JOIS] The Grasses of Illinois 297 



Panicum miliaceum L. 



Broom-corn Millet. Hog Millet (Fig. 50) 



Hitchcock and Chase '10, 69. 



Culms stout, usually erect, 8 inches to 3 feet high, pubescent below 

 the nodes, which are densely, softly pubescent ; sheaths loose, densely 

 pubescent, the hairs not more than half the wddth of the sheath ; blades 

 4 to 12 inches long and 8 to 20 mm. broad, sparsely long pubes- 

 cent on Ijoth surfaces, sometimes almost smooth; panicles rela- 

 tively small, rather compact, many-tlowered, and usually drooping; 

 spikelcts 4.5 to 5 mm. long. 



This plant frequently escapes from cultivation and is found in 

 v;aste places. 



COOK CO. Chicago, A. Chase 1633; AVoodla\Yn, Chicago, Millspaugh 389. 

 LAKE CO. Beach Area, Gates, vermilion CO. Hastings, S. Gray in 1905. 



Panicum philadelphicum Bernh. 

 (Fig. 57) 



Culms erect and slender, 6 to 20 inches long, usually pubescent 

 but sometimes smooth and glabrous ; sheaths densely pubescent, the 

 hairs as long as the width of the sheath and usually perpendicular to 

 it ; blades short and narrow, 1 to 4 inches long and 2 to 6 mm. wide, 

 sparsely pubescent ; panicles oval in outline, few-flowered, the spike- 

 lets mostly in twos, 1.7 to 2 mm. long. 



This plant is usually yellowish green and is much smaller and more 

 slender than P. capillare. The panicles are very much smaller, never 

 more than one-third the length of the plant, and the spikelets are 

 usually smaller. This species is found in rather dry soil, by roadsides 

 and in Avaste places. It is rare in Illinois. 



ILLINOIS SPECIMENS: Without locality, Vasey. 



VIRGATA 



This group includes plants vrhich are perennial by stout, creeping 

 I'ootstocks. They are not densely pubescent plants like the Capillaria, 

 the only species in Illinois being practically smooth thruout. The 

 ligules are 2 to 4 mm. long, membranous, and fringed Vv^ith hairs. The 

 spikelets are large and contain a staminate flower in addition to the 

 perfect one. The first glume is always more than half the length of 

 the spikelet, and the second glume is longer than the sterile lemma. 



Panicum virgatum L. 



Switch Grass (Fig. 58) 



Michaux '03, 48; Engelmann '44, 103; Lapham '57, 548, 594; Babcock '73, 

 97; Flagg '78, 284; Brendel '87, 64; Higlev and Eaddin '91, 139; Huett '97, 

 128; Gleason '07, 181; Gleason '10, 147; Hitchcock and Chase '10, 87; Gates 

 '12, 354. 



