MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 



647 



branching from the base and lower nodes, forming dense cushions as 

 much as 50 cm across. 21 Open sandy soil in low pine land 

 North Carolina to Florida and Mississippi; Isla de Pinos (fig. 1415). 



82. Panicum glabrifolium Nash. (Fig. 1416.) Vernal phase 

 similar to that of P. chamaelonche; culms stouter, 15 to 50 cm tall, 

 mostly erect; blades erect, 4 to 12 cm long, 2 to 4 mm wide, usually 

 involute; panicle 4 to 9 cm long; spikelets 1.2 to 1.4 mm long, gla- 

 brous. Autumnal culms wiry, elongate, spreading, freely branching 

 from the middle and upper nodes, the blades long and narrow. 9J. 



Low sandy woods, peninsular Florida. Closely allied to P. chamae- 

 lonche but taller and with different autumnal phase. 



83. Panicum breve Hitchc. and Chase. (Fig. 1417.) Vernal 

 phase purplish; culms 5 to 15 cm tall, erect, stiff and wiry; sheaths 



FIGURE 1416. Panicum 

 glabrifolium. Two views 

 of spikelet, and floret, X 10. 

 (Type.) 



FIGURE 1415. Distribution of 

 Panicum chamaelonche. 



FIGURE 1417. Panicum 

 breve. Two views of 

 spikelet, and floret, 

 X 10. (Type.) 



crowded at the base ; blades erect, 3 to 6 cm. long, strongly involute, 

 with a few stiff hairs at the base; panicle 1.5 to 4 cm long; spikelets 

 1.3 to 1.4 mm long, puberulent. Autumnal phase erect, branching 

 from the middle nodes, the fascicled branches strict. 01 Low 

 pine woods and hammocks, east coast of southern Florida. 

 12. Lancearia. Olive green, often purplish; vernal culms usually 



wiry; ligules nearly obsolete; blades usually ciliate toward base; 



spikelets asymmetrically pyriform, strongly 7- to 9-nerved. 



Autumnal culms spreading, freely branching. 

 84. Panicum portoricense Desv. (Fig. 1418.) Vernal culms 15 to 

 30 cm tall, slender; crisp-puberulent to nearly glabrous; sheaths 



FIGURE 1418. Panicum portoricense. 

 Two views of spikelet, and floret, 

 X 10. (Ashe, N.C.) 



FIGURE 1419. Distribution of 

 Panicum portoricense. 



glabrous or crisp-puberulent; blades firm, 2 to 5 cm long, 3 to 6 mm 

 wide, glabrous to puberulent; panicle 2 to 4 cm long; spikelets 1.5 to 

 1.6 mm long, puberulent. Autumnal culms branching from all but 

 the uppermost node, the reduced blades involute-pointed. 21 (P. 

 pauciciliatum Ashe.) Sandy woods of the Coastal Plain, mostly in 

 moist places, North Carolina to Florida and Texas; Cuba; Puerto 

 Rico (fig. 1419). 



85. Panicum lancearium Trin. (Fig. 1420.) Vernal culms 20 to 

 50 cm tall, minutely grayish crisp-puberulent; sheaths puberulent; 

 blades firm, 2 to 6 cm long, 3 to 7 mm wide, usually glabrous on the 

 upper surface, puberulent or nearly glabrous beneath; panicle 3 to 6 

 cm long; spikelets 2 to 2.1 mm long, glabrous or usually puberulent. 



