42 



MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN. 



instead of 6 or 7 as described by Walter. Pursh says it 

 is Paspalum laeve Michx., which does not have the ex- 

 tensively creeping culm called for by the description. 

 Schultes bases his P. Walterianum upon P. membrana- 

 ceum Walt. 



praecox 3. spica composita spiculis alter nis, basi villo- 



sis, 5. s. pluribus trium ordinum florum ; 

 gluinis caljxinis aequalibus, rachi meiii- 

 branacea angusta; antheris luteis, stig- 

 matibus purpureis. Flos medius sessilis. 



The name is used by Elliott, Michaux and others and 

 is now generally accepted by American botanists. Pursh 

 states that Walter's plant is Cynodon dactylon and that 

 he had seen it (" v. s. in herb. Walt."), but Cynodon 

 does not have the spikes alternate nor are they villous 

 at the base as in what is generally understood to be 

 P. jwaecox. 





paniculatum spicis paniculatis, veriicillato- aggregatis. 



4. Panicida Jonga; sjricae angustae, longae; 



Jlores alterni, acutiuscidi, duplici ordine 

 digesti . 



Renamed by Muhlenberg P. mucronatum because of 

 Walter's mistaken identification with P. jmiiiculatum L. 

 of tropical America. Pursh refers Walter's plant doubt- 

 fully to _P. iMcatulnm Michx., which does not have the 

 verticillate spikes. Walter uses Linnaeus' description 

 but adds all after " as ore sat is." 





distichum 5. spicis duabus, altera subsessili. 



The two spikes identify this as the P. distichum L 





