618 MISC. PUBLICATION 200, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



1. Depauperata. Ligule less than 1 mm long; blades elongate, the 

 basal ones not forming a distinct rosette in autumn; spikelets 

 strongly 7- to 9-nerved. Autumnal phase with short branches 

 from lower nodes. 



5. Panicum depauperatum Muhl. (Fig. 1274.) Vernal phase with 

 culms several to many in a tuft, slender but rather stiff, erect or nearly 



so; sheaths glabrous or papillose- 

 pilose; blades 6 to 15 cm long, 2 to 5 

 mm wide, often involute in drying; 

 panicle exserted, usually not much 

 exceeding the leaves, 4 to 8 cm long, 

 few-flowered; spikelets 3.2 to 3.8 

 mm long, elliptic, pointed, glabrous 

 or sparsely pubescent; second glume 

 and sterile lemma extending b'eyond 

 the fruit, 

 forming a 

 beak. Autum- 

 nal phase sim- 

 ilar, the re- 

 duced panicles 

 partly con- 

 cealed in the 

 basal leaves. 



91 Open sterile woods, Quebec 

 and Nova Scotia to Minnesota, 

 south to Georgia and Texas (fig. 1275). 

 6. Panicum perlongum Nash. 

 (Fig. 1276.) Vernal phase similar 

 to that of P. depauperatum; the 

 tufts smaller, usually pilose, the 

 x 10 - panicle narrower; spikelets 2.7 to 

 3.2 mm long, oval, blunt, sparingly 

 pilose, the glume and sterile lemma not extending beyond the fruit. 

 Autumnal phase similar, the reduced panicles numerous. 21 Prai- 

 ries and dry soil, Indiana to Man- 

 itoba and North Dakota, south to 

 Colorado and Texas (fig. 1277). 



FIGURE 1275. Distribution of 

 Panicum depauperatum. 



FIGURE 1274. Panicum depauperatum. Panicle, 

 X 1; two views of spikelet, and floret, 

 (Amer. Gr. Nat. Herb. 78, D.C.) 



FIGURE 1276,Panicum perlongum. Two views of 

 spikelet, and floret, X 10. (Type.) 



FIGURE 1277. Distribution of 

 Panicum perlongum. 



7. Panicum linearifolium Scribn. (Fig. 1278.) Vernal phase in 

 dense tufts; culms slender, erect, 20 to 45 cm tall; sheaths papillose- 

 pilose; blades erect, usually overtopping the panicles, 2 to 4 mm 

 wide; panicle long-exserted, 5 to 10 cm long, the flexuous branches 

 ascending; spikelets 2.2 to 2.7 mm long, oblong-elliptic, obtuse, 

 sparsely pilose. Autumnal phase similar, the reduced panicles hidden 

 among the basal leaves. 21 Dry woods, Quebec and Maine to 

 Michigan, south to Georgia and Texas (fig. 1279). 



