No. 2:i. 



CHLORIS SWARTZIANA Dr.ll. (CMoris pefnea Swz. non. Thunb ) 

 (SchitUema petneu Spreug.) (? Eusfachys pHnea Desv.) 



/'Ian/ perennial, from short rootstook. light green or more or less purplish 

 tJironglioiit. ^ ' 



Cnlm erect, or gentieuhite and spreading below. tVequeutly branched flatly 

 compressed, smooth, 1 to 2 feet tall. 



Leaves; radical, with closely compressed, smooth, equitant, divergent sheaths 

 and fiat or folded blades, round-pointed, scabrous on the edge, 2 lines wide 4 to 

 10 inches long; of stem 3 to 5, sometimes opposite; sheaths compressed, Ioo.se 

 smooth, shorter than internodes; lower blades like those of radical leaves but 

 shorter, and upper ones reduced to nearly none; ligule a miimte, ciliate, membrana- 

 ceous fringe. 



■ Inflorescence a digitate cluster of 3 to 6 sessile, linear, erect, slightlv sprea.lin- 

 spikes 2 to 3 inches long, bearing the crowded sessile spikelets in two i-ows on one 

 side of the slender, scabrid rachis. 



Spikelets 3-flowered, upper flower sterile; first glume broadly ovate-acute 

 smooth, l-nerved, scarious, i line long; second glume obovate. 2 minutely toothe.l 

 lobes at apex and a short hispid awn formed by the excurrent nerve, hispid on back 

 * to 1 line long; floral glume, rotund, broadly acute, or rounded and mucronate 

 coriaceous, brown, ciliate, pubescent oli the lower two-thirds of the sincrle nerve' 

 smooth above; palet ovate-lanceolate, convex, obscurely 2-nerved 1 line Tono- ster' 

 de flower a broadly ovate, truncate glume, folded triangular, brown, + line'lon- 

 Gram translucent, creamy-white, triangular, i line long, falling with spikelet 

 intact except the empty glumes which are left on the rachis. 



Plate XXIII: a, spikelet; b, floral glume, sterile flower, stamens and stigmas- 

 c, second empty glume; d, first empty glume; palet not shown. 



Low grounds near the Gulf, from Florida westward to Texas. 



