GENERA OF GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES. 225 



it may be utilized as a lawn grass. For this purpose it is propa- 

 gated by setting out pieces of the stolons. It soon spreads and 

 occupies the space between. 



A second species of the genus, A. fwrcatus (Fliigge) Hitchc., is 

 found over about the same range as the preceding, but confined to 

 the United States. This is infrequent and is usually of no economic 

 importance, but is a valuable pasture grass in the Kissimmee region, 

 Fla. It is distinguished by its larger spikelets, 4 to 6 mm. long. 



116. REIMAROCHLOA Hitchc. 

 (Reimaria of authors.) 



Spikelets strongly dorsally compressed, lanceolate, acuminate, 

 rather distant, subsessile, and alternate in two rows along one side 

 of a narrow, flattened rachis, the back of the fertile lemma turned 

 toward it; both glumes wanting, or the second sometimes present in 

 the terminal spikelet; sterile lemma about equaling the fruit, the 

 sterile palea obsolete ; fertile lemma scarcely indurate, faintly nerved, 

 acuminate, the margins inrolled at the base only, the palea free nearly 

 half its length. 



Spreading or stoloniferous perennials, with flat blades and slender 

 spikes, these subdigitate or racemose along the upper part of the culm, 

 stiffly spreading or reflexed at maturity. Species about four; in the 

 American Tropics, one extending into Florida. 



Type species : Reimaria acuta Fliigge. 



Reimarochloa Hitchc., Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 12: 198. 1909. The type is 

 designated. The genus includes most of the species that have been assigned to 

 Reimaria Fliigge, the type of which is R. Candida, a species of Paspalum. 



Only one species is found in the United States, Reimarochloa 

 oligostacJiya (Munro) Hitchc. (fig. 136), confined to Florida and 

 Cuba. It has no economic importance. 



117. PASPALUM L. 



Spikelets plano-convex, usually obtuse, subsessile, solitary or in 

 pairs, in two rows on one side of a narrow or dilated rachis, the back 

 of the fertile lemma toward it; first glume usually wanting; second 

 glume and sterile lemma commonly about equal, the former rarely 

 wanting; fertile lemma usually obtuse, chartaceous-indurate, the 

 margins inrolled. 



Mostly perennials, with one to many spikelike racemes, these single 

 or paired at the summit of the culms or racemosely arranged along 

 the main axis. Species numerous, probably as many as 200, widely 

 distributed in the warmer parts of both hemispheres; about 50 spe- 

 cies in the United States, mostly in the Southeastern States. 



Type species: Paspalum dimidiatum L. 



Paspalum L., Syst. Nat. ed. 10, 2: 855, 1759. Four species are described, P. di- 

 midiatum (of which " Panicum dissectum sp. pi. 57 n, (? " is cited as, a syno- 



97769 19 Bull. 772 15 



