rSG okamixe.t:. ((miass family.) 



37. P. discolor, Mulil. ? Xearh- glalinms, ami witli tlio liaMt of tlio 

 pri'ceiliiiu;; iiilius l^-'J"^ lii;;li, purple ; leaves rigi<l, liiiear-huiceulato, filiate, 

 r-2'l()n<(; slieallis i)urpU', sliortt-r than the iiiteriKjdes ; panicle wimple <jr 

 coni])iiunti, i'-H' lony; spikelets ohovate, sniocith ; n]>per f.'liiines strongly 

 7-nerve(l, i>\al, the lowest dark ]iurpli'. — Dry sandv j)iue barrens near the 

 coast, West Florida. 



38. P. laxiflorum, Lam. Culms erect or spreading, smooth, f/-12' 

 lonj; ; leaves :}'- 5' lonjj, lanceolate, or narrower, ciliate, yellowish; sheaths 

 villous with long si>reading hairs; panicle loosely branched, hairy; sjiikelets 

 scattered, oblong or obovate, pubescent, rarely 1" long; ujijier glumes 7- 

 uerved, the lower minute. (1'. ))ubescens aud P. ciliatum, J'J/L, the latter a 

 low glabrous form, with shorter and broader long-ciliate leaves, and smaller 

 smooth spikelets.) — Swamps and low ground, common, and very varialde. 



Var. pubescens (1*. pubescens. Lam.). Pubescent or villous throughout ; 

 panicles more compact, many-tiowered ; spikelets smaller. — Dry oi)en woods 

 aud fields, very commou. 



This very variable species, I su])pose, includes among its autumnal forms the 

 P. dichot(jmum, L., which, possessing characters only common to most of the 

 species of the group, and in their earlier stages descriptive uf none, may well 

 be omitted. 



3'J. P. nitidum, Lam.?, Michx. Smooth or pubescent; culms l°-2° 

 high, mostly purple, often villous at the joints ; leaves few and remote, lanceo- 

 late-linear, rather rigid, T-S' long, the sheaths naked or bearded at the 

 throat, tlie lowest crowded ; panicles ovate or oblong, the numerous fle.xuous 

 branches widely spreading, \Y-~' long; spikelets very numerous, obovate, 

 minutely pubescent, Y' long; lowest glume minute, the upjK'r as long as the 

 fl(jret. — Low ground, common, and very variable. 



Var. barbulatum (P. barbulatnm, Michx.). Culms mostly villous at the 

 joints ; leaves larger and thinner ; branches of the panicle straight and diver- 

 ging; spikelets oblong, glabrous. — Light shaded soil. 



Var. ensifolium (P. ensifolinm, Baldw.). Culms very slender, 6'- 12' 

 higli ; leaves and few-Howered panicle 1' or less long; spikelets minute, pu- 

 l)escent. — Around ]iine barren ponds near the coast. 



40. P. lanuginosum, Ell. Softly pubescent thr<Jughout ; culms l°-2° 

 high, geniculate, .soon diffu.sely branching ; leaves thin, linear-lanceolate, 2'- 

 .3' long; panicles long-peduncled, oblong, loosely flowered, 2' -3' long, the 

 branches smooth and setaceous; spikelets oval, pubescent, |"long; upper 

 glumes 7-nerved, five times longer than the lowest one. — Low ground, Flori Ja 

 to Tennessee. 



41. P. ramulOSUm, Michx. Culms very slender. (Inclining, l°-2° long, 

 soon dichotomously much branched ; leaves few and remote, lanceolate linear 

 l'-2' long, the sheaths ciliate; panicle long-peduuded, simjtle, sparsely few- 

 flowered, l'-2' long; spikelets long-pedicelled, oblong, smooth, nearly 1" 

 long ; upper glumes 5-nerved, thrice longer than the lowest. e(|ualling the 

 floret. (P. nudicaule. Vase//.) — Shaded miry banks of streams, Florida to 

 Tennessee. 



42. P. Baldwinii, Nutt. (in Herb). Low (0'-8' high), tufted, very 

 smooth and sliining; culm mostly purple ; leaves linear; jianicle diffu.sely 



