550 GRAMINE^E. 



ellipsoidal, glabrous; lowest glume short, blunt, o-o-nerved, 2 superior equalling the fertile 

 flowers, 7-9-nerved, third with a palea, but neutral ; fertile flower smooth, ellipsoidally 

 pointed, half-terete.— P. elatius, Kth.— 6'~30' high, 4 r "-6'" thick: leaves l'-li' long, 

 12"'-15'" broad; panicle l'-lf, its branches 6"'-S'", spikelets li"' long.— Hab. Trinidad !, 

 Cr., iu savannahs ; [Mexico ! to Brazil]. 



Sect. 3. Ichxanthus, P. B. — Character of Virgaria, but fertile flowers with two marginal 

 keels or ligular appendages at the base, and exterior glumes less unequal. — Leaves ovate, 

 or lanceolate. 



* Ligular appendages of the flower wanting. 



111. P. alsinoides, Gr. (n. sp.) Creeping, delicate, softly pilose (or glabrescent) ; 

 leaves ovate, acuminate, oblique at the sessile base; panicle few-branched : branches short, 

 simple : pedicels short : spikelets oblong -lanceolate, acuminate, erect ; lowest glume two- 

 thirds as long as the spikelets, 3-nerved, 2 superior 5-nerved, exceeding the fertile flower, 

 third neutral, with a palea ; fertile flower smooth, elliptical-lanceolate, bluntish, compressed 

 from the back: basilar furrows keeled: keels decurrent to the callus below the flowers. — Nearly 

 allied to the following, and probably not distinguished from it by Swartz, but habit of P. 

 stoloniferum , down soft, and proportions of the glumes different. Stems usually 3"-5" long, 

 ascending from branched, rooting stolons ; leaves 8"'-12"' long, 3 '"-4"' broad, hairy on both 

 sides (or glabrescent); panicle 6'"- 12"' long, often interrupted below: spikelets lJ'"-2 

 long, glabrescent, or hairy at the second glume, the latter equalling or exceeding the third, 

 simply acuminate or with au awn-like point. — Hab. Jamaica !, March ; St. Kitts ! ; Triui- 

 dad !, Pd., in dense shady woods ; [Venezuela !, Ecuador !]. 



112. P. nemorosum, Sw. Creeping-diffuse, hairy, or glabrescent ; leaves ovate, or 

 ovate-lanceolate, pointed, oblique at the half-clasping base ; panicle narrow, few-branched : 

 branches short, simple : pedicels short : spikelets elliptical-oblong, erect : 3 sterile glumes 

 subequal, or slightly unequal, exceeding the fertile flowers, lowest 3 -nerved, 2 superior 

 5-nerved, third $ with a palea ; fertile flower smooth, oblong, bluntish, nearly half-terete, 

 2-keeled at the base : keels decurrent to the callus below the flower. — Trin. Ic. t. 210. 

 ]'-2' long ; leaves l"-2" long, 4"'-8'" broad : hairs spreading from tubercles ; panicle l"-lf . 

 spikelets 2"'-l£"' long. — Hab. Jamaica (Sw.) ; [Haiti ; Venezuela !]. 



113. P. pallens, Sw. Ascending, branched, glabrous (except at the ciliate sheaths) ; 

 leaves ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, oblique at the ciliate, sessile base ; panicle spreading : 

 branches simple, or inferior compound, racemiform : pedicels angular : spikelets elliptical- 

 oblong, erect; lowest glume three-fourths to one-half as long as the spikelets, 3-5-nerved, 

 2 superior 5-7-ncrved, exceeding the fertile flowers, third usually $ , with a palea ; fertile 



flowers smooth, oblong, blunt, nearly half-terete : basilar furrows keeled: keels decurrent 

 to the narrow callus below the flowers. — Trin. Ic. t. 211.— Variable, l'-3' high; leaves 

 2"-5" long, 6"'-18"' broad ; panicle 2"-6", spikelets li"'-2i"' long.— Hab. Jamaica !, Pd., 

 Wils., Wullschl., common in woods; Antigua!, Wullschl., Dominica!, Imr.; Trinidad!, 

 Cr. ; [Cuba ! and Mexico ! to Buenos Ayres ! ; Australia ! ; East Indies !]. 



** Fertile flower with two ligular appendages at the base. 



114. P. nemorale, Schrad. Erect, leafy j leaves oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, striate, 

 glabrous, petioled: sheath ciliate, or villous; panicle spreading : branches scattered, simple, 

 or compound : pedicels geminate, short : spikelets oblong, with a bluntish point, erect ; all 

 glumes subequal, or the lowest one-third shorter, the latter 3-5-nerved, 2 following 5-7- 

 nerved : nerves costate ; fertile flower smooth, oblong-lanceolate, bluntish, half-terete, 

 thrice as long as the 2 basilar appendages. — Trin. Ic. t. 217 — P. Martianum, Ns. Ich- 

 nanthus almadensis, Kth.. — 1'-2'(-5') high, variable •. our Trinidad form (P. Sabinei, Tr.) has 

 ensate, glabrous leaves, simple panicle-branches, and the lowest glume shorter than the 

 others. Leaves 6"'~4"' broad ; spikelets 2"' long.— Hab. Trinidad !, Cr. ; [Brazil !] 



115. P. lagotis, Trin. Erect, leafy ; leaves ovate -oblong, or ovate-lanceolate, point- 

 leted, striate, glabrous, petioled : sheath ciliate ; panicle lax : branches scattered, or gemi- 

 nate, simple : pedicels unequal, angular : spikelets elliptical-lanceolate, pointed, erect ; 

 lowest glume half as long as the spikelet, 3-5-nerved, 2 superior equalling the fertile 

 flowers, 5-7-ncrved: nerves costate; fertile flowers smooth, oblong-laDceolate, bluntish, 



