384 Piper: The two eastern species of Melica 



Walte 



M. 



The types 



Walte 



47. 1905). 



(Ann. Rep. Mo. Bot. Gard. 



Walte 



in his Flora I : 62. 1803, treats the genus as follows : 



MELICA. L. 



Glunia 2-valvis, 2-flora. CaL 2'Valvis. Inter flosculos rudimentum tertii florispe- 

 dunculati. 

 Glabra, M. glabra, erecta, panicula erecta, laxa; rarnulis simplicibus, paucifloris ; 

 floribus nudis, majusculis.: 



Moris., hist, j. sec. 8. t. 7. f. 51. 



Obs. Forsan hue referendse sunt M. altissima et mutica, Walt. 



Hab, a Virginia ad Roridam, 



M 



M. 



ti Michaux's type specimen, is Koeleria cristata. 



Pursh, Fl. Am. Sept. I : "jj. 18 14, distinguishes two species 



as follows : 



90. MELICA. Gen, pL in. 



1. M. panicula laxa pauciflora : rarnulis simplicibus, floribus obtusis imberbi- 



bus, caule erecto glabro. — Mick. Jl, amer, i, p. 62. glabra, 



M. mutica. lValt,Jl. car, y8. 

 Icon. Moris, hist, j, s. 5. L 7. /, 5/. 

 In shady places. Virginia to Florida, 2/ J^^y- ^'. -J. 



2. M, panicula diffusa ramosissima, floribus acutis imberbibus, caule erecto 



pubescente. diffusa, 



M. altissima. Walt, fl, car, 75. 



In sandy swamps : Virginia and Carolina, 2/ June, v, s. 

 It will be noticed thnt for \\\e- r!f^Qrrir»tinn nf 



diffi 



copies Walter's description oi altissima, adding the word " diffusa" 

 in describing the panicle, and the phrase " caule erecto pubescente" 

 at the end. An important point, too, lies in the statement that 



iiffi 



CaroHna," in neither of which 



diffi 



Walte 



Walte 



types, not merely that he saw dried specimens, as in all probability 

 he had seen living specimens of one or both, and we would there- 

 fore expect the frequently used abbreviation " v. v." if he were 

 referring to his own collections. In any case, Pursh's testimony 

 as to the identity of Walter's species is the only presumably direct 

 evidence we have as to what they really are. 



