46 



GRAMIXEJE. 



perennial, strongly tufted; stems erect, 1 to 2 ft. high, rather hard in 

 texture; ligule about 1 line long, lacerate; blades strongly involute 

 and scabrous; panicle very dense, spikelike, often slightly interrupted 

 below, 3 to 4 in. long, varying from pale to dark purple; branches 

 usually in fives below, appressed, the longest not more than an inch 

 long; spikelets 3 to 3J lines long; bracts sub-equal, very acute; upper 

 distinctly 3-nerved; callus hairs unequal, the longest, at the sides, 

 about J the length of the bractlet; awn arising from very near the 

 base of the bractlet. exserted more than £ the length of the bracts. — 

 (C. sylvatica, Thurb. in Bot. Cal., not of DeCandolle. Description 

 adapted from that of Thurber, in the absence of specimens. Reported 

 as having been collected by Bolander in the "redwoods," but the 

 actual locality is not stated; perhaps not within our limits, but to be 

 looked for.) 



2. C. Aleutica Bong. Aleutian Reed-grass. Stems stout, 

 erect, 2 to 5 ft. high; sheaths minutely scaberulous; blades 6 to 12 in. 

 long, 3 to 5 lines wide, scabrid on both surfaces, margins scabrous; 

 panicle 6 to 10 in. long, \ to 1£ in. broad, loosely contracted and 

 somewhat interrupted, somewhat drooping above; branches erect, 

 some at each node spikelet-bearing from the base; spikelets acute; 

 lower bract lh to 3£ lines long, glabrous except the scabrid keel; 

 upper rather shorter, bractlet 2£ to 3 lines long; awn from near the 

 middle of the bractlet and barely equaling it, usually strongly 

 geniculate; anthers 1 to 1£ lines long. 



Along the seashore in rocky or marshy places, from Point Reyes 

 northward. June-July. A tall, coarse species, forming large tufts. 



3. C. angusta Kearney. Narrow Reed-grass. Perennial; 

 stems few, slender, 2£ to 3f ft. high; ligule about 2 lines long, apex 

 broad, truncate or rounded; blades not filiform, all strongly involute, 

 at least above; panicle spikelike, narrow and dense, strict, 4£ to 7 in. 

 long, sometimes interrupted below; branches short, appressed, the 

 lower in threes; spikelets densely crowded, about 3 lines long, strongly 

 compressed; bracts subequal, rather sharply keeled; awn from near 

 the base of the bractlet, and shorter than, or not much exceeding, the 

 bracts, 1£ lines long, stout; anthers 1£ lines long. 



The type, which appears to be the only specimen so far known, 

 is from Santa Cruz, Anderson. Description adapted from that of 

 Kearney in the absence of specimens. 



4. C. sub-flexuosa Kearney. Flexuous Reed-grass. Stems 

 tufted, slender, erect, 2 to 3 ft. high; sheaths minutely scabrid; ligule 

 1 to 2 lines long, apex slightly truncate; blades strongly involute, but 

 not filiform, panicle 4 to 6 in. long, oblong lanceolate, narrow and 

 dense, almost spiciform, often interrupted or lobed below, usually 

 somewhat flexuous, brownish-purple; branches erect, in fours or sixes 

 below, the longest about 2 in.; spikelets crowded, 2 to 2£ lines long, 

 strongly compressed; bracts subequal, about 2£ lines long, sharply 

 keeled," glabrous except the scabrid keel; bractlet and palea minutely 

 5-toothed; awn from a little above the base of the bractlet, about 

 equaling the bracts, stout; anthers 1 line long. 



