560 GRAMINEiE. 



its palea — P. B. Jgrost. t. 22. /. 10. anal— Anatherum muricatum, P. B. (Andropogon, 

 Kth. suppl. p. 416 : the first description only). The East India V. muricata {Andropogon, 

 Retz.), has shorter, bluntish spikelets, and a pointed, awnless fourth glume. — 4'-6' high ; 

 panicle 1' long, somewhat purple ; spikes 2"-3", internodes 2"'-3"' long, the latter about 

 twice as long as the pedicels; fertile spikelets 2£'" long, little hairy at the basilar callus, <J 

 2'" long : spinules 2-3-seriate on the first, 1-2-seriate on the second glume. — Hab. Jamaica!, 

 Wils., in wet places; Trinidad!, Cr. ; [perhaps introduced from the East Indies]. 



52. SORGHUM, Mick. 



Character of Andropogon, but exterior glumes of the fertile spikelet cartilaginous, polished, 

 of the sterile ( $ or neutral) chartaceous, inner membranaceous glumes often ciliate, awn of 

 the fertile flower geniculated or abortive. — Spikes peduncled, paniculate : no wool .- joints 

 of the axis often wanting. 



161. S. halepense, Pcrs. Perennial; nodes sericeous ; leaves lanceolate-linear, gla- 

 brous ; panicle erect : branches compound, pedicels pilose, half as long as the sterile spike- 

 let; spikelets jointed at the base, fertile elliptical-oblong. — Host. Gram. Austr. 1. t. 1. — 

 Holcus, Z.— Leaves 8"'(-10"')-3'" broad •. spikelets H"'-2'" long. The allied, cultivated S. 

 giganteum, Edgew., is much stouter, has broader (l"-2") leaves, the rich panicle often 2, 

 and the spikelets 2£"' long.— Hab. S. Vincent!, Guild.; [Cuba to Brazil; Hungary! 

 and Southern Europe ! to the Cape ! and East Indies !]. 



The cultivated species (except S. giganteum) form a peculiar section of the genus (Sorghum, 

 Trin.), distinguished by the spikelets not jointed at the base, and the common axis usually 

 more scabrous. Of these S. vulgare, Pers. (Desc. El. 8. t. 541), and S. Bora, Gr. (S. sac- 

 charatum, Host. Gram. Austr. 4. t. 4., non Pers., which is Holcus, Ard. t. 4. f. 2), occur in 

 the West Indian collections : the former has leaves l"-2" broad, a compact panicle, the fertile 

 spikelets oval-roundish, and very short pedicels ; the latter : a low stem, leaves 6"'-10 

 broad, the branches of the panicle erect, in distant whorls, the fertile spikelets elliptical, 

 villous, and the pedicels about one-third as long as their spikelets. 



53. ISCH^IMOPOGON, Gr. 



Spikelets homogamous : the bearded joints distant from their base. Two inferior sterile 

 glumes chartaceous, awuless, third <$ with a palea, awnless, fourth ? with a palea, awued : 

 awn twisted. — Perennial grasses ; spiciform racemes digitate : bracts at the joints spread- 

 ing : spikelets geminate-ternate, pedicellate : pedicels inserted distantly from the joints of 

 the axis, and the longer in each pair jointed again above its middle. 



This genus (comprising Spodiopogon arcvatus, Ns.) approaches Phacelurus, by the longer 

 pedicels jointed above the middle : it is distinguished from Spodiopogon chiefly by the spike- 

 lets not being jointed at their base, and from Ischcemum, Trin., by homogamous spikelets. 



162. I. latifolius, Gr. Erect, glabrous : leaves lanceolate-acuminate ; racemes 6-14 : 

 internodes and pedicels cylindrical. — Kth. Rev. t. 99.— Ischsemum, Kth. Spodiopogon, 

 Tr. Andropogon pilosus, Sieb, Mart. 41. — 2'-4' high; leaves 4"'-12'" broad; racemes 

 3"-l" long : spikelets oblong-lanceolate, purplish, 2'" long, about as long as the beard ; ex- 

 serted awn 2"'-5'" long. — Hab. Dominica!, Imr., S.Vincent!, Guild.; Trinidad; Sieb. 

 Tr. 12, Cr. ; [French islands ! and Mexico ! to equatorial Brazil !]. 



54. ERIOCHRYSIS, P. B. 



Spikelets homogamous, awnless : joints of the axis bearded, separating. Two inferior ste- 

 rile glumes chartaceous-cartilaginous, hairy, third devoid of a palea, neutral, fourth fertile- 

 Perennial grasses ; spikelets paniculate, most shortly pedicellate, geminate or fascicled. 



163. E. cayetmensis, P. B. Erect ; nodes bearded ; leaves linear, densely villous ; 

 panicle compact, glomerate-oblong: wool brown-yellow ; flower devoid of a palea.— Z'-*' 

 high; panicle 3"-4", woolly spikelets 1'" long.— Hab. Trinidad!. Pd., Cr., in savannahs; 

 [Mexico ! to Brazil !]. 



