PAPERS ON BOTANY 



139 



been cultivated in the south and has been found in various 

 localities in the state and as far north as Chicago. A few 

 species have apparently come into Illinois from neighboring 

 States, and the most remarkable fact is that most of them 

 come from the west. Among these are Agropyron tenerum 

 and Smithii, Bromus pumpcllianus, Sporobolus asperifolius 

 and Hordcum Pammcli. Another Argropyron species, dasy- 

 stachum, has come in from the north, while the south has 

 given us Agrostus Elliotana, Muhlenbergia capillaris, Sporo- 

 bolus clandcstinus and Eragrostis Wiegeltiana. Most of these 

 have never been reported from the State. The majority of 

 new species, however, has come from revision of material 

 collected by the early botanists, a great deal of which had not 

 previously been determined. The genus Panicum has made 

 the greatest gain as to number of species, now including 34 

 instead of 9. These have all been published by Hitchcock and 

 Chase in their revision of the genus. The genus Sporobolus 

 gains 7 new species, Paspalum 4, Aristida 2, and Poa 2. Of 

 the Poas one is the rare species P. wolfii, the type of which 

 was collected in Illinois, the other native species, P. Chap- 

 maniana, which resembles the introduced species, P. annua, so 

 much that they are usually all labelled annua in the various col- 

 lections examined. Dr. Brendel, Peoria, had noticed the dif- 

 ference, however, and his specimens of Chapmaniana were all 

 unnamed with a note "A Poa with the habits of annua and the 

 spikelets of pratcnsis," which is a very good definition of the 

 species. 



There have been many species collected in adjoining States 

 very near the boundary lines which may occur in Illinois now, 

 but have never been collected. In fact, there are representa- 

 tive collections from very few counties in the State and from 

 nearly half the counties there are no specimens at all. It 

 seems quite probable, with further study of the material in 

 existence and with new collections which may be made, that 

 the number of grasses now occurring in Illinois, or that have 

 occurred here, may be very materially increased. 



