I'AXU'K.K. 



139 



from wiiloly sopanitcd lociilitu's too nunu'rous to inontion luivo ro- 

 ocivi'd protnictod study, so fur witli resiilt.s quito iiiisiitisfiU'lory. 

 It is ;i |»ity that soiiio of tlu'so forms over rcwivod distinct iiiiiiu's. 

 For I'Xiimpli'. |tlunts in \vlii(di the nodes urc clotlu'd with dcnsi', 

 straight iiairs liavi- lu'cn called /'. bnvbuhthon iMx.. often witiioiit 

 nmcii regard lor other peculiarities. In a similar manner, if 

 shajijjjy-hairy or villuus. the plants have been known as /'. iiithrscviix 

 Mx. or /'. riHosi'.iH KlI.. or. if the leaves were smooth except 

 straight hairs on the inaruins, /'. cilidhtiii KlI., or, if the culms 

 and sheaths' were softly hairy, /'. Itivuijiiiostitti KM. IMaids with 

 smooth leaves varying considerably in other respects h;ive received 

 the name of /'. iiitiihiiit Lam. If the leaves be smooth. Iliit. short, 

 taperiui"' much like a we(li;e. the plant, is /'. nislfoliiiin Ualdw. In 

 ii lar^'c collection there will be numy spi'cimens, each answeriii',' to 

 one and often two or more of these nami's; and there will be others 

 showinsj var.ous c()mi)inations of peculiarities expressed in the 

 names aliove j^iven. 



\'ar. laxiflorum (Lam.). /'. Itij-ijlunnii Lam. Mncycl. I:7IS 

 (IT'.'I). Leaves numerous; blades thin, lanceolate. 10 11 cm. louij;; 

 panicle thin. 



|)r. Watson, in (iray's Manual. ImI. (i. describes the forms or 

 varieties as: [a) conuintiii', with simple culms erect or asccndiiii,', 

 and li'avi's sid»er"ct, usually pale ^reen, (A) /W.vr/Vv/A///////, with clus- 

 lei'cil leal'y branches and short peduncles, a common autumn slatt*, 

 and {(■) (/nti'i/f, the culms lax, very slender and eloufj^ated, with 

 rather distant s|>readin,<; leaves (usually brii^ht iffecn). and nmstly 

 louii- pedunculate panicles. 



iCJ. P. rhizophorum I'ourn. Ih'uisl. hiol. Centr. Am. Mot., 

 :!:l!ir) (ISSO). 



Culms rather slender, sionieidate, rootinjjf at tlm lower nodes, 

 oO (iO cm. Iiiirli. slightly branchiiii;-. mcuv or le.ss pubernleut. 

 Sheaths puberulent. m!iri;ins pilose; lijiide a mere riiii?; blades Hat, 

 <i 10 cm. loni,', l.A mm. wide, ovatc-laiuseolato, acumimite, iiu>(pii- 

 luteral, subcordale. I'anicl(>s mostly terminal, simple, l-T em. 

 Innijf; rays pubescent at the axils, sprcadiiifj, single, the lonjjfest 

 ^'. .")-;> cm. lonif, the rays bearing clusters of s[>ikelets on the ends. 



