27 
3 to 5 inches long, below with 5 or 6 short, approximate, appressed, rather lax 
branches, 4 inch to 1 inch long; spikelets 1 line long, a little curved; lower glume 
one-half as long as the spikelet; second glume 7-nerved; third glume 5-nerved; 
rachis with a short bristle at apex and sometimes a bristle below the spikelets.— 
Texas (Buckley, Nealley). These three (12, 13, and 14) forma natural group, Leaves 
shorter and more rigid, spike shorter and closer, and spikelets smaller than in the 
preceding. 
15. P. stenodes Griseb. Fl. W. Ind., p. 547. (P. anceps var. strictum Chapm.) 
Culms 2 to 3 feet high, wiry, smooth; leaves erect, rigid, narrow (1 to 2 lines), 3 to 4 
inches long; panicle narrow, 2 to 3 inches long, of five to six slender, short, ap- 
pressed branches, sessile or nearly so, mostly single, sometimes two or three to- 
gether; spikelets about 1 line long, lanceolate, acute; first glume half as long as the 
spikelet; second and third 5-nerved, acute,—In ponds and water, Florida to Ala- 
bama (Dr. Mohr) and Texas (Nealley). 
§ 4, PLATYPHYLLA Vasey. 
16. P. platyphyllum Munro. Culms decumbent and rooting at the lower joints, 1 
to 2 feet high, branching below, pale green in color; leaves lanceolate, 3 to 4 inches 
long, 4 to 6 lines wide, smooth, firm, the base clasping ; margins scabrous, pale green ; 
sheaths smooth, striate, the upper one inclosing the base of the panicle consisting of 
3 to 5 simple, sessile, alternate, slightly spreading, distant branches, each 14 to 3 
inches long; spikelets sessile, and alternate on a flattened rachis; lower glume 
thin, obtuse, one-third as long as the second and third, the latter 5-nerved, smooth, 
and one-third longer than the obtuse fertile flower; sterile flower a glume only.— 
Texas (EZ. Hall, G. C. Nealley). 
17. P. plantagineum Link: Hort. 1. 206. Much like the preceding, but stouter 
and larger, with longer and wider leaves (6 to 10 inches by 6 to 9 lines); the spikes 
more remote, longer (2 to 4 inches), and the lower peduncled in the sheaths; spike- 
lets much like the preceding.—Introduced on ballast ground at Philadelphia. 
§ 5. BRACHIARIA Benth. 
18. P. prostratum Lam. (Chapm. Fl. S. States, suppl., p. 666. P. cespitosum 
Swartz?.) Culms creeping and rooting at the base, then ascending, 1 to 2 feet 
long, with rather distant leaves (1} to 2 inches long), lanceolate or ovate-lance- 
olate, acute, clasping at the ciliate base; sheaths shorter than the internodes; pan- 
icle exserted, short, about 2 inches long, of 5 to 8 simple or sub-simple branches, 
the lowest 1 to 14 inches long, closely flowered; rachis frequently with stiff hairs; 
spikelets three-quarters of a line long, smooth; first glume one-quarter as long as 
the spikelet, second and third equal; perfect flower striate-punctulate, mucronate- 
pointed. Our specimens agree with Trinius, Fig. 185 A.—Louisiana (Langlois) and 
Texas ( Nealley). 
19. P. ceespitosum Swartz.? (Swartz, Fl.W. Indies.) Culms numerous, succulent, 
and thickish, rooting at the base, ascending to 1 or 2 feet long; leaves crowded 
below, erect, linear-lanceolate, 2 to 4 inches long, 3 to 4 lines wide, ciliate on the 
margins, striate; lower sheaths inflated; panicle about 2 inches long, of 5 to 8 
branches becoming Icng exserted; rachis and branches hairy and angular, lower 
branches about 1 inch long; spikelets 1} to 1} lines long, ovate-oblong, acute, lower 
glume one-third as long as the spikelet; perfect flower as in the preceding, but larger. 
The whole plant pale green.—Probably in Texas and New Mexico, certainly in 
Chihuahua, Mexico (Pringle, No. 375). 
20. P. fuscum Swartz. (P. fasciculatum Swartz: Chapm. Fl. S. States, p. 574.) 
Culms 1 to 3 feet high, decumbent and branching at base; leaves linear or lan- 
ceolate-linear, 3 to 10 inches long, glabrous or pubescent; panicle 3 to 6 inches long, 
spreading, the branches simple or more or less fasciculated below, the lower about 2 
