80 



PANICACE.E. 



B. Spikelets 1-4. on very short bmnchos that are sunken in 

 the cavities of tlie tliickcned nichis. Some or all of the 

 flowers perfect 33 



C. Plants niona'cious; spikelets in panicles 34 



21. (1). Reimaria Fliigge, Gram. Monogr. 213 (1810), in part. 

 S))ikelets acuminate, subsessilc, api)resse(l, alternately on two 

 sides of a triangular rachis, with one perfect terminal flower. 

 Empty gUunes usually one, sometimes another small one, acute, 

 membranous, o-0-nerved; floral ghnue lirm. a little shorter; palea 

 still shorter. Stamens 2. Styles distinct. Grain oblong, obcom- 

 pressed, enclosed by glume and palea, but not adherent, t'ulms 

 ascending, diffusely branching at the base. S])ikes few, simple, 

 finally reflexed. 



There are four species, all belonging to tropical America. Our 

 species much reseml)les /^(tspaJ/nn lUstirJiin L. var. raffinahnn. 



There are several species of Paspalxin which have oidy a single 

 lower empty glume, but Reimaria has the spikelets more acumiiuite 

 and nu)re closely ap})ressed to the rachis than in any PasjHtlnm ; 

 and the stamens are only two. 



1. R. oligostachya Muuro. Bentli. Jour. Linn. Soc. 19:34 

 (1881). 



Smooth throughout, 20-40 cm. high. Sheaths slightly in- 

 flated : blade narrow, acuminate, 

 (5-10 cm. long, often involute. 

 S})ikes 2-4. on short peduncles, 

 exserted or more or less in- 

 cluded. 4-T CM), loi'.g. Cou- 

 tigu.ous spikelets of the same 

 row with a little space between 

 therd. elliptical-lance(»late. 4-5 

 mm. loug; tii'si glume minute 

 or slender and half as long as 

 the s[)ikelet, often absent, 

 second elliptical, ovate, acute, 

 9-nerved, floral glume lirmer and palea firmer and Jihorter, much 



Fio. 21. — Riinutrid vU'(ji>^t(U'h}/ii. A, 

 spikt'It't ; <i, I). Hon'ts. (Scrihiicr.) 



