Plants Collected in Paraguay. 259 



glabrous, rough on the margins, tapering to a long acuminate point, 12-30 

 cm. long, 2-5 mm. broad ; ligule short, fuscescent. ,Spikes 4H0 at the sum- 

 mit of the culm, linear, 3 or 4 cm. long, scarcely 2 mm. broad, with long 

 silky hairs at the base; rachis glabrous. Spikelets 2 mm. long, on minute 

 pedicels. Empty glume only 1, strongly 3-nerved, boat-shaped, as long as 

 the flowering glume, translucent ; flowering glume 3-nerved. Grain slightly 

 rough under the lens. 



Pilcomayo River (1583). February. 



Paspaliim virgatiim, L., Sp. PL, Ed. 2, 81. 



Caballero (516); Asuncion (551); Pilcomayo River (969). 

 January-June. 



This grass in Paraguay grows sometimes nearly 2 m. in height. 

 It has a stout stem and long, broad leaves. On account of their 

 sharp cutting edge the people call it Paja corta dura, or grass that 

 cuts. It is largely used for thatching houses, and I was told that 

 if well laid it would shed the rain perfectly and last ten years. 



l^riocliloa punctata (Lam.), Hamilt., Prod., 5. 



Asuncion (283); Pilcomayo River (9tl). December-March. 



Panicum amplexicaule, Rudge, PL Guian., i, 21, t. 27. 



Luque (541); Pilcomayo River (1030). December-May. 



Growing in miry places or in water. Culms glabrous. Stem 

 leaves amplexicaul, 1-3 cm. broad at the base, 14-30 cm. long, 

 tapering to a sharp acuminate point. In young plants before the 

 culms appear the leaves sheath each other at the base. Panicle 

 narrow, of many densely flow^ered spikes, the spikes cylindrical, 

 some of them 20 cm. or more in length, the panicle 30 cm. or more 

 long. Glumes strongly rough-awn#d, and rough on the mid-nerve. 



Panicum auriculatum, Willd. in Spreng. Syst., i, 322. 



Caballero (515); Asuncion (693). January-May. 



No. 515 is referred here with hesitation. No. 693 = Balansa 114. 



Growing in miry places or in water, stout, 1-lj m. high. Stem 

 leaves short, auriculate, and very broad (sometimes 4 cm.) at the 

 base. Panicle close, 3-5 cm. broad and 2^-4 dm. long, composed 

 of many rather loosely flowered cylindrical spikes 2-10 cm. long, 



Panicum capillare, L., Sp. PL, 58. 

 Pilcomayo River (1568). February. 



