HITCHCOCK AND CHASE GRASSES OF THE WEST INDIES. 357 



Stenotaphrum glabrum var. americanum Doell in Mart. Fl. Bras. 2': 300. 1877. 



Stenotaphrum ditnidiatum var. americanum Hack, in Stuck. Anal. Mus. Nac. 

 Buenos Aires 21: 57. 1911. 



An extensively creeping glabrous perennial, the stolons with long internodes 

 and short leafy branches, the sheaths equitant, the blades short, obtuse ; flower- 

 ing culms 10 to 30 era. tall, the blades commonly 10 to 15 cm. long; spikes 

 terminal and axillary, 5 to 10 cm. long. 



Open grass land, at low altitudes, e.specially near the coast, southern United 

 States to South America. An excellent pasture grass. Originally described 

 from South Carolina. RottboeUia stolonifera was described from Porto Rico. 

 To be found on probably all of the West Indian islands. In Cuba called 

 " camalote," " cambute," " gramon de costa," and " caiiaraazo amargo." 



52. OLYRA L. 



Plants monoecious ; inflorescence paniculate ; pistillate spikelets borne on the 

 upper branches and on the ends of the lower branches of loose terminal 

 panicles, the smaller staminate spikelets pedicellate along the lower branches; 

 pistillate spikelets rather large ; first glume wanting ; second glume and sterile 

 lemma herbaceous, caudate-acuminate; fruit bony-indurate; staminate spikelets 

 readily deciduous ; glumes and sterile lemma wanting, the lemma and palea 

 membranaceous. 



Fruit smooth and shining; plants usually over 3 meters tall 1. 0. latifolia. 



Fruit clothed with thick silky hairs at base and summit ; plants less than J 

 meter tall 2. 0. ciliatifolia. 



1. Olyra latifolia L. Syst. Nat. ed. 10. 2: 1261, 1759. 



Olyra paniculata Swartz, Prodr. Veg. Ind. Occ. 21. 1788. 



Glabrous perennial, bamboo-like in aspect, commonly 5 meters tall, the strong 

 hollow culms sometimes 1 cm. thick, erect and unsupported, the summit only arch- 

 ing (or weaker culms leaning among brush), the lower half to two-thirds simple 

 and naked, the short sheaths bladeless or nearly so, the elongate internodes 

 blotched with dull purple, branching from the upper nodes, the branches com- 

 monly fascicled, divaricate, often 1 meter long, sometimes again branching; 

 blades convolute in the bud, spreading, flat, firm, unsymmetrically lanceolate- 

 oblong, abruptly acuminate, commonly 20 cm. long and 5 cm. wide, those of 

 the ultimate branches smaller, the lowermost on both primary culm and 

 branches rudimentary ; panicles 10 to 15 cm. long, about two-thirds as wide, 

 those of the secondary branches reduced, the branches stiffly ascending or 

 spreading, each bearing a single large long-acuminate pistillate spikelet at the 

 thickened summit and several small slender-pediceled staminate spikelets along 

 the rachis. 



Copses and shady banks, Mexico and West Indies to South America. Origi- 

 nally described from Jamaica ; O. paniculata also described ^rom Jamaica. In 

 Cuba this is one of the grasses called "tibisf." 



A scarcely distinct form has been named O. arundinacea H. B. K.* (O. lati- 

 folia var. arundinacea Griseb.' This is distinguished by its glabrous sheaths 

 and more loosely flowered green panicle. It is found in the West Indies chiefly 

 from Porto Rico to Trinidad and extends to Brazil. Originally described from 

 Colombia. The typical form of 0. latifolia, with hispid sheaths and denser 

 purple panicle, is found chiefly in Cuba and Jamaica, but extends from Mexico 

 to Brazil. The differences mentioned above are best seen in the primary culms 

 and panicles. 



'Nov. Gen. & Sp. 1: 197. 1816. * Fl. Brit. W. Ind. 535. 1864. 



