576 THE GBASS FAMILY. 



2. Glabrous Panicum. Panicum glabrum, Gaud. 



(DigUaria humifusa, Eng. Bot. Svippl. t. 2613.) 

 Very much like the fingered P., but a much smaller plant ; the panicle 

 has only 2 or 3 spike-like branches, each scarcely above an inch long, and 

 the spikelets are fewer. The outermost glume is, as in the last species, very 

 minute, but the tvro next empty ones are both about the same length as the 

 flowering glume. 



A weed of warm cHmates, like the last, but rather less tropical, more 

 generally spread over central Europe, extending northward to southern 

 Scandinavia, and better established in the south of England. Fl. summer 

 and autumn. 



3. Roug'Ii Panicum. Panicum verticillatum, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 874. Setaria, Brit. Fl.) 



A glabrous, erect annual, 1 to 2 feet high, with flat leaves, rough on the 

 edges. Spikelets small, crowded into a cyhndrical but rather loose, com- 

 poimd spike (or rather, spike-like panicle), 1 to 2 inches long, interspersed 

 with numerous bristles, 2 or 3 lines long, inserted under the spikelets but 

 projecting beyond them. These are rough with minute hairs, reversed so 

 as to chng to the hand when the spike is drawn downwards tlirough the 

 fingers. Outer glume very small, the two next about the length of the 

 flowering one. 



In cultivated and waste places, very common in southern Europe, and 

 generally spread over central Europe to the Baltic, and eastward into Rus- 

 sian Asia, but much rarer in hot countries than the two following species. 

 In Britain, it appears occasionally in the south of England. Fl. summer 

 and autumn. 



4. Glaucous Panicum. Panicum glaucum, Linn. 



(Setaria, Brit. Fl.) 



An erect annual, very much like the rouffh P., but of a paler green ; the 

 spike or spike-Uke panicle more compact and regularly cylindrical, 1 to 1§ 

 inches long, with very niunerous projecting bristles. These are but shghtly 

 rough with minute erect teeth, so as only to be felt as the spike is pushed 

 upwards through the fingers. Spikelets rather larger than in the rough P. ; 

 the flowering glume marked with numerous transverse wrinkles, visible 

 especially as the seed ripens, and the second glume is rather shorter. 



One of the commonest weeds of cultivation throughout the warmer regions 

 of the globe, abundant in southern Europe, less so in central Europe, not 

 extending into Scandinavia. In Britain, only occasionally introduced into 

 southern England. Fl. all summer and autumn. 



5. Green Panicum. Panicum viride, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 875. /Se^aHa, Brit. Fl.) 

 Closely resembles the glaucous P., but the flowering glume has no trans- 

 verse wrinkles, and the 2 inner empty ones are both about the same 

 length. 



With the same geographical range as the glaucous P., this is, however, 

 nnieh less common in tropical countries, but more so in central Europe, ex- 

 tending eastward all across Russian Asia, and northward into southern 

 Scandinavia. In Br'itain, it is also rather better established in the south 



