54 TRIANDRIA. DIGYNIA. 



i Of these, besides what we have enumerated, New Holland 

 affords 32 new species, according- to Mr. Brown, besides 

 several others common to various quarters of the world. 

 In Great Britain it is doubtful if there be a single indige- 

 nous species of this genus, if we except the P. Cnis-galUy 

 which may, however, have been introduced from the con- 

 tinent of Europe Desfontaines describes 8 species in 

 Barbary, of which only 2 are pecuharly indigenous, the 

 P. debile and P. J\''tanidia7mm, the other 6 are equally 

 common to the Soudi of Europe, but of these there are 

 only 3 which correctly appertain to the present genus. 

 Nearly all the other Panicums ai"e pretty equally divided 

 betwixt India and America within the Northern tropic, 

 particularly the West India islands. In Jamaica there is 

 a shrubby species, the P. divancatum, and in India 2 

 ' other'-, viz. the P. arborescens and the P. ciirvatimi. The 

 p. Milium or Millet, now cultivated in the South of Eu- 

 rope, is also from India. From this view, it is evident that 

 the genus Paidciim, generally speaking, belongs to the 

 tropical regions; hence we find this genus to increase 

 upon us in America, as we proceed through the southern 

 states, where they are often in such abundance as locally 

 to exclude almost every other grass; still we find many 

 species of this genus in the United States, extending to, 

 and some even greatly beyond, the 40th degree of North 

 latitude. 



80. PENNISETUM. Richard, (Some species 

 of Faniaim of L.) (Bristly Panick-grass.) 



Inrolucrum composed of many setae (or bris- 

 tles.) Calix 2-valved, valves unequal, 2-flowcr- 

 ed; one of the flowers hermaphrodite, the other 

 masculine (or rarely neuter) both sessile. 

 (Flowers spiked, polygamous.) 



Spikes simple or compounded; partial involucrum, com- 

 posed of several deeply divided or separate bristles, in- 

 cluding 1 or 3 flowers, many of the flowers abortive; in 

 some species apparently a bristle at the base of each em- 

 bryon flower whether perfect or abortive. Most of the 

 foreign species, on which the name was founded, have an 

 involucrum of two kinds of setx, a few of the lower ones, 

 (as in P. orientale) being longer and plumose. 



Species. 1. P. pungens. (Pa)ncum Cenchroides of Mr. 

 Elliott, but this name being already adopted in the pre- 

 sent genus, a change becomes necessary: very neai'ly al- 



