57G GRAMINE^. (grass FAMILY.) 



coast, Floriila, and northward. May. — Culms 3° -4° high, soon much hranched. 

 Leaves 6'- 10' long. Branches of the panicle smooth. — In the smooth form o! 

 this species I notice a remarkable deviation from the generic character. The 

 two glumes and lower palca of the sterile flower arc as usual in the genus, while 

 the u])pcr jialca of the latter is developed into an apparently perfect flower, in 

 all respects tiimilar to the upper one. 



23. P. scabriusculum, Ell. Culm (3° -4° long), sheaths, and lower 

 surface of tlie lincar-lanccolatc leaves rough and more or less pubescent; panicle 

 ample, compound, dittusc, pubescent below, the divisions smooth; spikelets 

 small, ovate, rough, but not pubescent ; upper glume 9-nervcd, the lower minute. 



— Pine-barren swamps, Florida to North Carolina. May. — Probably a form of 

 the last. 



24. P. microcarpon, Muhl. Culm and leaves smooth ; the latter lance- 

 olate, tapering from a broad cordate base, strongly nerved, fringed on the mar- 

 gins near the base ; panicle compound, diffuse ; spikelets very numerous, small 

 (^" long), oval, pubescent; upper glume 5-nerved, 3 times the length of the mi- 

 nute lower one. (P. multifloium, Ell., not of Poir. P. ovale. Ell. ?) — Dry soil, 

 South Carolina, and northward. May. — Culms 2° -2^° high. Leaves 4' -6' 

 long, 8"- 10" wide. 



25. P, dichotomum, L. Culms at length much branched ; panicle 

 nearly simple, fcw-flowcrcd ; leaves linear-lanceolate, bearded at the base, or vil- 

 lous all over. (P. villosum. Ell.) — Var. 1. Panicles compound, diffuse; 

 spikelets small ; leaves linear-lanceolate, and, like culm, sheaths, and panicle, 

 soft haiiy (P. lanuginosum. Ell.), or only at the joints of the culm (P. barbula- 

 tum, Michx.), or smooth throughout (P. nitidum, Eli, spikelets purple and 

 very minute). — Var. 2. Culms weak; panicle loose, compound ; sheaths and 

 pale-grccn thin leaves soft hairy (P. pubeseons. Ell.), or the maigins of the 

 otherwise smooth leaves fringed with long haire (P. ciiiatum, /sV/.). — Var. 3. 

 Culms (2° high) smooth ; leaves large (6' -8' long), lanceolate, rough or downy 

 above, margins near the base and sheaths fringed ; panicle large, difi'usc ; spike- 

 lets (1" long) oblong, nearly smooth. (P. nervosum, Ell. ?) — Var. ? 4. Culms 

 smooth and rigid (1°- 1^° high) ; leaves pale, rigid, lanceolate, fringed ; panicle 

 oblong, diffuse ; spikelets minute, oval, very hairy. (P. sphterocarpon. Ell.) — 

 Woods, fields, and swamps, everywhere, in some one of its numerous forms. 

 March - May. 



2G. P. depauperatum, Muhl. Culms low (2'- 12' iiigh), simple, erect, 

 like the linear leaves; jianicle simple, few-flowered, with the branches erect, often 

 shorter tiian the subtending leaf; spikelets oval-obovatc (1" long), mostly acute; 

 upper glume 9-nervcd, smoothish, three times the length of the ovate lower one. 

 (P. strictum, Pursh.) — Dry sandy soil. North Carolina, and northward. June. 



— Leaves rigid, 2' - C long, smoothish or hairy. 



27. P. melicarium, Miehx. " Culm weak ; leaves narrow ; panicle con- 

 tracted ; glumes menil)ranaecou'^, lanceolate, nearly equal ; nidiment of a flower 

 stalked. — In Carolina and Georgia. Very smooth. Leaves long. Panicle 

 slender, long, with few branches." Miclix. { » ) 



