6 



PANICUM AMAROIDES Scribn. & Merrill sp. nov.— Continued. 



three-fourths or sometimes as long as the spikelet, usually scabrous on the 

 keel near the apex; second glume slightly exceeding the third, 7-nerved 

 similar to the first ; third glume thin, faintly 7-nerved, inclosing the flower- 

 ing glume and palea, subtending a thin palea of equal length which bears a 

 staminate flower; flowering glume elliptical-ovate, smooth, 3 to 3.5 mm. 

 long. Palea as long as the glume and of similar texture, plane or nearly so. 

 Type specimen collected at Fortress Monroe, Va. , by Dr. George Vasey, in 1879. 



General distribution: In sands 

 along the coast, Connecticut to 

 Florida and Mississippi. August 

 to October, 



Specimens examined: Connecticut: 

 New Haven, J. A, Allen, Sep- 

 tember 30, 1876; A. L, Winton, 

 jr,, 1887; D, C, Eaton, no date. 

 Netv York: Staten Island, A. A. 

 Tyler, September 17, 1895 ; North- 

 ville, L. I,, H. W, Young, Nov. 

 5, 1873, Delaicare: Sand dune, 

 no locality, W, M. Canby, Sep- 

 tember. Maryland: Bay Ridge, 

 F, L,-Scribner, September 3, 1897, 

 Virginia : Fortress Monroe, Geo. 

 Vasey, 1879 (type) ; G, McCarthy, 

 1883; Ocean View, Geo, Vasey, 

 Aug. 5, 1890; Virginia Beach, 

 3089 T, A, Williams, September 

 24, 1900. North Carolina: Ocra- 

 coke Island, 3317 T, H. Kearney, 

 jr,, October 17, 1898; Brunswick 

 County, 211 G. McCarthy, August 

 11, 1885, 3Tississip2n : Horn Is- 

 land, 3854 S. M, Tracy, August 

 30, 1894-September 6, 1897, 



This species is readily distinguished 

 from Panicnni amarum Ell. by 

 its much smaller size, smaller 

 panicles, larger spikelets, and 

 longer first glume. In its habit 

 of growth it is strikingly different 

 from Panicum amarum. The fol- 

 lowing notes are from the field 

 observations of Mr, T, A, Wil- 

 liams: Panicum amamm grows 

 in densely caespitose bunches. 



Fig, ^.—Panicum ovale Ell. a, h, c, spikelets; d, 

 anterior view of the third glume, showing small 

 palea; e, dorsal view of the fourth or fruiting 

 glume; /, anterior view of same showing back of 

 palea. 



from 9 to 18 dm. high, from ver- 



tical root-stocks. Panicum amaroides is not at all caespitose, sending up 

 solitary culms from long horizontal root-stocks, and rarely attains a height 

 of 8 dm. At Virginia Beach, where both species were observed, Panicum 

 amaroides was in full bloom and at the same time Panicum amarum was in 

 fruit or late bloom. The former species was closely grazed wherever it was 

 accessible, while the latter was avoided by stock. 



