majore obtusa; palea Lnferiore 5-nervi apioe potissimum et in meeonervo promi- 

 nente scabra, Becus uiarginein erubeecente, apioe longe mucronata; palea Buperiore 

 angusta breviore bidentata. 



"Absque loco Liebm. n. 517 . 



This Bpecies ie unknown to us. 



Festuca tolucensis 1 1 B. K. 



luca tolucensit II B. K . together with it- Buppoeed Bynonyme /'. muMculmit 

 Steud., and /•'. aequipaleata Fourn., belong to a group of Mexican species that we are 

 unable to clear up with the evidence and material at hand. The group differs from 

 other Mexican Bpeciee by the leaves possessing large ligules and the palea being bifid. 

 The species are allied t<» /•'. thurbcri Vasey, but differ in the bifid palea and awned 

 lemma. 



Tin- following are the original descriptions: 



festuca tolucensis II. B. K. Nov. Gen. & Sp. 1: 1">.">. 1815. 



"I-\ culmis, vaginis foliisque Bcabris, setaceo-triquetris; panicula Bimplici, laxa, 

 rami- alternis, rhachique Bcabris; Bpiculis obovato-oblongis, compressis, Bubsexfloris; 

 glumis paleisque Bcabris; arista brevi. 



—cit in montosis, scopulosis, apricis regni Mexican^ inter Tslahuaca ei Toluca, ait. 

 ap. 1' Floret Septembri. 



•• Radix fibrosa. Oulmi caespitosi, erecti, bipedales, simplices, striati, Bcabriusculi. 

 Folia convoluto-setacea, triquetra, apicesubulata, scabra. Vaginae striatae, carina tat-, 

 scabrae. Ligula oyata, obtusa, glabra. Panicula -implex, laxa, quadri- ant quin- 

 quepollicari8, ramis alternis, adscendenti-patulis, triquetris, scabris, distantibus. 

 Rhachis triquetra, scabra. Spiculae obovato-oblongae, quinque- ant Bexflorae, flori- 

 bus distantibus. ( rlumae ovato-lanceolatae, acuminato-subulatae, carinatae, purpur- 

 ascentes, scabrae, inaequales, inferior dimidio brevior et angustior, superior spicula 

 dimidio brevior. Paleae lanceolatae, purpurascentes, scabrae, apice bidentatae, 

 inferior superiore paullo 1< »n<ri< >r. inter dentes breviter aristata, superior bicarinata." 

 ca muUiculmis Steud. Syn. PI. Gram. 310. 1854. 



"Radice validule fibrosa, caespitifera, caespitibua constantibus e plurimis culmis 

 Bterilibus foliiformi convolutia rigidis basi vaginatis et foliiferis culmum fertilem 

 solitarium, an semper) aequantibus; vaginis striatis foliis brevibus convolutia; culmi 

 fioriferi foliis inferioribus Bterilibus Bimilibus, Buperioribusplaniusculisaugustissimis; 

 vaginis scabriusculis; panicula Bimplici (2-3-pollicari) laxa; ra<liis solitariis alternis 

 inferioribus 3- superioribus uni-spiculatis; Bpiculis ovatis patulia laxis (3 '" et ultra 

 longis sub-5-floris glumis inaequalibua flosculis brevioribus; valvula inferiore scabra 

 fusco purpurea infra lutescenti-albida obscure nervosa simpliciter acuminata vel ex 

 apice brevissime bidentula aristulata. An I-', tolucensis 11. B. var.? Heller Hrbr. 

 iir. :'»<•(•,. Mons Tolucco Mexico." 



Festuca aequipaleata Fourn. Mex. PI. 2. L25. 1881. 



"Differ! a I-'. Tolucensi foliis retrorsum Bcabris, ]>aleis aequalibus, inferiore brevi- 

 ter mucronata, Buperiore profunde bifida. 



•■ In monte Orizabensi, 1 1. nun ' Liebm. n. 511, 513)." 



In the National Herbarium are two Bheets of specimens from Fournier, one of no. 

 511, Liebmann, the type oi /•'. aequipaleata Fourn., the other no. 510, Liebmann, 

 referred by Fournier to /•; tolucensis II. B. K. Both of these sheets are mixture-, 

 each containing apparently two Bpecies, representing in all three species, or else 

 three tonus of one variable species. The specimens all agree in having large ligules 

 awned lemmas, and bidentate paleae, but differ in the form of the panicle, the size of 

 the spikelets, and the shape of the florets. To complicate matter.- -till more the 

 remaining Bheets examined all differ more or less, while retaining the essential char- 



