nial grass.

The stems are usually slender, densely tufted, erect, simple, or
branched, leafy especially at the base, varying in height from 1 to 3
feet.

The _leaf-sheaths_ are sparsely hairy or glabrous, the lower somewhat
compressed and the upper terete. The _ligule_ is a short, ciliated
membrane. The _nodes_ are glabrous.

The _leaf-blade_ is narrow, linear, acute, rigid, flat, glaucous, smooth
or scaberulous, with margins scabrid and ciliated with tubercle-based
hairs especially towards the base, and varying in length from 2 to 15
inches.

The _inflorescence_ is an open panicle, ovate or oblong, varying in
length from 2 to 5 inches; the _rachis_ is slender, smooth or
scaberulous, the branches are capillary, whorled and spreading, tip
oblique, bearded and bearing a single sessile and two pedicellate
spikelets.

[Illustration: Fig. 158.--Andropogon monticola.

1. Sessile and pedicellate spikelets; 2, 3, 4 and 5. the first, second,
third and the fourth glume, respectively, of the sessile spikelet; 6.
anthers, ovary and lodicules; A-1, A-2, A-3 and A-4. the glumes of the
pedicelled spikelet; A-5. lodicules of the pedicelled spikelet.]

The _sessile spikelets_ are bisexual, about 1/4 inch or less, with a
long callus bearded on one side with long rusty hairs. There are four
_glumes_ in the spikelet. The _first glume_ is chartaceous, linear,
complicate, 2-toothed at the tip and with short bristles towards the
apex, 4-veined. The _second glume_ is chartaceous, ovate-lanceolate,
much broader than the first, ciliate with long rufous bristles on the
keel, shortly toothed at the apex with an _awn_ about 1/3 of an inch and
with broadly hyaline margins. The _third glume_ is hyaline,
narrow-oblong, ciliate and obtuse. The _fourth glume_ is narrow, oblong,
hyaline with an _awn_ nearly an inch long. There are three _stamens_ and
two _lodicules_. The _stigmas_ are long and feathery.

The _pedicelled spikelets_ are as long as the sessile and the pedicels
are flattened and with long rufous hairs on both the margins. There are
four _glumes_. The _first glume_ is lanceolate, acute and awned between
two teeth, 7-nerved and scaberulous. The _second glume_ is lanceolate,
acuminate, with thinly ciliate hyaline margins, 3-nerved. The _third
glume_ is shorter than the second, narrow, hyaline, ciliate at the
margins, 2-nerved. The _fourth glume_ also is small, hyaline, ciliate,
and 1-nerved. There are three _stamens_ and two _lodicul