Par? 2, 1912} POACEAE 157 
em. long, 2-3 mm. wide, thick and rigid, flat, or the margins sometimes involute, papillose- 
ciliate on the cartilaginous margin, hispid; raceme single, usually long-exserted, 2-3 cm. long; 
spikelets 3-4 mm. long, the first scale glabrous, narrowed to a blunt point, 3-nerved, the second 
scale a little longer than the first, 5-nerved, narrowed to a blunt apex, hispid at the base with 
a tuft of hairs and also toward the summit, the third scale 7-nerved, a little gibbous at the 
base, the fruiting scale smooth and shining, chartaceous, about 2 mm. long. 
TYPE LOCALITY: Cuba. 
DISTRIBUTION : Cuba. 
49. ERIOCHLOA H.B.K. Nov. Gen. & Sp. 1: 94. 1815. 
Hlelopus Trin, Fund. Agrost. 103. 1820. 
Oedipachne Link, Hort. Berol. 1: 51. 1827. 
Annual or perennial grasses, with flat or involute leaf-blades, and an inflorescence of 
1-sided racemes. Spikelets with a swollen ring-like callus at the base, articulated to the 
pedicel below the scales, 1- or 2-flowered, with the back of the fruiting scale turned away from 
the rachis, Scales 3 or 4; first scale wanting, or rarely rudimentary; second and third scales 
equal or unequal, the third sometimes with a staminate flower; fourth or fruiting scale shorter, 
chartaceous, dull and papillose-roughened in transverse ridges, or smooth and shining, obtuse, 
apiculate, or awned, enclosing a palet of similar texture and a perfect flower. Stamens 3. 
Styles distinct. Stigmas plumose. Grain free, enclosed in the indurated scale and palet. 
Type species, Ertochloa distachya H.B.K. 
Fruiting scale with papillae arranged in transverse lines, dull, not shining. 
Pedicels with no long terminal hairs surrounding the spikelet. 
Tall grasses, mainly annual, with broad flat leaf-blades. 
Fruiting scale obtuse, cuspidate, or with a very short awn. 
Annual ; stems finally branching. 
Spikelets 2.5-3 mm. long. 1. £. ramosa. 
Spikelets more than 3 mm. long. 
Spikelets 3.5 mm. long, the outer scales awnless. 2. E. subglabra. 
Spikelets 4 mm. long or more. 
Spikelets with the outer scales awn-pointed, or rarely short- 
awned. 3. E, acuminata. 
Spikelets with the outer scales awned, the awn sometimes as 
long as the body of the scale. 4. E. aristata. 
Perennial; stems simple. 5. EB. Michauxit, 
Fruiting scale with an hispidulous awn 0.5-1.25 mm. Jong. 6. £. punctata, 
Low tufted perennial grasses, with narrow involute leaf-blades. 7. £. filifolia. 
Pedicels with a tuft of numerous long stiff hairs forming a sort of involucre 
to the spikelet. 
Leaves glabrous, or if pubescent, not velvety. 
Spikelets 44.5 mm. long ; racemes several. 8. EZ. sericea. 
Spikelets about 3 mm. long ; racemes 1-3. 9, &. distachya. 
Leaves velvety-pubescent. 10. 2. Lemmont. 
Fruiting scale smooth and shining. 11. Z. Nelsont, 
1. Eriochloa ramosa (Retz.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. 775. 1891. 
Milium ramosum Retz. Obs. 6: 22. 1791. ; 
Paspalum annulatum Fligge, Gram. Monog. 133. 1810. 
Helopus pilosus Trin. Fund. Agrost. 104. 1820. 
Eriochloa annulata Kunth, Rév. Gram. 30. 1829. 
With the exception of the spikelets and the nodes, a glabrous annual. Stems up to 8 
dm. tall, branched, the nodes puberulent; leaf-blades up to 2 dm. long, 6 mm. wide; inflores- 
cence up to 2 dm. long; racemes 2-5 cm. long, the lower usually on long peduncles; spikelets 
2.5-3 mm. long, ovate, acute, the first scale wanting, the second and third scales appressed- 
hirsute below, about equal, acute, the second sometimes a little longer and awn-pointed, the 
fruiting scale about three fourths as long as the spikelet, elliptic, minutely papillose-roughened, 
obtuse, and bearing a short hispidulous awn. 
TYPE LOCALITY: India. 
DISTRIBUTION: Cuba; common in the tropical and warm temperate regions of the Old World. 
ILLUSTRATION: Trin. Fund. Agrost. p/. 4. 
