1918] The Grasses of Illinois 295 



1.5 to 6 inches long, 3 to 12 mm. wide ; panicles broad and spreading, 

 often almost half the length of the plant, few-flowered; spikelets 

 smooth, 3 to 3.3 mm. long, usually about 3 mm. 



This species very closely resembles P. capillare ; at first sight the 

 two might be considered identical. P. harhipulvinatum, however, 

 has a much thinner and more spreading panicle, its blades are not so 

 hairy and its spikelets are larger. 



HENDERSON CO. Vicinity of Oquawka, Patterson. 



Panicum capillare L. 



Witch Grass. Tumble-weed. Old Witch Grass. Tickle Grass 



(Fig. 53) 



Michaux '03, 47; Lapham '57, 548, 594; Babcock '73, 97; Patterson '76, 52; 

 Flagg '78, 284; Brendel '87, G4; Higley and Raddin '91, 139; Iluett '97, 128; 

 Hitchcock and Chase '10, 60; Gates '12, 354; Sherffi '13, 594. 



Culms usually erect, 8 inches to 4 feet long, pubescent, especially 

 at the nodes ; sheaths densely pubescent, the hairs nearly as long as the 

 sheath is wide; blades 4 to 10 inches long, 5 to 15 mm. wide, the 

 midrib prominent, both surfaces thickly covered with short, appressed 

 pubescence ; panicle many-flowered, included in the sheath till matur- 

 ity, then very large and spreading, sometimes half the length of the 

 plant, nearly circular in outline, finally breaking away from the plant 

 and acting as a tumble-weed; spikelets 2 to 2.5 mm. long. 



This is a very common species in Illinois, by far the most common 

 of this group. It is a weed in cornfields and among other cultivated 

 crops. It is also found along ditches and in other moist places. It is 

 easily eradicated by cultivation if care is taken to destroy the plants 



before the seed forms. 



CHAMPAIGN CO. Uibana, Gibbs, Sept., 1898; Urbana, Mosher, Oct., 1913; 

 Urbana,, Clinton, Aug., 1895; Seymour, Tsou, Oct., 1913. cook co. Chicago, 

 Robert Bebb 2917; Chicago, Babcock, Sept., 1874. DU page co. Naperville, Vm- 

 bach in 1898. ford co. Roberts, Wilcox 109. fulton co. Without locality, 

 Pepoon. JO DAVIESS co. Without locality, Pepoon 478. kankakee co. Kanka- 

 kee, Ve Selm, Sept., 1913. lake ( o. Lake Foiest, Jenneu, Any., 1895. mohenry 

 CO. Algonquin, Nason, Aug., 1879. peoria co. Peoria, McDonald, Sept., 1904. 

 PIATT CO. White Heath, Mosher, Oct., 1914. st. claib co. Cahokia, Eggert, 

 Sept., 1875; Mascoutah, Welsch. stark co. Wady Petra, V. H. Chase in 1897. 

 WABASH CO. Without locality, Shearer, Sept., 1899; Mt. Carmel, Schneck, Sept., 

 1876. will CO. Mokena, A. Chase 2008. 



Panicum flexile (Gattinger) Scribn. 

 (Fig. 54) 



Hitchcock and Chase '10, 55. 



Culms erect, 8 to 20 inches long, almost smooth except at the nodes ; 

 sheaths pubescent, the hairs about half as long as the width of the 

 sheath, but not very conspicuous ; blades sparsely pubescent or smooth, 

 4 to 12 inches long, 2 to 6 mm. Avide ; panicles narrow, few-flowered. 



