HITCHCOCK AND CHASE—NORTH AMERICAN PANICUM. 179 
Nudicaulia.—The following species does not seem to be closely allied with any other, 
and hence is placed tentatively in a group by itself. So far as the technical 
characters are concerned it might be placed in the group Dichotoma, but it 
differs from any of the species of that group in the narrow, enveloping base of 
the blades, and the nearly naked culms. When the autumnal form is known 
the affinity of the species may be shown. 
101. Panicum nudicaule Vasey. 
Panicum nudicaule Vasey, U.S. Dept. Agr. Div. Bot. Bull. 8: 31, 1889. “Swamps, 
Santa Rosa County, Fla. (A. H. Curtiss.)” The type, in the National Herbarium, 
is the vernal form. It was collected in ‘“‘Swamps, 
Santa Rosa County, N. W. Florida,’ in May [1886] 
by A. H. Curtiss (no, 3583*). 
DESCRIPTION. 
Vernal culms erect from a somewhat spreading 
base, 40 to 60 cm. high, glabrous, the lower internodes 
short, the two upper much elongated, thus producing 
the effect of a long, nearly leafless stem; nodes gla- 
brous, only the upper two visible; sheaths glabrous 
or the overlapping basal ones sometimes sparsely 
pubescent; ligules ciliate, less than 0.5 mm. long; 
blades erect, rather thick, 4 to 10 cm. or some of the 
lower as much as 13 cm. long, 5 to8 mm. wide (the uppermost more or less reduced), 
nearly linear, abruptly pointed, slightly narrowed and somewhat enveloping the 
culm at base, glabrous; panicles long-exserted, 4 to 7 cm. long, hardly as wide, few- 
flowered, the branches ascending; spikelets 2.7 to 2.9 mm. long, | to 1.2 mm. wide, 
narrowly ovate, acuminate, glabrous; 
first glume one-fourth to one-third as 
long as the spikelet, usually pointed; 
second glume and sterile lemma 7- 
nerved, exceeding the fruitand pointed 
beyond it; fruit 2 mm. long, 1 mm. 
wide, elliptic, acute. 
Autumnal form unknown. 
Fic. 176.—P.. nudicaule. From 
type specimen. 
DISTRIBUTION. 
Swamps, western Florida and south- 
ern Alabama. Fig. 177.—Distribution of P. nudicaule. 
Fioripa: — Blackwater River 
Swamp, Santa Rosa County, Curtiss, B, 3583*. 
ALABAMA: Gateswood, Tracy 8431, 8432. 
Dichotoma.—Culms few to many ina tuft, glabrous, or the nodes only pubescent; 
sheaths glabrous, or the lower sometimes pubescent, never conspicuously 
hirsute; ligules ciliate, 0.7 mm. long or less; blades lanceolate, rarely as 
much as 1 cm. wide, mostly glabrous; panicles usually open; spikelets 
elliptical, not turgid (except in P. roanokense and P. caerulescens), 1.5 to 2.5 
mm. long; second glume and sterile lemma 5 to 7-nerved. Autumnal form 
usually freely branching, erect, reclining, or prostrate, secondary leaves and 
panicles much reduced. 
