596 Merrill : A Criticism on certain 



species previously published by him. Still later * another paper 

 was published describing 14 new species of Panicum and propos- 

 ing three new names. One might suppose that the author would 

 have benefited somewhat from his previous publications regarding 

 his conception of species, but this apparently is not the case. We 

 have not had an opportunity to study all these proposed species, 



but the following notes on this last paper may indicate its value to 



science. 



Ashe 



Earlei 



Nash, 1899. Panicum pauciciliatum Ashe we cannot consider dis- 

 tinct from Panicum Nashiauum Scribn., although the spikelets of 

 the former are somewhat smaller than those of typical P. Nash- 

 iannm. In regard to the latter species, in the first-mentioned paper 

 it was referred to the very distinct Panicum demissum Trin., a 

 South American species, while in the present paper both Panicum 

 demissum and P. Nashianum are mentioned, while what is clearly 

 only a form of the latter is described as a new species. Panicum 

 Onslowense Ashe, 1900, cannot be distinguished from Panicum 

 Webberianum Nash, 1896, a species that was recognized in the first 

 paper mentioned, but unrecognized and published as a new species 

 in the paper under discussion. Panicum arenicoloides Ashe, and 



iph) 



tifolium 



and with somewhat smaller spikelets than typical P. angustifolium . 

 Panicum subvillosum Ashe, 1900, is identical with the form previ- 

 ously described by the same author as Panicum filiculme. Pani- 

 cum filirameum Ashe, 1900, is exactly Panicum are?iicolum Ashe, 

 1898. Panicum Mis sis sip pie use Ashe, 1900* not P. glabrum Mis- 

 sissippiensis Gattinger, 1887, is practically identical with Panicum 

 infiatum Scribn. & Smith, differing from the type of the latter only 

 in its greater height, scarcely inflated sheaths, and pale, not 

 purplish color, characters due entirely to habitat. In this last 

 paper it seems evident that the author is the only botanist in this 

 country so fortunate as to know exactly what Panicum dichotomum 

 Linn, is, as he speaks of certain forms as being related to that species. 

 On further study many more of these proposed M new species 



)) 



will doubtless be found to be simply forms of previously described 



* Ibid., 16: 84-91. 1900. 



