GRAMINEAE (GRASS FAMILY) 103 



1. PASPALOlDEA Nash. Spikelets acute, glabrous, subsessile in one-sided 

 racemes, these racemose on an elongated axis. 



1. P. hemitomum Schultes. Culms thick, 8-12 dm. long, rooting and 

 branching at the lower nodes ; sheaths loose, glabrous or hairy on the 

 margins ; blades 1-2 dm. long, about 1 cm. wide ; panicle 1-2 dm. long, very 

 narrow, the remote racemes appressed, spikelet-bearing to the base ; spikelets 

 2.8 mm. long, lanceolate ; fruit less indurated and rigid than in true Panicum 

 palea not inclosed at the apex. (P. Curtisii Chapm.; P. digitarioides Car- 

 penter.) Ponds, Del. to Fla. and Tex. 



2. EUPANICUM Gren. & Godr. Spikelets disposed in more or less spread- 

 ing panicles ; palea included at the summit. 



* VERRUc6sA. Spikelets tuberculate ; branching annuals, rooting at the lower 



nodes. 



2. P. yerrucbsum Muhl. Glabrous ; culms slender, spreading or ascending, 

 3-6 dm. high ; leaves 1-1.5 dm. long, 4-6 mm. wide, shining ; panicle diffuse, 

 few-flowered, 0.7-2.5 dm. long (reduced panicles often pro- 

 duced from the base), branches capillary, spreading, spikelet- 



bearing toward the ends ; spikelets 1.5 mm. long, subacute ; 



first glume about one fourth as long as the faintly nerved 



warty second glume and sterile lemma ; fruit apiculate. 



Moist sandy soil, Mass, to Fla. ; also in Ind. at the s. end 59. p. 



of L. Michigan. FIG. 58. Spikelet x 9. 



** CAPILL\RIA. Branching annuals, hispid as a whole ; panicles diffuse ; spike- 

 lets glabrous, strongly nerved ; first glume about one half the length of the 

 second, broad, clasping the base of the spikelet, acute ; second glume and 

 sterile lemma slightly or greatly exceeding the elliptical smooth and shining 

 fruit. 



3. P. capillare L. (OLD- WITCH GRASS.) Culms stout, sparingly branched, 

 ascending ; sheaths and usually the leaves (5-15 mm. wide) copiously papillose- 

 hispid ; panicle very large and diffuse, often half the length of 

 the entire plant, included at base until maturity ; spikelets 

 2-2.5 mm. long ; second glume and sterile lemma acuminate, 

 exceeding the fruit. Sandy soil, and as a weed in fields, N. S. 

 to B. C., and south w. Aug. -Oct. At maturity lower panicle- 

 branches diverge and the panicles break away and act like tumble 



Weed8 ' FlG ' 5 . 9 ' 



4. P. Gatting&ri Nash. Culms widely spreading or decum- 

 bent, sometimes as much as 1 m. long, branching at all the nodes, the branches 

 again branching ; the numerous exserted panicles oval, smaller and less diffuse 

 than in the preceding ; spikelets more turgid; leaves less hirsute. (P. capillare, 

 var. campextre Gattinger. ) Moist open ground, Me. to N. C., 111., and Mo. 

 Depauperate plants forming very small prostrate mats occur in N. E. and N. Y. 



5. P. flexile (Gattinger) Scribn. Slender, erect, 3-6 dm. high, with a few 

 erect branches at base ; leaves 1-2.5 dm. long, 2-6 mm. wide, rarely wider, some- 

 times nearly glabrous, erect ; panicles usually one half the length of the entire, 

 plant, narrowly oblong with ascending branches; spikelets 3-3.5 mm. long, 

 solitary at the ends of the branchlets ; the long acuminate second glume and sterile 

 lemma one third longer than the fruit. Moist sandy soil, Pa. and Mich. , south w. 



6. P. philadSlphicum Benih. Slender, erect or ascending, usually decum- 

 bent at base, freely branching, zigzag, 1.5-4 dm. high ; leaves less than 1 dm. 

 long, 2-6 mm. wide ; panicle about one third the entire height of the plant, 

 rather few-flowered, spikelets in 2's or sometimes solitary, at the ends of the 

 divergent flexnous branchlets, 1.7-1.8 mm. long; second glume and sterile 

 lemma acute, barely exceeding the fruit. (P. minus Nash, according to descrip- 

 tion; P. minimum Scribn. & Merr.) Dry woods, clearings, and sandy shores, 

 Me. to I. T., and south w. 



