328 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 
somewhat scattered clusters; spikelets 6 to 7 mm. long, about 1.2 mm. wide, 
and, by the spreading of the glumes, about twice as thick, strongly nerved; first 
glume nearly as long as the sterile lemma, acuminate-pointed, the second 
glume exceeding the sterile lemma, both much exceeding the fruit and at 
maturity spreading and exposing it, acuminate-pointed, the summit of the lemma 
arcuate, the sterile palea obsolete; 
fruit 2 mm. long, 1 mm. wide, ob- 
ovate, stipitate, smooth and shining. 
DISTRIBUTION. 
Ditches and muddy banks of streams 
and lakes, Georgiaand Florida to Texas. 
Georata: Americus, Harper 522. 
Froriwa: Burnside, Combs 1426; 
without locality, Chapman, 
Rugel 599, Simpson in 1890. 
ALABAMA: Mobile, MoAr in 1887. 
Mississippi: Saratoga, Tracy 8396. 
Louisiana: Plaquemines Parish, Langlois 47, 151; Chalmette, Tracy 7400; 
Alexandria, Hale; Natchitoches, Ball 157; Lake Charles, Chase 4407. 
Texas: Harrisburg, Joor in 1875; Mineola, Reverchon 2235; Columbia, Bush 1498; 
Hempstead, Plank 9; Waller County, Thurow 17, and in 1889, 
Fig, 369.—Distribution of P. gymnocarpon., 
26A. Panicum decolorans H. B. K. 
Panicum decolorans H. B. K. Nov. Gen. & Sp. 1: 100. 1815. ‘‘Creseit in temperatis, 
apricis regni: Mexicani prope Queretaro, alt. 995 hexap.’’ The type specimen from the 
Bonpland Herbarium in the Paris Herbarium, bearing the published data, consists of 
two pieces of a culm with flat blades, one 
with a narrow terminal panicle about 18 
cm. long. The spikelets are 5 to 5.2 
mm. lone. 
Plants tinged with purple, branching 
from the base; culms ascending or erect, 
usually from a geniculate base, simple or 
bearing simple, usually sterile branches 
from the lower one or two nodes, strongly 
striate or almost grooved, glabrous to 
sparsely papillose-hispidulous, the nodes 
appressed-pubescent or glabrous; sheaths 
short, but sometimes overlapping on the 
shortened lower internodes, glabrous to 
sparsely papillose-hispid, ciliate; ligules 
membranaceous-fimbriate, hardly 1 mm. 
long; blades 8 to 15 cm. long, 7 to 10 mm. 
wide, flat, glabrous on both surfaces or with a few scattered papille, these with or 
without short, stiff hairs; panicles finally exserted, 10 to 18 cm, long, usually not 
more than one-third, but sometimes as much as two-thirds as wide, the rather long 
branches usually narrowly ascending, the short-pediceled spikelets somewhat crowded 
on approximate, short, appressed branchlets; spikelets 4.5 to 5.2 mm. long, 1.6 mm. 
wide, pointed; first glume less than half the length of the spikelet, acute; second 
glume and sterile lemma subequal, exceeding the fruit and pointed beyond it; fruit 
2.8 to 3.2 mm. long, 1.5 mm. wide. : 
Fig. 370.—P. decolorans. From type specimen. 
