Circular No. 19.-(Agros. 56.) Issued January 2, 1900. 



United States Department of Agriculture, 



DIVISION OF AGROSTOLOGY. 



[Grass and Forage Plant Investigations.] 



NEW OR LITTLE KNOWN MEXICAN GRASSES. 



Nearly all ' the grasses enumerated in this circular were collected 

 by Mr. C. G. Pringle in 1899. While the collection is a small one, 

 it is remarkable for containing several species of Panicum of the 

 heleiophylhe, or so-called dichotoraous, group which have not before 

 been represented in Mr. Pringle's Plantce Mexicance. 

 ISCH^MUM LATIFOLIUM Kmith. Rev. Gram. 1:168. 1835. 

 Under tlie spray of the Cascade in the Barranca of Texola near Jalapa, altitude 

 1,100 m. (3,500 feet), April 30. C. G. Pringle, No. 8106. 1899. 



PASPALUM CANDIDUM Kvmth. Mem. Mus. Par. 2:68. 1803. (See Kew 



Index. ) 

 Barranca of Texola near Jalapa, state of Vera Cruz, altitude 1,100 m. (3,500 



feet), April 30. C. G. Pringle, No. 7884. 1899. 



PANICUM PILOSUM Sw. var. MACRANTHUM var. nov. 



Secondary axes or branches of the panicle (longer lower ones) 3.5 cm. long, 

 pilose, with papillate hairs about 2 mm. long. Spikelets 2.2 mm. long, the 

 outer glumes strongly scabrous on the keel near the apex, as is the fruiting 

 glume and palea. 



Swamps near Jalapa, State of Vera Cruz, altitude 1,230 m.. May 21. C. G. 

 Pringle, No. 8195. 1899. 



PANICUM LAXIFLORUM Lam. Encycl. 4 : 748. 1797. {P. jalapenseKth. '!) 



Low, densely cespitose perennial, 1.5-3 dm. high, with crowded, lanceolate, 

 acute, pilose leaves and spreading, ovate panicles 4-5 cm. long. Culms much 

 branched near the base, glabrous. Nodes bearded with spreading hairs. 

 Sheaths pilose with soft, spreading or reflexed hairs. Ligule a dense fringe 

 of hairs about 1 mm. long. Leaves lanceolate, acute, 3-6 cm. long, 6-1 mm. 

 wide, pilose on both surfaces with soft hairs, ciliate on the margins with 

 long, spreading, papillate liairs. Axis of the panicle glabrous or pubescent. 

 Spikelets oblong, obtuse, 2 mm. long, first glume broadly obtuse, about one- 

 third the length of the spikelet, 3-nerved, the second and third glumes promi- 

 nently 7-nerved, pubescent with short spreading hairs between the nerves. 



Gravelly banks near Jalapa, State of Vera Cruz, altitude 1,250 m. (4,000 feet), 

 March 29. C. G. Pringle, No. 8083. 1899. 



Nearly identical with the grass from the Southern States which has been referred 

 to P. laxiflorum Lam. 



PANICUM INFLATUM Scribn. & Smith. Circular 16, Div. Agros. 5, July, 

 1899. 



Gravelly banks near Jalapa, State of Vera Cruz, altitude 1,250 m. (4,000 feet). 

 Date not given. C. G. Pringle, No. 7883. 1899. 



