441 
Smooth; leaves longer than the geniculate decumbent culms ; the up¬ 
per sheathing the base of panicle-like raceme, which is composed of 
many strict spikes ; spikelet seven to eleven-flowered ; much longer than 
the lanceolate glumes; paleae hairy-margined towards the base; the 
lower one with two small lateral teeth and a short awn in the cleft of the 
apex. Annual; flowers in August; culms 13 to 15 inches long. Wet 
meadows. Illinois.—Michaux. 
TRIBE VI. FESTUCINE^E. 
Spikelets several-flowered, panicled ; the uppermost flower often im¬ 
perfect or abortive ; paleae pointless, or the lower sometimes tipped with 
a straight awn or bristle; stamens 1 to 3 ; scales 2. 
GENUS 20. TRICUSPIS. Beauvois. 
[Latin, tricuspis, three-pointed ; form of the lower palea ] 
Spikelets 3 to 12 flowered ; glumes unequal ; rachis of the spike bearded 
below each flower ; palea chartaceous, lower one much larger than the 
upper, convex, hairy on the back, three-nerved, tricuspidate at apex by 
the projection of the nerves, upper palea emarginate, two-keeled ; sta¬ 
mens three ; stigmas plumose, dark purple. 
51. Tricuspis Sesterioides. Torrey. 
Syn.—P oa flava, Linn. P. seslerioides, Michx. P. quinquefida, Ph. 
Windsoria pooeformis, Nutt. Tridens quinquefida, Roem. & Schultz.. 
Eragrostis tricuspis, Trin. Uralepis cuprea, Kunth. Tall red-top. 
Culm upright, very smooth ; leaves smooth ; panicle large, compound, 
the rigid capillary branches spreading, naked below ; spikelets very nu¬ 
merous, five to seven-flowered, shining, purple, the flowers hairy towards 
the base. Perennial ; flowers in August. Culms 3 to 5 feet high. Illi¬ 
nois and Ohio. Has been cut for bay in Pennsylvania, but is not 
esteemed of much value. 
GENUS 21. DIARRHENA. Bojinesque. 
[Greek, dis, two, and arren , man, from the two stamens ; or arrcncs , rough, from the 
scabrous keels of the upper pah a.] 
Glumes ovate, much shorter than the flowers, coriaceous, the lower 
much smaller; lower palea ovate, convex on the back, three-nerved 
