437 
GENUS 15. A R 1ST I DA. Linnaeus. 
[Latin arUta, a beard or awn.] 
Flowers stipitate; glumes membranaceous, unequal, often bristle-pointed; 
paleae two, the lower tipped with a triple awn; upper much smaller, awuless; 
oviary stipitate. smooth; scales two, entire, smooth ; panicle racemed. 
39. Aristida Dichotoma. Michaux. 
Syn. —Curtopogon diehotomus, Beauv. Poverty grass. 
Culms in tufts, much fork-branched; spikelet* in short contracted racemes; 
lateral awns minute, the middle one not longer than the paleae, bent down. 
Annual? flowers in September; culms 5 to 15 inches high. Dry, sterild 
places; Illinois and Ohio. 
40. Aristida Purpurascens. Poiret. 
Syn. —A. racemosa, Muld. 
Culms mostly simple, c’othed with long, smooth leaves below; panicle 
spiked, densely flowered; awns nearly equal, three or four times the length of 
the paleae, at length spreading, middle one rather longest. Perennial; flower® 
in September; culms 2 to 3 feet high. Michigan and Illinois. 
41. Aristida Stricta. Michaux. 
Syn. —A. adsceneionis, Walt. Chsetaria stricta, Beauv. 
Culm and leaves straight, erect; leaves pubescent; raceme long, somewhat 
spiked, crowded; awns spreading, twice as long as tlie paleae, middle one 
longest; spikelets appressed; glumes unequal, very acute; lower palea hairy 
at the buse. Perennial; flowers in June and July; culms 2 to 3 feet high. 
In Tocky, shady situations; Michigan and Illinois. 
42. Aristida Oligantha. Michaux. 
Culms strict, erect, sparingly branched, leaves con volute-filiform; flovera 
distant, alternate, solitary ; awns jointless, three limes the length of the glumes; 
panicle contracted. [Probably not distinct from A. stricta.] Prairies of Illi¬ 
nois.— Michaux. 
43. Aristida Tuberculosa. Xultall. 
Long-awned poverty glass. 
Culm branched below, tuir.il at the joints; panicle simple loosely-flowered; 
