132 



GRAMINEAE. 



VOL. I. 



17. Paspalum difforme Le Conte. Le 

 Conte's Paspalum. Fig. 304. 



Paspalum difforme Le Conte, Journ. de Phys. 91 : 

 284. 1820. 



A perennial, usually glaucous, grass, with 

 short flat leaf-blades, and large glabrous 

 spikelets. Culms i->-3 tall; leaf-sheaths 

 glabrous, or the outer basal ones sometimes 

 pubescent, the uppermost one usually blade- 

 less ; blades erect or ascending, thickish, gla- 

 brous, or the upper surface with long hairs, 

 linear to linear-lanceolate, acuminate, com- 

 monly less than 6' long and 5" wide; racemes 

 usually 2, or sometimes I or 3, rarely 4, erect 

 or ascending, less than 4 long, the rachis 

 often flexuous and about i" wide; spikelets 

 singly disposed, sometimes in pairs, \\"-2 >f 

 long and \\"-\\" wide, oval, the outer 2 

 scales 3-nerved, the third scale brownish when 

 mature. 



In sandy soil, New Jersey and Maryland to 

 Florida and Texas. Aug.-Sept. 



18. Paspalum floridanum Michx. Florida Pas- 

 palum. Fig. 305. 



Paspalum ftoridannm Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. I : 44. 1803. 

 Paspalus macrospcrmns Fluegge, Gram. Monog. 172. 1810. 

 Paspalum arundinaceum Poir. in Lam. Encycl. Suppl. 4: 



310. 1816. 

 Paspalnm floridanum glabratum Engelm. ; Vasey, Contr. 



U. S. Nat. Herb. 3: 20. 1892. 



A tall perennial, sometimes glaucous, with long gla- 

 brous or hirsute leaves, and glabrous spikelets. Culms 

 3-62 tall ; leaf-sheaths rather loosely embracing the 

 culm ; blades erect or nearly so, flat, rather firm, linear, 

 i-2\ long, 3 "-8" wide; racemes 3-6, rarely fewer, 

 erect or neary so, 3'-6' long, the rachis about I" wide ; 

 spikelets singly disposed or in pairs, \\"-2\" long and 

 ii"-if" wide, oval, the outer 2 scales 3-nerved. 



In dry or moist soil, Delaware to Kansas, south to 

 Florida and Texas. Sept. 



Jjj 19. Paspalum dilatatum Poir. Tall Paspalum. 



Fig. 306. 



Paspalum dilatatum Poir. in Lam. Encycl. 5: 35. 1804. 

 Paspalum oratum Nees, Trin. Gram. Pan. 113. 1826. 



Culms erect, iJ-6 tall, smooth and glabrous. 

 Sheaths compressed, smooth and glabrous; leaves i 

 or less long, ii"-6" wide, long-acuminate, rather 

 scabrous on the margins, sometimes with a tuft of hairs 

 at the base; racemes 3-8, 2'-$' long, erect or ascending, 

 the rachis less than i" wide, somewhat flexuous, sca- 

 brous; spikelets in pairs, about ii" long, acute; outer 

 scales 5-7-nerved, the first ciliate with long hairs on the 

 margins, the second glabrous or sparsely ciliate, the 

 third nearly orbicular, minutely punctate-striate. 



In moist soil. Virginia and Tennessee to Florida and 

 Texas. Aug.-Sept. Large Water-grass. 



