284 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1886. 



NOTES ON THE PASPALI OF LE CONTE'S MONOGRAPH. 

 BY GEORGE VASEY. 



Tlie monograph of U. S. species of the genus Paspalum, by 

 Capt. (since Major) Le Conte, was published in the Journal de 

 Physique, Paris, vol. 91 (1820). It contains descriptions of 

 eighteen species. 



Through the kindness of Mr. J. H. Redfield, all the Lecontean 

 specimens of Faspalum in the Herbarium of the Philadelphia 

 Academy of Natural Sciences, have been placed in my hands for 

 examination, and I have given them as careful a revision as I find 

 possible. The result is expressed in the following notes. I have to 

 premise that autograph specimens of some of these species are 

 wanting, and of some others are mixed in the sheet with other 

 species, making it doubtful which was the typical plant. But in 

 most cases the specimens and descriptions enable us satisfactorily 

 to determine the species indicated. 



1. Paspalum praecox, Walter. 



The specimen to which Le Conte's ticket is attached is a form 

 of P. Iseve, Mich., not answering, however, to all the characters 

 given, as the sheaths and leaves are not "m7osmmt<s" and the 

 number of spikes is four instead of three. In the same sheet, 

 however, is another specimen which has hairy leaves and sheaths. 

 Le Conte evidently thought he was describing the plant of Walter, 

 but the description does not answer for the plant which is now 

 accepted as the P. praecox of Walter, nor does it agree with the 

 description either of Michaux or Elliott. 



2. P. setaceum, Michx. 



The ticket bearing this name is in a sheet with another bearing 

 the name of the next species, and the plants are all the common 

 erect hairy form of P. setaceum^ Michx., except one specimen, 

 ticketed P. ciliatifolium, from Georgia, and marked " Baldwin." 

 Mr. Le Conte's description answers well to the commonly ac- 

 cepted plant of Michaux, and he gives after his description this 

 reference, " P. setaceum et debile Michaux, Nova Cesarea ad 

 Floridam," with the mark for annual, which latter point is 

 open to doubt. 



