98 MISC. PUBLICATION 42 3, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



1. Melica nitens (Scribn.) Piper, Torrey Bot. Club Bui. 32: 387. 



1905. 



Melica diffusa var. nitens Scribn., Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. Proc. 

 1885: 44. 1885. 

 Arizona, without locality. Rocky open woods. Pennsylvania to 

 Iowa, south to Virginia, Arkansas, Texas, and Arizona. 



2. Melica ported Scribn., Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. Proc. 1885: 44. 



1885. 

 Coconino, Cochise, and Pima Counties, 5,000 to 7,000 feet, moist 

 open woods and canyons, July to October. Missouri to Kansas, 

 south to Texas and Arizona. 



3. Melica frutescens Scribn., Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. Proc. 1885: 45. 



1885. 

 Superstition Mountains (Pinal County), up to 5,000 feet, dry hills 

 and canyons, April to May. Arizona, southern California, and Baja 

 California. 



15. TRIODIA 



Cespitose or stoloniferous perennials with open or contracted 

 panicles; glumes nearly equal; lemmas rounded on the back, the apex 

 toothed or lobed, the midnerve usually excurrent in a short awn, the 

 lateral nerves often excurrent as minute points, all of the nerves 

 pubescent. 



Although often very abundant, especially fluffgrass (T. pulchella), 

 the species of this genus are not important range plants. 



Key to the species 



1. Plants widely stoloniferous; panicles small, capitate, exceeded by the fascicles 



of leaves 1. T. pulchella. 



1. Plants cespitose, without stolons; panicles narrow or dense, much exceeding 

 the leaves (2). 



2. Lemmas deeply lobed 2. T. grandiflora. 



2. Lemmas minutely toothed or subentire (3). 



3. Panicles ovoid, 1 to 2 cm. long; lemmas acute, the awn 1 to 2 mm long. 



3. T. PILOSA. 



3. Panicles elongate, 10 to 25 cm. long; lemmas obtuse, entire or minutely 

 notched, awnless (4). 

 4. Glumes acute, usually longer than the lowest floret, the first glume 



3-nerved 4. T. elongata. 



4. Glumes obtuse, shorter than the lowest floret, the first glume 1-nerved. 



5. T. MUTICA. 



1. Triodia pulchella H. B. K., Nov. Gen. et Sp. 1: 155. 1816. 



Dasyochloa pulchella Willd. ex Rydb., Fl. Rocky Mount. 67. 

 1917. 



Throughout the State, up to 5,500 feet, mesas and rocky hills, 

 March to October. Utah and Nevada to western Texas, Arizona, and 

 southern California. 



2. Triodia grandiflora Vasey, Contrib. U. S. Natl. Herbarium 1: 



59. 1890. 

 Greenlee, Cochise, arid Pima Counties, 3,000 to 5,500 feet, dry 

 rocky slopes, August to October. Western Texas to Arizona and 

 northern Mexico. 



