Two new grasses from the West Indies 



George V. Nash 



Panicum Grisebachii sp. nov. 



A perennial with long branching creeping stems, long lance- 

 olate leaf-blades, and rather small panicles. Stems smooth and 

 glabrous, the lower nodes rooting : leaf-sheaths on the lower parts 

 of the stem and branches shorter than the internodes, on the 

 upper portions overlapping, hispid with ascending hairs, ciliate on 

 the margins; ligule a narrow scarious ring about 0.5 mm. wide ; 

 blades ascending, 6-12 cm. long, up to 1 cm. wide, lanceolate, 

 Jong-acuminate at the apex, somewhat narrowed toward the 

 rounded base, glabrous on the upper surface, shortly pubescent 

 on the lower: panicle 5-10 cm. long, minutely pubescent, its 

 ascending branches 2-3 cm. long and usually bearing but few 

 spikelets : spikelets finally becoming black, 4-4.5 mm. long, 3-4 

 mm. broad, the first scale a little less than one half as long as the 

 spikelet, orbicular, apiculate, 7-9-nerved, villous at the apex, 

 clasping the base of the spikelet, the second scale orbicular, 

 7 9-nerved, villous at the obtuse apex, the third scale orbicular, 

 use, 9-1 1 -nerved, enclosing a palet, the fourth scale chartaceous, 

 enclosing a palet of similar texture and a perfect flower. 



At present this is known only from Cuba. Type specimen col- 

 ected in the vicinity of Madruga, by Britton & Shafer, no. 758, 

 March 28, 1903, in the herbarium of the New York Botanical 

 arden. I would also refer here the following : Baker 3817, Pinar 



del Rio 

 3457. 



Matanzas. 184.Q ; Wt 



Th' ' t, 



n »s is the Cuban plant which has been commonly but erro- 

 ne ously referred to Panicum martinicense Griseb. That is quite 

 another grass, differing in its erect habit, broader leaf-blades, and 

 P«nted spikelets. 



parvifolius sp. nov. 



and Perennia * S rass w ith branching stems which creep extensively 



whid° 0t at the lower nodes ' and sma]1 elliptic-lanceolate leaf-blades 



ciall h^ broadest beIow the middle. Stems shortly villous, espe- 



y above : leaves numerous; sheaths smooth and glabrous, over- 



301 



