HITCHCOCK AND CHASE—NORTH AMERICAN PANICUM. 255 
Panicum microcarpon Muhl. Descr. Gram. 111. 1817, not Muhl.; Ell. 1816.4 
“Semina e Virg. et Cherokee et Delaware.’> The type in the Muhlenberg Herbarium 
consists of the upper portion of a culm with two leaves and a short-exserted panicle. 
The attached label reads: ‘‘40, ec Jul. 12. e Cherokee.”’ 
Panicum polyanthes Schult. Mant. 2: 257, 1824. Based on P. multiflorum EIl. 
not Poir. That Poiret’s use of the name was earlier is given on the authority of 
Sprengel. 
Panicum microcarpon isophyllum Scribn. Tenn. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bull. 7:51. f. 54. 
1894. No specimen is cited but in the Scribner Herbarium is a sheet to which is 
attached a note from Dr. Chapman suggesting the name “‘isophyllum” and upon 
which are four small specimens of P. polyanthes one of which is recognized as the plant 
figured with the original description. The specimens were collected by E. E. Gayle, 
Alleghany Springs, Blount Co., Tennessee, August, 1890. 
DESCRIPTION, 
Vernal plants light green, in tufts of few to several culms, 30 to 90 cm. high, stout, 
erect, the nodes glabrous or nearly so; sheaths long, usually overlapping, finely ciliate 
on the margin, otherwise glabrous; ligules obsolete or wanting; blades rather thin, 
prominently nerved, ascending, 12 to 23 cm. long, 15 to 25 mm. wide, the upper seldom 
reduced, long-acuminate, scarcely narrowed toward the cordate base, rough or smooth 
on the upper surface, smooth below, the cartilaginous, scabrous margin ciliate toward 
the base; panicles exserted, 8 to 25 cm. long, one-fourth to half as wide, densely 
flowered, the lower branches narrowly ascending, often distant, the upper fascicled, 
spikelet-bearing to the base; spikelets 1.5 to 1.6 mm, 
long, 1 to 1.1 mm, wide, obovoid-spherical at ma- 
turity, minutely puberulent; first glume one-third 
to two-fifths the length of the spikelet, obtuse or 
obscurely pointed; second glume and sterile lemma 
equaling the fruit at maturity; fruit obovoid- 
spherical. 
Autumnal form remaining erect and simple or 
producing from the lower or middle nodes simple 
branches with smaller blades and panicles; winter rosettes like those of P. sphaero- 
carpon, but the leaves larger. 
This species is distinguished from P. sphaerocarpon by its erect habit, taller, more 
leafy culms, wider blades and narrow panicles. Specimens not infrequently occur in 
which, from a twisting of the internodes, the blades are all or mostly on one side. This 
is especially true of small, late culms. It was tosuch aspecimen the name P, micro- 
carpon isophyllum was given. 
Fig. 277.—P. polyanthes. From type 
specimen of P. multiflorum Ell. 
DISTRIBUTION. 
Damp ground, woods and openings, New Jersey to Oklahoma, south to Georgia and 
Texas. 
New Jersey: South Amboy, Mackenzie 1380. 
PENNSYLVANIA: Lancaster County, Heller 4772, Porter in 1898. 
Outro: Lancaster, Kellerman 6767. 
INDIANA: Clarke County, Deam 5392; Batesville, Deam 6815. 
Inurnors: Cobden, Earle in 1886; Jackson County, French in 1905. 
Missour!: St. Louis, Eggert 250; Pleasant Grove, Bush 232. 
@ See discussion under P. microcarpon Muhl.; Ell., page 181, 
b Neu. Entd, 2: 190, 1821, 
