ANDROPOGONE.E. 43 



tisiially 3 to niuny. di^ntutc, all lu'dicelhite or all sessile, not sub- 

 teink'ti by a leaf-slieath. Floral j^lunie usually .stalklike . . liO 

 Our single species annual; racemes nodtling on very sleiider 

 jieduncles. ■ 



Subgenus S. Hi:tki{oi'()(K)X (Persoon as u genus), lisicemes or 

 spikes solitary and terminal or lateral. Spikelets imbricated. 1-15 

 ol' the lowest pairs liomogamous; awns large with sharp barbed 

 points. 



a. Annual 31 



a. Perennial 32 



Subgenus !». C'YMi!Oi'0(iOX (S[)reng. as a genus). Pacemes in 

 })airs, terminal or lateral. 1 sessile, always with 1-'^ basal liomog- 

 amous pairs (of 2 staminate spikelets). the other short-pedicelled, 

 with or without liomogamous pairs, both together subtended by a 

 sheathing leaf, frequently arranged in a false panicle, interrupted 

 by leaves. Floral glume strongly awned 33 



1. A. gracilis Spreng. Syst. 1 : -^84 (lS-^4). A very slender, 

 erect, tufted, glabrous perennial. 3()-()() cm. high. Sheaths terete; 

 ligule very short; blade convolute-setaceous. l()-'^() cm. long. 

 Spikes solitary, 3-4 cm. long, the terminal one exserted. the lateral 

 ones distant, sheathed by narrow bracts 2-4 cm. long, the zigzag 

 rachis and i)edicels clothed with soft spreading hairs reaching be- 

 yond the spikelets. Pedicel 4 mm. long bearing an awned sjiikclet 

 'Z mm. long, consisting of a single glume. Sessile spikelets lanceo- 

 late, about 5 mm. long, first and second glumes equal, the former 

 •■i-toothed with 2 nerves toward each margin, the latter acute, 1- 

 nerved, the bent aAvn nearly 2 cm. long. 



Fla., Garhcr. Found in Florida and the West Indies. 



2. A. hirtiflorus Kunth. Kev. (iram. 2 : oOO, 1. 108 (1820). 

 Culms slender, 50-120 cm. high mostly with 2 branches above, 



each as well as the main stem bearing a single erect spike. Lower 

 sheaths often hirsute or barbed at the throat; blades sparingly 

 hairy, 10-20 cm. long, 3-5 mm. wide, the upper ones slender, 0-4 

 mm. long. Spike single, narrow, zigzag, 4-G cm. long bearing 5-8 

 pairs of spikelets, rachis and pedicels hairy throughout. First glume 

 of sessile sj)ikelet 7-0 mm. long, laueeolate, 2-toothed margins invo- 



