green, 1 to 5 inches long, 1/8 to 3/8 inch
broad, linear-lanceolate or lanceolate, acuminate, flat, rounded or
subcordate, and amplexicaul at base, scaberulous throughout, with
tubercle-based deciduous hairs on both the surfaces, and bearded at the
base above the ligule; the margin is thickened, serrulate, ciliate with
bulbous-based deciduous hairs.

[Illustration: Fig. 186.--Sporobolus scabrifolius.

1. Portion of a branch; 2. spikelet; 3, 4 and 5. the first, second and
third glumes; 6. palea; 7. anthers and ovary; 8. grain.]

The _inflorescence_ is an effuse panicle, 2-1/2 to 7 inches long and 1
to 4-1/2 inches broad, pyramidal or elliptic on a slender peduncle 1 to
7 inches long; _rachis_ is striolate, cylindric, glabrous and partly
green and partly purplish. Branches are capillary, 1/2 to 2-1/2 inches
long, those in the middle of the panicle are often the longest pale
green at first but turning purple later, whorled regularly or
irregularly, with often a solitary or twin branches intervening,
spreading, horizontal, reflexed, rarely one or two erect, dividing into
still finer branchlets below, ending in a few solitary spikelets above,
swollen at the base near the place of insertion and naked to a short
length, scabrid. The lowest whorl consists of five to ten branches and
in others they vary from three to eight; the branchlets are spreading
and drooping bearing from two to seven spikelets. There are glandular
streaks at the base of the branches above the point of insertion in the
naked portion and also on the pedicels of the spikelets.

_The spikelets_ are 1/20 to 1/16 inch long, lanceolate, acuminate, on
finely capillary pedicels long or short, pale at first and becoming
purplish when old. There are three _glumes_, the first two being empty.
All the glumes are 1-nerved and membranous. The _first glume_ is
membranous, about two-thirds of the second, sometimes less,
ovate-lanceolate, acuminate slightly scaberulous on the keel. The
_second glume_ is a little longer than the third, ovate-lanceolate,
acuminate, scaberulous on the keel. The _third glume_ is oblong-ovate,
glabrous, flower bearing, paleate; the _palea_ is shorter than the
glume, 2-nerved, splitting into two between the nerves. _Anthers_ are
three, small, pale yellow at first but becoming purple when old,
_stigmas_ are pale. _Lodicules_ are two and minute. Grain is rounded,
slightly compressed, oblique at the base, nearly as long as broad.

_Distributio