1886.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 289 



description of Le Coute seems to refer to P. distichum, Linn., 

 but at the end he gives, as a synonym, Digitaria paspalodes, 

 Michx,, which is understood b}^ Elliott and by Dr. Chapman as 

 appl3'ing to Paspaluvi Digitaria, Poir, which seems not to have 

 been known to Le Conte, unless he agreed with Elliott in referring 

 it to the genus Milium^ in which case it would not appear in a 

 revision of Paspalum. 



16. p. tristachyum, Le Conte. 



The specimen bearing this name is apparently a three-spiked 

 form of P. vaginatum, Swz. The description also conforms to 

 that species, and Mr. Le Conte adds the remark, " Refert prius 

 sed primo obtuto facile distinguitur, foliis angustis glaberrimus. 

 Habitat in subsalsis, Georgia." 



Mr. Bentham considers P. vaginatum, Swz., as sj'non^'mous with 

 P. distichum, Linn., but the two are well defined by Le Conte, 

 and I think are clearly distinct, although with poor or imperfect 

 specimens it is not always easy to discriminate. Although this 

 species commonly has but two spikes, it sometimes occurs with 

 three. 



17. P. membranaceum, W;ilt. 



I find no specimen of this species with Le Conte's ticket, but 

 from the description, and the reference to P. vaginatum, Ell., it 

 is pretty clearly the P. Walterianum, Schultes. 



18. P. natans, Le Conte. 



I find no specimen with Le Conte's ticket, but from the descrip- 

 tion and reference to P. mucronatum, MuhL, and the additional 

 notes, it can hardly be doubted that this is the P.Jiuitans, Walt. 

 (Ceresia Jiuitans, Ell,). 



Mr. Le Conte undoubtedly observed and collected many of the 

 species of Paspalum in Georgia, where he spent many 3'ears of 

 his early life ; he was also acquainted with Baldwin and Elliott. 

 The latter had already published the earlier numbers of his 

 " Sketch of the Botany of S. Carolina" before the appearance of 

 Le Conte's Monograph, and Elliott is referred to in Le Conte's 

 Paspalum, No. 17. Reference is several times made to Pursh 

 and Muhlenberg, whose works had been published but a short 

 time. Michaux described seven species of Paspalum, all of 

 which are referred to by Le Conte. Muhlenberg describes ten 

 species, including two to which he gave numbers without specific 



