118 PANU'AC'E.E. 



tliroii<i;liout from rulm to spikclet witli sliort soft huirs, sparingly 

 hrandu'd. l)0-l",'0 cm. liiirh. Lciif-blados numerous, inargitis 

 rou<rl». 15-'i() cm. long, 2 cm. witlo. Panicle erect, often encloseil 

 at the base, IS-"*') cm long, the rays mostly alternate, simple, 

 ro\igh, the lowest 8 cm. long, the ui)per shorter. Spikelets mostly 

 in pairs on one side of the rather stout rays (u few on the main 

 axis), the hairy pedicel of one about '2 mm. long, the pedicel of the 

 other shorter, nerves prominent, reticulate toward the a})e.\ of the 

 glumes, obovate-obloug, acute, 5-G mm. long; first glume acute, a 

 little over half the length of the spikelet. r)-7-nerved, second glume 

 and lloral glume of the sterile floret equal, the former 7-nerved. the 

 latter r)-nerved, its ])alea but little shorter ; fertile floret oblong, 

 acute, rugose with transverse lines. 



Texas, lieirrrhon 1*22G, yeaUvy. 



Texas in dry lands. 



It has been cultivated in the Southern States for fodder, and has 

 received many favorable notices. See \'ol. 1. p. 189, Fig. 84, for a 

 more extended notice. 



•^1. P. colonum L. Sp. PI. 84 (1753). Oplixinenus coJohh.s 

 II. H. K. Nov. (Jen. et Sp. 1: 108 (1815). 



Annual; erect or geniculate and rooting at the lower nodes, 

 ;^0-»iO cm. high. Leaf-blades linear, acuminate, glabrous or rough, 

 8-l'.i cm. long. 4-0 mm. wide. Spikes 7-10, 1-'^ cm. distant, 

 borne on the main axis, simple, 1 -sided. 1.5-^.5 mm. long. Spike- 

 lets crowde<l on the rachis 'i-'.i together, subsessile in alternate rows 

 along two sides of a rough, triquetrous rachis, flat on one side, 

 scabrous-pubescent, oblong, acute. ;} mm. long, first glume broad- 

 triangular, half as long as the si)ikelet, mucronate, 3-nerved, second 

 concave, broad-oval, acute, 5-7-nerved, third shorter, hyaline, 

 fourth 7-nerved; floral glume and palea shorter, smooth, ob- 

 tuse. 



Texas, T. S. Ihpf. Af/rirul. 55 from Huckley; Mexico. Palmer 

 ltt;j; (Julf of California. Pahncr 51. 



Alabama to Florida, Texas, Arizona, Mexico. Also found in 

 the West Indies. S))ain, Italy, Egypt, Arabia, Australia. 



Var. zosALE (Giiss.) L. 11. Dewey, Contrib. U. S. Nat. Herb. 



