128 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 



NOTE ON SOME FOREIGN GRASSES. 



The cultivated sorghums and their allies have been included in the 

 genus Andropogon or have been segregated as a distinct genus under the 

 name Sorghum of Persoon. The group appears to be of generic rank but 

 under the method of establishing type species for genera, the name for 

 the group should be Holcus instead of Sorghum. The type species of 

 Linn?eus' genus Holcus is evidently his Holcus sorghum,* consequently 

 this name should be retained for the group which contains Holcus 

 sorghum, if this group be recognized as distinct from Andropogon. 



Under the title "Andropogon halepensis and Andropogon sorghum," 

 Piper t has recently discussed these species and has described several new 

 subspecies. The specimens submitted by the Office of Seed and Plant 

 Introduction belong to the following subspecies as recognized under 

 Holcus: 



Holcus halepensis L. , including the awnless form (Andropogon 



halepensis anatherus Piper). 

 Holcus halepensis miliformis (Schult. ). 



Andropogon miliformis Schult. 

 Holcus halepensis propinquus (Kunth). 



Andropogon propinquus Kunth. 

 Holcus sorghum L. 

 Holcus sorghum exfguus (Forsk.). 



Holcus exiguus Forsk, 

 Holcus sorghum sudanensis (Piper). 



Andropogon sorghum sudanensis Piper. 

 Holcus sorghum effusus (Hack.). 



Andropogon sorghum effusus Hack. 

 Holcus sorghum verticilliflorus (Steud.). 



Andropogon verticilliflorus Steud. 

 Holcus sorghum hewisoni (Piper). 



Andropogon sorghuyi hewisoni Piper. 

 Holcus sorghum drummondii (Nees). 



Andropogon drummondii Nees. 



Other specimens submitted for identification belong to species that have 

 not been published under the generic names now used. These are: 



Alloteropsis eckloniana (Nees). South Africa. 



Bluffia eckloniana Nees, Delect. Sem. Hort. Hamburg 8. 1834. 

 Chaetochloa aurea (Hochst. ). South Africa. 



Setaria aurea Hochst. ; A. Br. Flora 44:276. 1841. 

 Chaetochloa lachnea (Nees). Brazil. 



Panicum lachneum Nees, Agrost. Bras. 248. 1829. 



— A. S. Hitchcock. 



* See Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 12: 195. 1909. 



t Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington 28 : 25. 1915. Synonymy and citations are given. 



