197 



4-12 mm. wide, thickish, narrowly obloncj-lanceolate, acute at 

 the apex, rounded or truncate at the somewhat clasping base, 

 7-9-nerved, the margins scabrous; primary panicle orbicular-ovate, 

 4-5 cm. long, its branches spreading, the longer 2-3 cm. long, 

 single, dividmg at or near the base into 3-5 branches which sub- 

 divide into I-3 branchlets, these usually appressed ultimate divi- 

 sions rarely exceeding twice the length of the spikelets, the second- 

 ary panicles somewhat smaller; spikelets obovate, 1.5 mm. long, 

 the first scale about one-third as long as the spikelet, white, gla- 

 brous, broader than long, rounded or almost truncate at the apex, 

 sometimes slightly apiculate, i-nerved, the second and third scales 

 equal, membranous, yellowish green, broadly oval, 9-nerved; 

 strongly pubescent with spreading hairs, the latter enclosing a 

 hyaline palet one-half its length, the fourth scale chartaceous, 

 broadly oval, yellowi.sh white, enclosing a palet of equal length 

 and similar texture. 



The type was collected by F. Lindheimer in 1846, no. 565. 



The following also are to be referred here : 



Heller, Kerrville, Kerr Co., Texas, 1894, no. 1752. 



Nealley, Base of House Mt., McCulloch Co., Texas, June, 1890. 



Wright, New Mexico, no. 2085. 



Panicum malacon n. sp. 



Whole plant often purplish, pubescent with white ascending 

 hairs, those on the sheaths and culms longer, scantier on the upper 

 sheaths and the upper part of the culms, the pubescence of the 

 surfaces of the leaves dense and short. Culms caespitose, at first 

 simple, erect, later branching at all the nodes and decumbent at 

 the base; nodes barbed with spreading hairs ; sheaths loosely em- 

 bracing the culm, shorter than the internodes in the simple state, in 

 the branching condition much crowded; ligule a fringe of hairs about 

 I mm. long; leaves firm, rigid, sometimes sparingly ciliate, linear, 

 acuminate at the apex, truncate or somewhat rounded at the base, 

 5-9-nerved,the midnerve prominent on both surfaces, the primary 

 leaves 3-11 cm. long, 3-7 mm. wide, ascending, or the upper ones 

 erect, those on the branches strictly erect, 5 cm. long or less, 

 3-4 mm. wide; primary panicle but little exserted, 7-10 cm. long, 

 2-4 cm. wide, its branches ascending or erect, the ultimate 

 divisions 3-10 times as long as the spikelets, appressed to the 

 branches, capillary but rigid, the lower and longer branches 

 4-6 cm. long, usually more contracted than those on the upper 

 part of the panicle; spikelets obovate, a little exceeding 3 mm. in 

 length, the first scale more or less pubescent, about one- half as 

 long as the spikelet and 3-5 nerved, acute, the second and third 

 scales membranous, equal, 9-nerved, densely pubescent with 

 ascending hairs, the latter scale enclosing a hyaline palet about 



