114 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 
Panicum distichum lancifolium Griseb. Fl. Brit. W. Ind. 548. 1864. Grisebach bases 
this upon a specimen from Trinidad collected by Crueger. The type, Crueger 84, 
in the Grisebach Herbarium, is an exceptionally robust plant, with numerous racemes 
and villous nodes. Grisebach states that the rachis of the branches is glabrous, but 
the type has slender bristles thinly interspersed. It resembles Hart’s no, 732 from 
Jamaica. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Plants annual, usually decumbent or creeping at base, rooting at the nodes and send- 
ing up erect branches, smaller plants sometimes erect; culms usually branching, 20 
to 100 em. high, the nodes villous or sometimes glabrous or nearly so; sheaths elongated, 
but usually less so than the internodes, keeled, separating more or less from the culm, 
exposing the Jong prophyllum, and inrolled at the summit, somewhat simulating a 
petiole to the blade, glabrous or sometimes ciliate or sparsely 
hirsute; ligules wanting; blades ascending or spreading, narrowly 
lanceolate, 4 to 20 cm. long, 7 to 15 mm. wide, broadest near the 
cordate or truncate base, puberulent at the very base, otherwise 
glabrous or sometimes sparsely pubescent; panicles consisting of 
10 to 40 spike-like, densely-flowered, somewhat spreading racemes 
_ along anaxis5 to 15 cm. long, the lower distant; racemes | to 3 cm. 
et ae long, straight or curved, bearing numerous spikelets in clusters of 
specimen. 1 to 3 secund on the lower side, the rachises copiously to sparsely 
papillose-hispid, the hairs | to 3 mm. long, wanting in occasional 
specimens; spikelets about 1.5 mm. long, 0.6 mm. wide, and nearly 1 mm. thick; first 
glume about half the length of the spikelet; second glume and sterile lemma equal, 
the former 5, the latter 3-nerved, both scabrous on the midnerve at the apex, the 
sterile palea as long as its lemma, becoming subrigid and forcing open the spikelet; 
fruit 1.3 mm. long, 0.6 mm. wide. 
This species differs from P. laxum in the more freely branching habit, compara- 
tively shorter and uniformly cordate or truncate blades, and smaller panicles of shorter, 
denser racemes, usually conspicuously bristly. In the following specimens the 
bristles are wanting: Curtiss 305, Rovirosa 599, Rusby & Squires 79. The latter is also 
exceptional in having pubescent spikelets. In this species an occasional internode 
is much shortened, thus giving a few leaves the appearance of being nearly in pairs. 
Most of the specimens from North America have villous nodes, but those from South 
America are commonly glabrous on the nodes. 
DISTRIBUTION. 
Fields and open woods, Mexico, West Indies, and south to Brazil. 
Mexico: Mirador, Liebmann 411; Chiapas, Nelson 3056; San Juan Bautista, 
Rovirosa 599. 
GuateMALa: Los Andes, Kellerman 5119; Dept. Alta Vera Paz, Goll 11, Tuerck- 
heim 8797. 
Honpuras: San Pedro Sulé, Thieme 5587 in part; Bonacco Island, Gaumer. 
Nicaraaua: Wright. 
Costa Rica: Rio Hondo, Cook & Doyle 499; Talamanca, Tonduz 9495; Puerto 
Viejo, Biolley 7463. 
PanaMa: Fendler 368. 
‘usa: Herradura, Tracy 9063, Van Hermann 763, Dayaniguas, Wright 3451 in 
part; Sancti Spiritus, Ledn 908; Isle of Pines, Curtiss 305, Taylor 36. 
Jamaica: Gordon Town, Hart 732; Navy Island, Millspaugh 1859 (Hitchcock 
Herb.), Port Morant, /itchcock in 1890 (Hitchcock Herb.). 
LEEWARD IsLanps: Guadeloupe, Duss 4154. 
WiINpwArD IsLtaNps: Granada, Broadway in 1904. 
CoLoMBIA: Santa Marta, Smith 203. 
