GRAMINK.E. 555 



between them ; palea of the neutral flower as long as its 5-nerved glume. — Hab. Jamaica !, 

 Pd., along the lagoons behind the ferry. 



** Panicle loosely contracted : branches spreading-erect. 



137. S. vulpiseta, R. S. Root creeping ; leaves lanceolate, long-tapering at the base : 

 sheath and nodes pubescent ; pauicle stout, loosely contracted, erect, tawny-yellow : branches 

 contiguous, much longer than their iuternodes : axis pilose ; involucral bristles single at each, 

 pedicel and in clusters between them, roughened upwards, much exceeding the spikelet : spike- 

 lets elliptical, pointed ; fertile flower transversely striate chiefly below, flat-convex, thrice 

 as long as the lower, little longer than the second, 7 -nerved glume, equalling the third, the 

 latter with a palea. — SI. t. 70./. 1. — Panicum macrostachyum, iV*. (exclus. syn. Kth.). — 

 4' high; leaves 10"'-12'" broad; panicle 1' long, \\ n broad; branches 1£"-1", bristles 

 G'"-10'", spikelets 1'" long.— Hab. Jamaica (SI.) ; Trinidad!, Or.; [Haiti to Brazil]. 



138. S. biconvexa, Gr. (n. sp.) Nodes puberulous or glabrate ; leaves lanceolate' 

 linear, bluntish at the base : sheath and ligule ciliate ; panicle virgatc, tapering above, 

 loosely contracted : branches sub contiguous, much longer than their intemodes : common 

 axis villous ; involucral bristles single at each pedicel and in clusters between them, roughened 

 upwards and downwards, much exceeding the spikelet : spikelets subglobose, bluutish ; fertile 

 flower transversely striate, biconvex, thrice as long as the lower, twice as long as the second 

 glume, equalling the third, the latter with a palea. — Allied to & composita, Kth., in which 

 the second glume equals the flower. Stem cylindrical, 2"'-3'" thick ; leaves l'-l 3' long, 

 9"'— 12'" broad; panicle yellowish, 1' long, 1-J" broad below: its inferior branches 1" long, 

 superior gradually shorter, bristles 6"'-8"' long; spikelets 1"' diam., gibbous: lowest glume 

 ovate, pointed, 5-nerved, 3 superior 7-nerved, oval-roundish, mucronulate : glume of the 

 fertile flower half-globose : its palea convex. — Hab. Trinidad !, Cr., at S. Anne. 



139. S. onurus, Gr. Root at length creeping ; stem slender: nodes glabrous; leaves 

 linear, tapering at the base ; panicle slender, virgate, interrupted -. branches about as long 

 as their iuternodes : common axis pilose ; involucral bristles l(-3), roughened upwards, and 

 more sparingly downwards, much exceeding the spikelet : spikelets ovate-globose, shortly 

 pointed ; fertile flowers transversely striate, biconvex, equalling or shortly exceeding the 

 third glume: first glume \, second ■§-£ as long, both W-'d-nerved, third with a palea. — 

 Trin. Ic. t. 96 B. and analyt. in 95. — Panicum, W. P. setosum fi, Ns. — Stem l'-4' high, 

 1 '"_]!«' thick; leaves 4"'-6'" broad; panicle green, 2"-S" long, cylindrical: branches 

 2"'-3'", bristles 8"'-12"', spikelets 1'" long.— Hab. Jamaica!, Waters, March; [Mexico! 

 to Uruguay]. 



140. S. setosa, P. B. Root at length creeping ; stem slender: nodes glabrous ; leaves 

 linear-acuminate ; panicle slender, virgate, interrupted : branches as long (or twice as long) 

 as their internodes : common axis pilose; involucral bristles l(-3), roughened upwards, 

 usually much exceeding the spikelet : spikelets elliptical, pointed ; fertile flower transversely 

 striate, flat-convex, equalling the third glume : first glume \-\, second §-f as long, both 

 7-nerved, third with a palea. — Trin. Ic. t. 96. A., 95 (exclus. analyt.). — Panicum, Sw. S. 

 macrostachya, Kth. S. antillarum, Kth. (ex Anders, pi. Galapag.) — Habit of the preceding : 

 bristles shorter, leaves 2"'-6'" broad. 



a. Branches of the panicle 2"'-10'", bristles 4"'-6"' long. 



/8. caudata, R. S. Branches of the panicle very short, often reduced to 1-3 spikelets ; 

 bristles few, unequal, 3"'-5'" long. — Trin. Ic. t. 96. C. — Panicum, Lam. 



Hab. Jamaica!, Al., March (a); Antigua!, Wullschl. (a, )3) ; [Cuba! and Mexico! to 

 Brazil ! ; Galapagos ! ; East Indies]. 



41. PENNISETUM, Rich. 



Spikelets in a simple spike, involucrate : involucre-bristles distinct, deciduous with the 

 spikelet, the interior plumose below. Sterile glumes 3, or 2 by abortion of the lowest, 

 membranaceous. Fertile flower chartaceous, at length indurated. Lodicula usually none. 

 Stigmas projecting from the summit of the flower, usually cohering at the base. — Involucre 

 mostly coloured: bristles scabrous, unequal, the exterior longer. 



141. P. setosum, Rich. Perennial, tall; leaves linear-acuminate, glabrous; spike 



2 o 



