184 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Vernal form cespitose; culms erect or somewhat spreading at base, rather stout, 
usually 30 to 60 cm. high, or sometimes as much as | meter high, the nodes bearded 
with reflexed hairs; sheaths glabrous, or the lower pubescent, ciliate on the margin, 
more or less mottled or glandular, especially the upper at anthesis; blades firm, 
glabrous, sometimes sparsely ciliate at the base, 5 to 12 cm. long, 5 to 10 mm. wide, 
the lower ascending, the upper usually reflexed; panicles ovoid, 5 to 8 cm. long, 
nearly as wide, rather densely flowered, the axis 
and ascending branches viscid-spotted; spikelets 
elliptic, 2 mm. long, 1 mm. wide; first glume less 
than one-third the length of the spikelet, pointed; 
second glume and sterile lemma subequal, the 
slightly shorter glume scarcely covering the fruit at 
maturity; fruit elliptic 1.7 mm. long, 1 mm. wide, 
subobtuse. 
Autumnal form erect or more or less reclining from 
Fie. 180.—P. nitidum. From type . : ae 
specimen. the weight of the foliage, the branchlets and foliage 
forming large clusters from the nodes of the vernal 
culm; reduced blades numerous, 1 to 3. cm. long, 1 to 3 mm. wide, flat or soon becoming 
involute; panicles mostly reduced to a few long-pediceled spikelets, 
This species has been confused with Panicum microcarpon, from which it is distin- 
guished by the pubescent spikelets, 2 mm. long, and by the erect autumnal form 
with involute blades. The viscid spots on the sheaths are often conspicuous. 
Two specimens, Hitchcock 1420 and 1421, while showing all the other characters 
of this species have glabrous spikelets, but they are fully 2 mm. long, 
DISTRIBUTION. 
Low moist or marshy ground from Virginia to Florida and along the coast to Texas; 
also in the Bahamas. 
Missouri: Carter County, Eggert 288. 
Virginia: Virginia Beach, J/itcheock 119. 
Nortu Carouina: Scranton, Chase 3200. 
Soutu CaRoLina: Orangeburg, [7itchcock 4, 15,1376, 1389, 1392, 1420, 1421, 1422, 1423. 
GeorGiaA: Thomson, Bartlett 1173, 
1456. 
Fioripa: Milton, Chase 4307, 4321; 
Madison County, Combs 266; 
Citrus County, Combs 979, 
1008; Lake County, Chase 
4091, Hitchcock 814, Nash 376; 
Sanford, Chase 4132, Hitchcock 
774; Titusville, Chase 3990, 
4005, 4017; Myers, Jlitchcock 
898, 908, Lee Co. Pl. 478, 479; 
Miami, /Titcheock 718, Tracy 
8850; Homestead, Hitchcock 
687; Captiva Island, Tracy 7199; Sumter County, Curtiss 3600A in part@; 
Duval County, Curtiss 3600A in part; Sanibel Island, Tracy 7170; Braiden- 
town, Hitchcock 961. 
Mississirri: Biloxi, Hitchcock 1081, Tracy 2031, 4591, 4609 in part; Macon, 
Tracy 3228. 
Fic, 181.—Distribution of P. nitidum. 
a The specimen of this number in the Gray Herbarium consists of P. nitidwm and 
P. equilaterale. 
