GRAMINE^. (grass FAMILY.) 629 



iiig; spikes (2-4) approximate, 2-4' long, smooth or nearly so; spikelets 

 about r' wide, 2-ro\\x'd. — Moist soil, S. New Eng. to Ky., and southward. 



5. P. Floridanum, Michx. Stout, erect, 3-6° high, glaucous ; sheaths 

 and leaves more or less villous, the latter and the spikes erect or ascending ; 

 spikes (2-5) broader, 2-5' long, the smooth spikelets nearly 2" broad, in 2 

 rows. — Moist soil ; Del. to Fla., Ark., and Tex. 



-»- H- Spikelets acute ; spikes several, racemose. 



6. P. dilat^tum, Poir. Stout, erect, 2-5'' high, villous at the top of the 

 sheath; spikes low on a naked peduncle, erect, 2-3' long; spikelets 1" long 

 or more, the lower glume soft-villous on the margin. — Va. to Tex. 



-«-■»- -I- Spikelets acute; spikes always a pair at the summit of the naked 



peduncle. 



7. P. distichum, L. (Joint-Grass.) Nearly glabrous, rather glaucous ; 

 cul.ns acjcending (about 1° high) from a long creeping base; leaves linear- 

 lanceolate (2-3' long) ; peduncle usually short; spikes short and closely-flow- 

 ered (9" -2' long), often slightly separated ; rhachis flat on the back ; spikelets 

 ovate, slifjhtli] pointed (barely 1^" long), approximate on one side of the rhachis. 



— Wet fields, Va. and southward. July -Sept. 



8. P. Elliottii, Watson. Culms ascending (1 - 2^° high) from a creeping 

 base ; leaves lanceolate (3 - 6' long, 4 - 6" wide) ; spikes slender, rather sparsely 

 flowered (1-4' long), both sessile upon the long slender peduncle ; spikelets 

 ovate-lanceolate (2" long), on nearly opposite sides of the rhachis. (Milium 

 paspalodes, Ell. P. Digitaria, Chapm.; not Poir.) — Va. and southward. 



4. ERidCHLOA, HBK. (PI. 15.) 



Spikelets ovate, subsessile or shortly pedicelled upon one side of the rhachis 

 of a spike, with a callus at base and jointed on the pedicel, 1-flowered. Glumes 

 3, the 2 empty ones slightly unequal, membranaceous, acute, the flowering one 

 shorter, indurated, obtuse, enclosing the free grain. — Coarse tufted grasses, 

 with flat leaves, the spikes more or less scattered along a common peduncle, 

 and the pedicels and rhachis of the spike usually pubescent or hairy (hence 

 the name, from epiov, wool, and x^<^«> grass). 



1. E. polyst^chya, HBK. Culms erect or decumbent, 2° high ; spikes 

 6- 12, erect or ascending, 1 - 2' long, forming a compound spike 3-6' long; 

 spikelets glabrous, very shortly pedicelled, oI)long-lanceolate, nearly 2" long. 



— S. Kan. to Tex. and Mex. 



5. PANICUM, L. Panic-Grass. (PI. 13.) 



Spikelets jointed upon the pedicels, ovate, panided, racemcd, or sometimes 

 spiked, not involucrate, with one perfect and sometimes a second lower rudi- 

 mentary or staminate flower. Glumes 4, but the lower one usually short or 

 minute (rarely even wanting), and the third empty or sterile, membranaceo- 

 herbaceous. Upper flower jierfect, closed, coriaceous or cartilaginous, usually 

 flattish parallel with the glumes, awnless (except in § 3), enclosing the free 

 and grooveless grain. Stamens 3. Stigmas plumose, usuallv ])ur]>le. (An 

 ancient Latin name of the Italian Millet, P. Italicum (now Setaria Italica), of 

 uncertain origin and meaning.) 



