Hitchcock — 'I'lic Crasscs of /fan'ciii 



^in 



Type in the U. S. National llerbariuni, no. 836477, collected on the sandy 

 plain west of the Humuula Sheep Station on the flank of Alauna Kea, island of 

 Hawaii. August 29, 1916, by A. S. Hitchcock (no. 14458). 



This species is distinguished by the slender, erect culms and blades and the 

 slender, spikelike panicle. It appears to be confined to the western side of Hawaii. 

 Hawaii: West of Humuula Sheep Station, Hitchcock 14440, 14458. Hill south 



of Hvmiuula Sheep Station, Hitchcock 14447, I444^- Kanehaha, Kona, 



Forbes 258. Pun Waawaa, Forbes 43. W'ilhout locality, Wilkes Expl. 



Exped. ; Remy 92 (Gray Herbarium). 



13. Eragrostis variabilis |Gaud.) Steiul. Nom. Bot. ed. 2. 1:564. 1840, as synonym of £. -ca/io- 

 iccnsis Trin.; |as speciesj llilleljr. Fl. Haw. Isl. 528. 1888. 

 Poa variabilis Gaud, in Freyc. Voy. Uran. Bot. 408. 1830. 



Urai^rostis Milmwciisis Trin. Mem. Acad. St. Petersb. VI. Math. Phys. Nat. 1:412. 1830. 

 Eragrostis cquitaiis Trin. :\Iein. Acad. St. Petersb. VI. Math. Phys. Nat. i :4i3. 1830. 

 Eragrostis variabilis var. fi ciliata Hillebr. Fl. Haw. Isl. 529. li 

 Eragrostis thyrsoidea Hillebr. Fl. Haw. Isl. 529. 1888. 

 Eragrostis hazcaiiciisis Hillebr. Fl. Haw. Isl. 530. i^ 

 Eragrostis phlcoidcs Hillebr. Fl. Haw. Isl. 530. \i. 



Plants perennial, cespitose ; culms erect, mostly 40 to 80 cm. tall or taller, glabrous or 

 scaberulous, especially below the panicle ; sheaths glabrous, or puberulous at the summit and on 

 the collar, in some plants villous at the throat ; ligule a very short ciliate memlirane less than 0.5 

 mm. long ; blades mostly flat near the base, involute above and ending in a fine point, as much as 

 50 cm. long and i cm. wide, scabrous-puberultnt on the upper surface, in some plants villous 

 near the base, glabrous on the lower surface ; panicle narrow, as much as 40 cm. long, somewhat 

 open with ascending branches or dense and spikelike, the main axis scabrous or pubescent, in 

 some plants smooth below, the axils of some pilose; spikelets 5 to 10 mm. long, mostly 8 to 12- 

 flowered, the pedicels smooth or scabrous, the rachilla smooth or puberulous ; glumes acuminate 

 or attenuate-pointed, commonly strongly scaberulous on the keels, about equal, 2 to 3 mm. long, 

 the first i-nerved, the second 3-nerved ; lemmas acuminate, 2.5 to 3 mm. long, scabrous on the 

 keel, and even also on the back, especially toward the tip, the 2 lateral nerves often prominent 

 because of the sunken tissue on each side ; palea nearly as long as the lemma, scabrous-ciliate 

 on the keels (fig. 22). 



A very variable species especially as to the density of the panicle. I have 

 been unable to coordinate the characters so as to segregate distinct species. 



Through the courtesy of Dr. Diels, Director of the Botanic Garden at 

 Berlin, I have had the privilege of examining the type specimens of Eragrostis 

 hazvaiiensis, E. plilcoidcs, and E. thyrsoidea. The three types look rather distinct 

 but they all fall within the range of specimens cited below. The type of E. plilc- 

 oidcs, from "Haleakala", has a dense spikelike panicle, 5 to 12 cm. long. In 

 E. thyrsoidea from "Oahu! Maui!" (there are two specimens on the sheet), the 

 panicle is contracted but scarcely spikelike, 20 cm. long on one specimen, lobed or 

 interrupted. The panicle of E. hawaiiciisis, from ''Kohala", is about 35 cm. long, 

 the upper part spikelike, the lower part looser, the branches crowded but ascend- 

 ing, as much as 7 cm. long. The plants of the three specimens are similar, all 

 being rather tall with broad blades mostly convolute above. 



[37] 



