Chase — Notes on Genera of Paniceae. I. 



185 



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hermnphroditis contrari^ dispnsitpe.—Fi.osc. super, hermaph. : Paleae sn6- 

 cartilagineae. — Sfec. Plialaris villosn Mich. 



Phnlaris f villosa Michx. 1803. Fl. Bor. Am. 1 : 48. " Hab. in sylvis sab- 

 ulosis Carolinee." 



Just what is meant l)y tlie paleae of the neuter fioret placed contrariwise 

 to tliose oftlie perfect floret it is difficult to decide. The figure shows such 

 an empty floret consisting of a small lemma and palea placed laterally 

 against the palea of the fruit. Kunth (Rev. Gram. 1 : 217) reducing the 

 genus to Panicum with the specific name of ignoratum, remarks that 

 " Beauvois who never soaked the spikelets before examining them nor 

 used a needle to open them " mistook the torn margins of the sterile lemma 

 for a 2-valved floret. 



Anlaxanthns Ell. 1816. Bot. S. C. & Ga. 1 : 102. 



"Flores paniculati. Calyx 2-valvis, 1-floris ; valvis sequalibus, sulcatis 

 Corolla 2-valvis, subaequalis." 



Two species, A. ciliatns and rufiis are described, and 

 " Piial|iris villosa? Michx." is given under the first. 

 Though tlie generic description says the spikelets are 

 1-flowered, under ciliatus is stated : " at the back of the 

 interior valve occurs a neutral floret, 1-valved, ovate, 

 2-cleft, green." 



Aidaxld Nutt. 1818. Gen. 1 : 47. Description is nearly 

 identical with that of Elliott, " 1-flowered, with the rudi- 

 ment of a second " added ; Aulaxanthus is given as 

 synonym ; no reason is assigned for changing the name. 

 These three generic names are founded on the same 

 species. 



Description. — Spikelets in narrow panicles, obovoid, 

 first glume obsolete, second glume and sterile lemma 

 sul)equal,very broad, with 5 strong nerves, the very thin 

 internerves deeply folded and densely clothed with 

 long liairs, the sterile lemma enclosing a small palea 

 and sometimes a staminate flower; fruit as long as the 

 glume, plano-convex, subacute, chestnut brown, the lemma boat-shaped, 

 the 3 nerves visible ; the white or pale margins very narrow ; palea en- 

 folded its entire length, the 2 nerves visible ; grain in section plano-convex. 



Genus LEPTOCORYPHIUM Nees. 1829. Agros. Bras. 83. 



Calyx uniglumis, biflorus, gluma inferiore, deficiente. Flosculus inferior 

 neuter, uniglumis * * * Flosculus superior hermaphoditus, calycis 

 longitudine, in fructu persistens chartaceus (nee induratus), valvulis atten- 

 uatis apice membranaceo-hyalinis lacero-ciliatis. [Whence the name 

 from " XeTTTos tenuis et Kopv<t>r] apex."'\ 



The first species under this genus is L. lanatum (H. B. K.) Nees, based on 

 Paspalum lanatum H. B. K. 1815. Gen. PI. et Sp. 1 : 94. t. 29. " Crescit 

 in regno Mexicano prope Venta del Cameron et Alto del Peregrino." 



Roemer & Schultes (1817. Syst. Veg. 2 : 322) transfer this species to 

 Milium, in wliich disposition of it they are followed by Kunth (1829. Rev. 





