68 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



4. Lasiacis rhizopliora (Fourn.) Hitchc. Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington 24: 145. 



1911. 



Panicum rhisophorum Fourn. Mex. PI. 2: 31. 1886. 



Copses and edges of woods, "Veracruz, the type from Orizaba. Guatemala 

 to Costa Rica. 



Culms branching and straggling, not forming a strong central cane, decum- 

 bent at base and rooting at the lower nodes, the fertile culms ascending, 30 to 

 100 cm. long; blades 7 to 14 cm. long, 1.5 to 3 cm. wide; panicles 8 to 15 cm. 

 long. 



5. Lasiacis divaricata (L.) Hitchc. Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 15: 16. 1910. 

 Panicum cPivaricatnm L. Syst. Nat. ed. 10. 2: 871. 1759. 



Copses and edges of woods, chiefly at low altitudes and especially in the 

 vicinity of the seacoast, Baja California to Veracruz and southward. South- 

 ern Florida and the West Indies to South America, the type from Jamaica. 



Shrubby, with strong central canes, clambering to a height of 3 or 4 meters, 

 the main branches often fascicled, the vigorous secondary foliage shoots mostly 

 strongly divaricate or zigzag, usually glabrous throughout except on the margin 

 of the sheaths; blades commonly less than 1 cm. wide, only on vigorous shoots 

 as much as 1.5 cm. wide; panicles usually less than 10 cm. long, the branches 

 deflexed at maturity. " Plto de bejuco " (Cuba). 



6. Lasiacis globosa Hitchc. Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 17: 251. 1913. 

 Copses near the sea, Guerrero ; type from Acapulco. Panama. 



Blades smooth, elliptic-lanceolate ; panicle loosely flowered, 8 to 12 cm. long, 

 the spikelets globose, 3 mm. long. 



7. Lasiacis sloanei (Griseb.) Hitchc. Bot. Gaz. 57: 302. 1911. 

 Panicum sloanei Gri.seb. Fl. Brit. W. Ind. 551. 1864. 



Climbing among bushes and small trees, San Luis PotosI and Veracruz. 

 West Indies and Mexico, south to Colombia, the type from Jamaica. 



Climbing to the height of 3 to 4 meters, forming a strong central cane; 

 branches solitary or 2 or 3 together, elongate ; blades parchment-like in texture 

 at maturity, commonly 12 to 15 cm. long and 2 to 3 cm. wide, narrowed into 

 a very short pubescent petiole; panicles commonly as much as 20 cm. long, 

 nearly as wide, the branches rather rigid. 



The spikelets are lai-ger in this species than in any other of the genus in the 

 region. 



8. Lasiacis sorghoidea (Desv.) Hitchc. & Chase, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 18: 



338. 1917. 



Panicum lanatum Swartz, Prodr. Veg. Ind. Occ. 24. 1788. Not P. lanatum 

 Rottb. 1776. 



Panicum sorghoideum Desv. ; Hamilt. Prodr. PI. Ind. Occ. 10. 1825. 



Ravines, wood borders, and hedges, San Luis PotosI and Jalisco, southward. 

 West Indies and Mexico to Argentina, the type from Hispaniola. 



Erect or clambering to a height of 5 to 7 meters, with a strong central cane 

 as much as 1 cm. thick, the main branches 1 meter long or more, arcuate, 

 bearing slender branchlets toward the pendent ends ; sheaths and both surfaces 

 of the blades velvety, or the sheaths glabrescent, the blades of the main branches 

 commonly 20 cm. long and 2.5 cm. wide, those of the branchlets much smaller, 

 often less velvety ; panicles usually about 10 to 20 cm. long, at maturity as 

 wide or wider, the spikelets more or less clustered on the long distant branches. 



9. Lasiacis ruscifolia (H. B. K.) Hitchc. Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington 24: 145. 



1911. 

 Panicum rusoifoUum H. B. K. Nov. Gen. & Sp. 1 : 101. 1816. 



