184 Bicknell: Ferns and flowering plants of Nantucket 



* Panicum capillare L. 



Uncommon, but slowly spreading. In 1899 only two plants 

 were met with, one near the town and one at 'Sconset ; in 1904 a 

 few plants were seen in old fields on both sides of the town, one 

 plant about three miles out on the Wauwinet road and one at 

 'Sconset; in 1907 single plants were noticed at several places in 

 the town, as well as at a few outlying points. 



Panicum miliaceum L. 



Near the town by the road to Surfside, 1899; not seen on 

 any subsequent visit. Collected on Nantucket by Walter Deane, 

 Sept. 9, 1885. (Hitchcock, Rhodora 3: 100. 1901.) 

 Panicum proliferum Lam. 



Very common, especially so on sandy pond shores, where it 

 often occurs in a much dwarfed condition. 



Panicum virgatum L. 



Very common. A reduced form was found growing in sterile 

 soil in open pine-scrub east of Miacomet Pond : culms ascending 

 at base, sometimes not over 4 dm. high ; leaves firm and stiff, 

 pale glaucescent-green ; panicle small and contracted, the short 

 branches appressed, sometimes 10 cm. long and only 1 cm. wide, 

 sometimes reduced to a few sparsely flowered branches ; spikelets 

 small, 2.5-3 mm. long, the scales shorter, broader, less attenuate 

 and less distinctly nerved than in the usual plant, the first scale 



relatively shorter, all the scales Avith less evident and more ap- 

 pressed tips. 



Panicum anceps Michx. has been recorded from Nantucket ; it 

 would seem to be quite possible that the reduced form of P. vir- 

 gatum described above, with its decumbent base, stiff, pale leaves, 

 and contracted panicle, may have led to misidentification. 



* Panicum agrostoides Spreng. 



Damp roadside below the « Cliff" ; by a pool east of the town 

 and in abundance by two pools north of the town ; wet spot in 



I 



Wood 



M 



Common ; specimens collected are more or less villous with 

 flat leaves and many basal panicles, the spikelets decidedly beaked 



anrl -5 r__ a ^«, 1 



and 3.5-4 mm . long. 



