8. Eragrostis Pectinacea (Michx.) Steud. Purple Love-Grass

Fig. 579

Poa pectinacea Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. 1: 69. 1803. Eragrostis pectinacea Steud. Syn. PI. Gram. 272. 1855. Eragrostis pectinacea var. spectabilis A. Gray, Man. Ed. 5, 632. 1867.

Culms 1°-2 1/2° tall, erect or ascending, rigid, simple, smooth and glabrous. Sheaths overlapping, smooth, glabrous or villous, the upper one often enclosing the base of the panicle; ligule a ring of hairs; blades 5'-12' long, 2"-4" wide, smooth beneath, scabrous above and sparingly villous at the base; panicle 6-24' in length, purple or purplish, the branches 3'-10' long, strongly bearded in the axils, widely spreading or the lower often reflexed; spike-lets 5-15-flowered, 1 1/2"-4" long, on pedicels of at least their own length; scales acute, the empty ones about equal, the flowering ones about 7/8" long, their lateral nerves very prominent.

In dry soil, Maine to South Dakota, south to Florida and Texas. Pink-grass. False Red-top. Aug.-Sept.

9. Eragrostis Refracta (Muhl.) Scribn. Meadow Love-Grass

Fig. 580

Poa refracta Muhl. Gram. 146. 1817.

Eragrostis canipcstris Trin. Bull. Acad. Sci. St. Petersb. 1: 70. 1836.

E. refracta Scribn. Mem. Torr. Club 5: 49. 1894.

Culms 1°-3° tall, erect, slender, simple, smooth and glabrous. Sheaths overlapping, smooth and glabrous; ligule a ring of short hairs; blades 5-12' long, 1 "-2" wide, smooth beneath, rough above, and villous toward the base; panicle 8'-2o' long; branches slender, 4-10' long, at length widely spreading, the axils often bearded; spikelets 6-25-flowered, 2 1/2"-6" long, on pedicels shorter than themselves; empty scales acute, the first somewhat shorter than the second; flowering scales very acute, 3/4"-1" long, the lateral nerves prominent.

In sandy soil, Delaware and Maryland to Florida, west to Texas. Aug.-Sept.

10. Eragrostis Curtipedicellata Buckley. Short-Stalked Love-Grass

Fig. 581

Eragrostis curtipedicellata Buckley, Proc. Acad. Phila. 1862: 97. 1862.

Culms 6'-3° tall, erect, rigid, simple, smooth and glabrous. Sheaths overlapping, smooth, pilose at the summit; ligule a ring of short hairs; blades 2'-%' long, \"-2" wide, smooth beneath, scabrous above; panicle 4'-12' in length, the branches widely spreading, 1 1/2'- 4 1/2' long; spikelets 5-12-flowered, 1 1/2"-3" long, on pedicels of less than their own length; scales acute, the empty ones somewhat unequal, the flowering ones about 7/8" long, scabrous on the midnerve, their lateral nerves prominent.

Prairies, Kansas to Texas. Aug.-Sept.

11. Eragrostis Trichodes (Nutt.) Nash. Hair-Like Love-Grass

Fig. 582

Poa trichodes Nutt. Trans. Am. Phil. Soc. (II.) 5: 146.

1833-37. Eragrostis tenuis A. Gray, Man. Ed. 2, 564, in part. 1856. E. trichodes Nash, Bull. Torr. Club 22: 465. 1895.

Culms 2°-4° tall, erect, simple, smooth and glabrous. Sheaths overlapping, smooth, pilose at the throat; ligule a ring of very short hairs; blades 6'-28' long, 1 "-2" wide, smooth beneath, slightly scabrous above, attenuate into a long slender tip; panicle 9'-26' in length, narrow and elongated, the branches erect or ascending, capillary, subdividing, somewhat flexuous, 3'-7' long; lower axils sometimes bearded; spikelets usually pale, 3-10-flowered, 2 1/2"-4 1/2" long; lower scales very acute, about equal; flowering scales acute, the lower ones 1 1/4"-1 1/2" long, their lateral nerves manifest.

In dry sandy soil, Illinois to Nebraska, south to Texas. Blow-out-grass. Aug.-Sept.