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Grasses in the Wrong Genus Cover.
BY W. J. BEAL.

In the BULLETIN, page 1I, 1888, are described some new
species of grasses, among them Poa macrantha, Vasey, and
Poa argentea, T. Howell. I believe these belong to the genus
Melica.

MELICA ARGENTEA (Howell). An erect, loosely-tufted perennial, 15-20 cm. high. Radical leaves numerous, curved, con-
duplicate, 3-7 cm. long, in cross section oblong, o.6-0.8 mm.
diameter, bulliform cells wanting, apex obtuse, sheaths loose,
membranous, ligule 2-3 mm. long, blades of the culm 2, conduplicate, II-nerved, 1.5 cm. long by 1.3 mm. diameter, ligule acute
3-5 mm. long. Panicle oblong, spike-like, 2-3 cm. long. Spike-
lets oblong-linear, 6-8 mm. long, 3-5 flowered, joint of rachilla
I.7-2 mm. long. All the glumes brownish shining, with broad
scarious margins. Empty glumes subequal, 3-4-5-nerved, obovate, ovate, variously lobed, toothed or entire, 3.5-5 mm. long;
floral glume oval or obovate when spread, denticulate, 5-6-7-
nerved, minutely scabrid or smooth, 5.5 mm. long, palea lanceolate, about the length of its glume, scabrous on the keels, anthers 3, 2.5 mm. long.
The following, among other things, indicate that this is a species of Melica: the soft, smooth or scarious obovate or irregularly toothed glumes, empty glumes often 4-5-nerved, the long
spongy joints of the rachilla, the floral glume without hair at the
base, often 6-7 nerved, the nerves evanescent, not connivant above.

MELICA MACRANTHA, (Vasey) .- A smooth stout perennial
3-4 dm. high, ascending from creeping rootstocks. Leaves of
the culm, excepting 2-3 of the upper ones, bear in their axils
non-flowering leafy branches. Leaves of these branches conduplicate, curved and flexuose, often extending to the panicle, the
extreme apex obtuse or abruptly pointed, in cross-section oval or

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circular, 5-10 mm. in diameter, a set of small bulliform cells on
each side and near the mid-nerve ; those of the culm a little wider,
the upper one 1-5 cm. long, sheaths compressed, loose, ligule
I-2 mm. long. Panicle erect, dense, sometimes interrupted
below, 4-10 cm. long, rays in twos and threes, stout, erect, the
longest 3-5 cm. long. Staminate spikelets compressed, ovate-
lanceolate or oval, 4-7 flowered, 10-15 mm. long, light green or
yellowish ; joint of rachilla large, soft, sparingly pubescent, 1.5-2
mm. long. Empty glumes oblong-lanceolate, soft-scabrid, Ist
3-4-5 nerved, 7-10 mm. long, 2d 3-7 nerved, 8-1I mm. long;
floral glume oval, or oval-lanceolate, with soft hairs at the base
and lower part of the keel; apex notched, awnless, 3-10 nerved
(even on glumes from the same panicle), 8-10 mm. long, palea
but very little shorter than its glume, linear, ciliate on the keels,
apex notched; anthers 5 mm. long. Pistillate spikelets have
joints of the rachilla shorter, empty glumes and floral glume a
little shorter.

The compressed spikelets and conduplicate leaves point to
affinities with Poa ; the following show affinities with Melica:
large, soft-scabrid, light green or yellowish spikelets, glumes oval,
floral glume notched at the apex, not keeled, rachilla large, long
and soft, empty glumes usually more than 3 nerved and floral
glume often more than 5-7 nerved.
Poa macrantha, Vasey .- Specimens from T. Howell, sand
dunes Tilamook Bay, Oregon ; also from Dr. G. Vasey.