HITCHCOCK AND CHASE GEASSES OF THE WEST INDIES. 345 



44. ECHINOCHLOA Beauv. 



Inflorescence paniculate, the usually compact, densely flowered panicle com- 

 posed of 1-sided racemes or of subsimple branches ; spikelets hispid or spiny ; 

 glumes usually mucronate; sterile lemma usually^ awned ; fruit subindurate, 

 acuminate-pointed, the summit of the palea not inclosed. 



Spikelets awnless or mucronate only ; racemes simple, rather remote. 



1. E. colonum. 

 Spikelets more or less awued ; racemes subcompound, approximate. 



Awn not longer than the body of the spikelet; racemes slender, the lower 

 as much as 7 cm. long ; plants robust, as much as 2 meters tall. 



2. E. pyramidalis. 



Awn conspicuous. 



Ligule obsolete ; spikelets, excluding tlie awns, 3 to 4.5 mm. lo:ig. 



3. E. sabulicola. 



Ligule of stiff yellow hairs ; spikelets, excluding the awns, 5 to 6 mm. 



long 4. E. spectabilis. 



1. Echinochloa colonum (L.) Link, Hort. Berol. 2: 209. 1833. 

 Panicum colonum L. Syst. Nat. ed. 10. 2: 870. 1759. 



A glabrous tufted annual, the culms compressed, branching at the more or 

 less decumbent base; blades flat, linear, about 5 mm. wide, sometimes barred 

 with purplish brown; racemes usually 5 to 10, ascending, distant nearly their 

 own length on the strict axis. 



Ditches and moist places in the warmer parts of both hemispheres. Intro- 

 duced into America. Originally described from Jamaica. A common weed to 

 be found on probably all of the islands of the West Indies. In Cuba the zonate 

 form is called " grama pintada." 



2. Echinochloa pyramidalis (Lam.). 



Panicum pyramidale Lam. Tabl. Encycl. 1: 171. 1791. 



Panicum spectahile var. gvadeloupense Hack. Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin 1: 

 328. 1897. 



A glabrous, sparingly branching, somewhat fleshy annual 2 meters or more 

 tall, with elongate blades 1 to 1.5 cm. wide and a long tapering panicle, the 

 relatively slender branches ascending or slightly drooping. 



In ditches, Guadeloupe, introduced from Africa. Originally described from 

 Senegal. Panicum spectabile var. guadeloupense was described from Guade- 

 loupe. 



3. Echinochloa sabulicola (Nees) Hitchc. Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 17: 257. 



1913. 



Panicum sabulicola Nees, Agrost. Bras. 258. 1829. 



Panicutn aristatum Macfad. Bot. Misc. Hook. 2: 115. 1831. 



Oplismenus jamaicensis Kunth, Enum. PI. 1 : 147. 1S33. 



Panicum jamaicense Steud. Nom. Bot. ed. 2. 2: 257. 1841. 



An erect, often robust, usually fleshy annual, with nearly simple culms often 

 decumbent and rooting at base, and long narrow nodding panicles of usually 

 long-awned spikelets ; sheaths sometimes hirsute or papillose. 



Swamps and ditches, IMexico and the West Indies to South America. -Origi- 

 nally described from Brazil. Panicum aristatum, upon which are based Oplis- 

 menus jamaicensis and Panicum jamaicense, was described from Jamaica. A 

 part of Wright 3879 has hirsute sheaths and was referred to Echinochloa v:al- 

 teri} Some of the specimens referred to this species may belong to E. crus- 



' Hitchc. Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 12: 213. 1909. 



