THE AGRICULTURAL GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES. 91 



ing glume and ciliate on the keels. This species grows in the mountain 

 region of California and Oregon, also in Nevada. Utah, and Wyoming. 

 (Plate 92.) 



Melica imperfecta. 



There are seven or eight species of Melica in California, some of them 

 quite common, but they do not appear to have much agricultural value. 

 The Melica i7nperfecta grows in tufts in shaded ground. There are sev- 

 eral varieties, which differ considerably in size and general appearance. 

 They may be described in general terms as growing from 1 to 3 feet 

 high, with slender, rather wiry culms; the lower leaves are narrow, 

 with long-tapering points, and about half as long as the culm, generally 

 smooth or slightly scabrous. The roots are perennial, with strong fibers. 

 The panicle varies in the different varieties from 6 to V2 inches in length, 

 rather narrow, with distant rays, which are very unequal in length, and 

 in clusters from three to five. The longer rays are 1 or 2, or sometimes 

 3 inches long, flower-bearing for half or two-thirds their length, while 

 the shorter ones, J to 1 inch long, are flower-bearing to their base. The 

 spikelets are one quarter of an inch or less in length, and usually with 

 two flowers, one of which is imperfect, sometimes, however, with three 

 flowers, one or two of which are imperfect. The outer glumes are fre- 

 quently purplish, with thin, whitish margins, slightl}^ obtuse, and three 

 to five nerv^ed. The flowering glume is about seven-nerved, usually 

 purplish, rather acute; the palet of about the same length and two- 

 toothed. The imperfect flower has a short pedicel, and is about half 

 as long as the perfect one. (Plate 93.) 



Uniola. 



This genus has closely, many-flowered spikelets, usually large, very 

 flat, and two-edged, one or more of the lowest flowers neutral and con- 

 sisting only of an empty glume ; the glumes are closely folded together, 

 kefeled, rigid, or coriaceous ; the flowering ones larger, many-nerved, 

 usually acute or pointed, entire ; palet rigid, two-keeled, the keels nar- 

 rowly winged. 



Uniola latifolia. (Broad-flowered Fescue grass.) 



This is a handsome grass, growing 2 to 3 feet high, with very broad 

 leaves and a spreading panicle ; the drooping spikelets larger than those 

 of any other grass we have, being an inch long or more, and nearly half 

 as wide, consisting of ten to twelve flowers. It grows from Pennsyl- 

 vania and Illinois southward. Mr. Charles Mohr, Mobile, Ala., says of 

 this grass : 



A fine vernal grass, with a ricli foliage, blooming early in May; 2 to 3 feet higli; 

 frequent in damp, sandy loam, forming large tufts. This perennial grass is certainly 

 valuable, affording an abundant range early in the season; if cultivated it would 

 yield large crops ready for cutting from the 1st of May. It is called by some wild 



