82 



Michanx Fl. Bor. Am. 1: 49 (1843"), gives some additional (-haracters for this species 

 in the following descrii)tion: 



"Panicum 7iitidnm Lam. P. glabrum, vaginarum collo barbato culmo gracili, 



simpliei, erecto; foliis paucissimis, remotis, lanceolato-linearibus; panicnla 



capillar!, eonfertins^cula, composite ramosa, glabra; floribus pusillis, ot)tnse 



ovatis, minutissime puberulis; valvula extima vix perceptibili. 



"Hab. in Pennsylvania et Carohna." 



Michanx' s plant (fig. 8) in the Herbarinm of the Paris Mnsenm of Natural History 



bears the following label: "Herb. Mas. Paris, Herbier de I'Amerique septen- 



trionale d' Andre INIichaux: 

 Panicum nitidum Lam. 

 Hab. en Pensylvanie, Caro- 

 lina." 

 While Lamarck first cites Eraser's 

 plant, yet, judging from his 

 description and from the fact 

 that he evidently had both 

 Eraser's and Michaux's plants 

 in his possession at the time he 

 wrote* the longer description, 

 there can be little doubt as to 

 their identity. 

 We believe that Michaux's plant 

 should he considered as typ- 

 ical Panicum nitidum Lam., 

 at least until positive proof 

 is given that it is different 

 from Eraser's plant cited by 

 Lamarck. 

 Panicum nitidum, has never been 

 understood by American au- 

 thors, and many forms have 

 been referred to it by different 

 authorities. Unfortunately no 

 spikelets remain on Michanx .s 

 plant, but a careful study of 

 the above descriptions and the 

 drawing of Michaux's plant 

 leads us to consider Panicum 

 nitidum as follows: 

 Panicum nitidum Lam. Tabl. 

 Encycl. 1 : 172 (1791 ) ; Encycl. 

 4: 738 (err. typ. 748) (1797); 

 Panicum No. 37 (sine nomine) 

 Muhl. Descr. 125 (1817); Pani- 

 cum upretuin Schultes, ]\Iant. 2: 

 248 (1824); Panicu)n nitidum 

 forma densiflorum Rand. & Redfield, Fl. Mt. Desert Isl. 174 (1894); Panicum 

 eatoni Nash, Bull. Torr. Bot. Club, 25: 84 (1898); Panicum. paucipilum Nash, 

 ibid. 26: 573 (1899). 

 A glabrous, tufted perennial B to 10 dm. high, with erect, narrowly lanceolate leaves, 

 and exserted, contracted panicles, bearing numerous, small, purplish, pubescent 



Fig. a.—Panicam nitidam Michx., drawn from specimen 

 in the Herbarium of the Museum d'Histoire Naturelle 

 de Paris by A. H. Baldwin. 



