﻿Vol. 25 



No. 6 



BULLETIN 



OF THE 



TORREY BOTANICAL CLUB 



JUNE 1898 



The Genus Syntherisma in North America. 



J>y George V. Nash 



The genus Panicum, of which the plants under consideration 

 have been and are regarded a section by some authors, is, as now 

 generally constituted, far too comprehensive and extended, embrac- 

 ing too many and too diverse groups, thus making the classifica- 

 tion of the forms arbitrary and unsatisfactory. This view has not 

 always obtained, however. Among some of the earlier botanists 

 and students of grasses these sectional groups were recognized 

 as genera and the consequent result was much more logical and 

 consistent than that reached by some of the more recent students 

 °f this family. This treatment by segregation into smaller and 

 natural groups in our opinion is much to be preferred, and tin 



view and the generic validity of the genus Syntherisma wen 

 briefly indicated by the author in this Journal a few years ago.* 

 A more extended study, the results of which are given below, has 

 but confirmed us in the opinion then expre ed. 



form 



+ 



rank under the name of Digitana. 



ft ' much to be regretted that this name, so descriptive of th< 

 plants, should not be tenable, but Heister had previously applied 

 »t to another group, thus preventing its use in this connection. 



The name conferred by Scopoli was also used by Halle 1 . but he 



* 22: 420. 1895. J Hist. Stirp. a : 244. 17' s 



t 'I. Cam. Ed. 2, 1 : 52. 1772. 



[I ued8june 1898.] ( 289 ) 



