40 HISTORY AND DISTRIBUTION OF SORGHUM. 



does not state that the heads are erect, but so striking and unusual 

 a character as pendent heads would certainly have received mention 

 if known to him. It is, however, quite possible that this fact had 

 not become known in Europe, since the plant was cultivated no 

 nearer than Cilicia in Asia Minor. If it is, indeed, the progenitor of 

 the white durra now occupying the same region, the saccharine 

 quality of the juice has been entirely lost. 



Hermann (1687) presents the different forms of sorghum in the 

 following manner: 



Milium indicum, arimdinaceo cauli, granis flavescentibus. 

 Milium indicum, arimdinaceo cauli, granis nigris. 

 Milium arundinaceum, subrotundo seinine, Sorgo nominatum. 

 Milium arundinaceum, piano alboque semine. 



The first two he evidently thought to be new and so described them. 

 The last two are simply quoted on the authority of Bauhin, without 

 description. Hermann seems to think his second variety to be the 

 Indian sorghum of Pliny. He describes it as having black seeds, but 

 does not mention the glumes, while in the first form he speaks of the 

 seeds as pale and the glumes as black and brilliant. Since there are 

 no sorghums with black seeds (grana nigra lucida) it is probable 

 that" his two varieties were the same thing, described from hearsay 

 rather than observation. In the first variety the color of the actual 

 seed is given ; in the other, the color of the spikelet. 



Ray (1G88) cites the two varieties of C. Bauhin, omitting Milium, 

 sabaeum, and copies most of Bauhin's notes on them. 



Breyne (1689) discusses sorghum as "Milium Indicum saccha- 

 riferum altissimum," and describes two forms having " semine ro- 

 tundo atro " and " semine ferrugineo," respectively. He is the first 

 author to recognize the saccharine content of the plant in forming a 

 name for it. This work is not accessible, and it is not known what 

 varieties Breyne had in hand. 



Sloane, in his " Catalogus " (1696), gives a copious bibliography 

 and synonymy of this plant, including all previous authors. 



Morison (1699) places under the generic heading Milium two sub- 

 groups: Minus, including wild and cultivated species of Panicum, 

 and ma jus, including sorghums and probably pearl millet. Of sor- 

 ghums there are three, the names being quoted from C. Bauhin and 

 identical with those used by him in his " Pinax " (1623). Concerning 

 the white-seeded variety he gives the new and important informa- 

 tion that the head is pendent, but has no illustration of it. In his 

 description of Milium sabaeum no mention is made of a pendent head, 

 but his figure shows a group of two stalks, one bearing an erect head 

 and the other a pendent head. Both varieties were Arabian, and it is 

 quite possible that they were the same. He is the first author who 

 definitely records a sorghum with a pendent head. 



175 



