Descriptions of Cuban Plants New to Science 
NATHANIEL LORD BRITTON 
The following descriptions of plants new to the Cuban Flora 
are drawn mostly from specimens collected in recent years on 
the several expeditions made under the auspices of the New 
York Botanical Garden and from those collected by Brother Léon 
of the College of La Salle, Vedado, Havana, and his associates. 
Brother Léon has contributed descriptions of some grasses; Dr. 
John H. Barnhart the Lentibulariaceae; Dr. Francis W. Pennell 
the Scrophulariaceae; Dr. S. F. Blake has cooperated with some 
Carduaceae; Dr. Rydberg has contributed a new genus of 
Fabaceae and Mr. Percy Wilson has assisted at.many points. 
Family POACEAE 
Paspalum Rocanum Fr. Léon, sp. nov. 
Perennial from a short rhizome; stems simple, erect or as- 
; cending, 4 cm. long, sometimes more; nodes appressed- 
pubescent; sheaths glabrous, sometimes papillose-ciliate, the 
lower ones overlapping and often purplish; ligule membrana- 
ceous, 2.4-2.8 mm. long; blades glabrous on both surfaces, con- 
duplicate, acuminate and involute towards apex, rarely flat, up 
to 25 cm. long, 2-8 mm. wide, firm, erect, somewhat curved; 
racemes 2 to 4, somewhat divergent, straight or curved, 5-9 cm. 
long, the common axis 2-4.5 cm. long; rachis 1.5-2 mm. broad, 
with long hairs at base, otherwise glabrous; spikelets normally in 
pairs, sometimes crowded, one of the pedicels as long as or longer 
than the spikelet; spikelets yellowish-green, becoming rufous at 
maturity, glabrous, 2.1-2.5 mm. long, 1.3-1.6 mm. wide, oval to 
ebovate; glume and sterile lemma equal, short-pointed, 3-nerved ; 
fruit pale, minutely roughened. 
Palm barren, sabana de Motembo, Santa Clara (Léon & Roca 
8233), is the type, preserved in Colegio De La Salle Herbarium, 
Vedado, Havana. 
Sabana del Jacan, near San Miguel de los Baños, Matanzas 
(Léon & Roca 8871). 
asian OF THE Torrey BoranicaL CLuB, VOL. 16, aoa 2. Issued Sep- 
ber 10, 1920. 7 
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