88 FLORA. 



46. Panicum sphaerpcarpon Ell. ROUND-FRUITED PANICUM. (I. F. f. 252.) 

 Culms generally erect, simple or somewhat branched at base, 2.5-6 dm. tall, 

 smooth, or the nodes sometimes pubescent. Sheaths usually shorter than the inter- 

 nodes, glabrous, the margins ciliate; leaves 5-10 cm. long, 4-14 mm. wide, acu- 

 minate, scabrous above, smooth beneath, the margins cartillaginous and minutely 

 serrulate, ciliate towards the base; panicle ovoid, 5-10 cm. long; spikelets less 

 than 2 mm. long, nearly spherical or somewhat longer than thick, obtuse, purple ; 

 first scale broadly ovate, obtuse. Dry soil, southern Ont., N. Y. and Mo. to Fla., 

 Tex. and Mex. July-Sept. 



47. Panicum polyanthes Schult SMALL-FRUITED PANICUM. (I. F. f. 253.) 

 Culms generally erect, 6-9 dm. tall, simple, smooth. Sheaths smooth, glabrous, 

 longer than the internodes; ligule none; leaves 1.25-2 dm. long, 1.25-2.5 cm, wide, 

 long-acuminate, smooth, cordate-clasping and sparingly ciliate at the base ; panicle 

 7.5-20 cm. long, ovoid to oblong in outline; branches slender, ascending; spikelets 

 1.5 mm. long, obovoid to nearly spherical, numerous; first scale minute, second and 

 third about equal. 7-nerved, puberulent, the fourth white and shining. Woods and 

 along thickets, southern N. Y. to Penn. and Mich., south to Fla., La., Neb, and 

 Tex. July-Sept. (P. microcarpon Muhl.) 



48. Panicum commutatum Schultes. VARIABLE PANICUM. (I. F. f. 255.) 

 Culms erect, 3-8 dm. tall, glabrous or nearly so, simple, finally dichotomously 

 branched above. Sheaths glabrous or puberulent, generally ciliate on the margins; 

 primary leaves 7-11 cm. long, 1.5-2.5 cm. wide, sparingly ciliate at the base, gla- 

 brous, those of the branches generally broader and more crowded than those of 

 the main stem; panicle 7-12.5 cm. long, the branches spreading; spikelets 2.5 

 mm. long, elliptic; second and third scales equal, 7-nerved, pubescent. In dry 

 woods and thickets, N. Y. to Ky., south to Fla. and Tex. June-Aug. 



49. Panicum Ashei G. Pearson. ASHE'S PANICUM. Culms tufted, 2-4 dm. 

 tall, finally sparingly branched, minutely pubescent. Sheaths glabrous or minutely 

 pubescent, ciliate on the margins; leaves distant on the main culm, in the branched 

 state crowded at the end of the few branches, spreading or ascending, lanceolate to 

 ovate-lanceolate, glabrous on both surfaces, ciliate at the base, those on the main 

 culm 4-7 cm. long, 6-10 mm. wide, those on the branches smaller ; panicle 4-6 cm. 

 long, open, its branches ascending; spikelets about 2.5 mm. long and about I mm. 

 broad, elliptic, obtusish, more or less pubescent with spreading hairs. In dry 

 woods, N. Y. to Tenn. and Ga. ; also in Mo. July-Sept. 



50. Panicum macrocarpon Le Conte. LARGE-FRUITED PANICUM. (I. F. f. 

 256.) Culms 3-9 dm. tall, erect, simple or somewhat branched above, smooth, the 

 nodes, at least the upper ones, naked. Sheaths smooth and glabrous, ciliate; 

 leaves 7.5-17.5 cm. long, 1.8-3.7 cm. wide, cordate-clasping at base, acuminate, 

 smooth and glabrous or nearly so on both surfaces, ciliate; panicles 7.5-15 cm. 

 long, generally long -exser ted, rarely included, its branches more or less ascending; 

 spikelets 3-4 mm. long, turgid, oval to obovoid; second and third scales broadly 

 oval, obtuse, g-nerved, pubescent. Usually on dry hillsides, N. H. to N. Car., 

 west to Iowa and Kans. July-Aug. 



51. Panicum Porterianum Nash. PORTER'S PANICUM. (I. F. f. 254.) 

 Culms erect, 3-6 dm. tall, simple or somewhat dichotomously branched above, the 

 nodes densely barbed. Sheaths generally softly pubescent ; leaves ovate to broadly 

 lanceolate, 5-10 cm. long, 1.25-3.7 cm. wide, cordate-clasping at base, acute, gla- 

 brous, at least below; panicle included or somewhat exserted. the branches spread- 

 ing or ascending, bearing few elliptic short-pedicelled appressed spikelets 4-5 mm. 

 long; first scale one-third to one -ha If as long as the pubescent and equal second 

 and third ones; fourth scale about as long as the third. In woods, Me. and Ont. 

 to Minn., south to Fla. and Tex. June-Aug. 



52. Panicum clandestinum L. HISPID PANICUM. (I. F. f. 257.) Culms 

 erect or ascending, 4.5-12 dm. tall, rather stout, simple at first, much branched 

 later in the season. Sheaths longer than the internodes, much crowded on the 

 branches, papillose-hispid, especially the upper ones ; leaves 5-20 cm. long, 1.2-3.7 

 cm. wide, cordate-clasping at base, acuminate, smooth and glabrous, the margins 

 ciliate at base; primary panicle sometimes long-exserted ; panicles of the branches 

 included in the sheaths, rarely slightly exserted; spikelets 2-2.5 mm - l n g- ellip- 

 soid. In thickets, Quebec to Mich^, south to Ga., Mo. and Tex. June-July. 



