HITCHCOCK AND CHASE—-NORTH AMERICAN PANICUM. 55 
Panicles not more than one-third the entire height of 
the plant. 
Spikelets not over 2 mm. long, acute but not long- 
acuminate. 
Culms stout; blades about 1 cm. wide; 
spikelets turgid..........--2--...--- 21. P. gattingert. 
Culms slender; blades not over 6 mm. wide; 
spikelets not turgid.................. 22. P. philadelphicum. 
Spikelets 2.7 to 6 mm. long, acuminate. 
First glume about one-third the length of the 
spikelet, subacute or blunt........... 27. P. stramineum. 
First glume usually more than half the 
length of the spikelet, acuminate. 
Spikelets 4.5 to 6 mm. long. 
Spikelets 6 mm. long, scattered.. 29. P. pareum. 
Spikelets scarcely over 5 mm, ; 
long, approximate......... 26A. P. decolorans. 
Spikelets not over 4 mm. long. 
First glume more than three-fourths 
the length of the spikelet; 
spikelets 4 mm, long. ....... 26. P. pampinosum. 
First glume half to two-thirds the 
length of the spikelet; spike- 
lets not over 3.3 mm. long... 25. P. hirticaule. 
20. Panicum flexile (Gattinger) Scribn. 
Panicum capillare flevile Gattinger, Tenn. Fl. 94. 1887. ‘‘Characteristic of the cedar 
glades.’’ In the Gattinger Herbarium are two specimens labeled ‘‘Panicum capillare 
L. var. flevile Gattinger” in Gattinger’s hand. The larger specimen is chosen as the 
type. This is labeled ‘‘Cedar glade near Nashville, Sept. ’88. A. Gattinger.”’ 
Panicum flexile Scribn. in Kearney, Bull. Torrey Club 20: 476. 1893. Based on 
P. capillare flexile Gattinger. 
Panicum minus Nash, Bull. Torrey Club 22: 421. 1895. Based on ‘‘Panicum 
capillare var. minus Muhl.,’”’ though Nash’s description applies #0 P. philadelphicum. 
Scribner and Merrill @ applied to this species the name P. philadelphicum Bernh., 
but this name belongs to a different species. Muhlenberg > describes P. flerile as a 
variety of P. capillare, but without giving a varietal name, saying, ‘‘ Varietas minor 
occurrit ubique in cultis magis aridis,’’ and following this by a description. This 
specimen in the Muhlenberg Herbarium is labeled, ‘183 Panicum capillare var. 
minor.”’ 
Pursh ¢ describes P. flexile under the name of P. diffusum Swartz. It was also 
described by Trinius 4 as P. capillare 8 Panicula depauperata. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Plants erect, much branched from the base, 20 to 70 cm. high; culms slender, 
glabrous, or somewhat hispid below, nodes pubescent; sheaths papillose-hispid, the 
hairs shorter than in P, capillare; blades erect but not stiff, glabrous or sparsely hispid, 
a U. 8. Dept. Agr. Div. Agrost. Cire. 27: 3.1900. A discussion of ‘‘The grasses in 
the Herbarium of Dr. H. Muhlenberg.”’ 
b Deser. Gram. 124. 1817. 
ce Fl]. Amer. Sept. 1: 68. 1814. 
dGram. Pan. 215. 1826. See note under P. philadelphicum, p. 58. 
