GRIFFITHS THE GRAMA GRASSES. 



407 



27. Bouteloua vaneedeni Pilger. 



Bouteloua vaneedeni Pilger in Urban, Symb. Antill. 6: 2. 1909; see also Boldingh, 

 Recueil Trav. Bot. Neerland. 6 : 7. 1909. 



DESCRIPTION. 



An erect, cespitose perennial, 30 to 40 cm. high; sheaths smooth, striate, close; 

 blades narrow, involute, 6 to 10 cm. long, with a very small ligular ring of white hairs; 

 inflorescence racemose, about 12 to 15 cm. long; spikes small, 4 to 5 mm. long, and 

 only about 1 mm. wide, numerous, about 30; spikelets 2 to 4, in specimens before 

 me only the distal one fully developed, the proximal ones 1-flowered, the distal one 

 with a second floret in the form of a trifid rudiment, the lateral 

 awns very short; glumes smooth, Etrongly nerved, the first 3 

 mm., the second 4 mm. long, scarcely awned; lemma smooth, 

 4 mm. long, bearing awns less than 1mm. long; palet about 

 the length of its lemma, bearing very short awns. (Figure 56.) 



I am under obligations to both Doctors Pilger and Boldingh 

 for specimens of this interesting species, collected by the latter 

 (no. 3512 B) in the island of Anguilla, Leeward Islands. 



In general aspect it appears to be very similar to B. curti- 

 pendula, while in other respects it even more closely resembles 

 B. uniflora. In detail of the spike it bridges over three genera 

 as here limited. The species is interesting in that there are one 

 to three aborted, 1-flowered spikelets below and only one well- 

 developed distal spikelet in which the second floret is the normal 

 trifid awn, with, however, the lateral awns so short as to be 

 scarcely visible. The type affords all the knowledge we have 

 concerning this species and that specimen is immature. It is possible that mature 

 material will necessitate a different disposition of the species. 



28. Bouteloua americana (L.) Scribn. 



Aristida americana -L. Amoen. Acad. 5 : 393. 1759; Syst. Nat. ed. 10. 2 : 879. 1759. 

 This name has been misapplied by recent authors because of a misstatement by Munro ° 

 concerning its identity. Munro says that A. americana "is called A. dispersa by 

 Trim", and that " Kunth has misplaced the Linnsean synonym in JSutrianajuncifolia." 

 Munro, however, was in error, as is easily shown by an examination of the Linnaean 

 plant (see under Bouteloua americana Scribn.); Swartz, Obs. Bot. 41. pi. 2. f. 2. 1791. 

 The type, in the Linnsean Herbarium, is a specimen from Jamaica, collected by 

 Patrick Browne. 



Triathera americana Desv. Nouv. Bull. Soc. Philom. Paris 2 : 188. 1810. Based 

 upon Aristida americana L. See also Roem. & Schult. Syst. Veg. 2 : 421. 1817. 



Dineba americana Beauv. Ess. Agrost. 98, 160. pi. 16. f. 1-8. 1812. Based upon Aris- 

 tida americana L. 



Heterosteca americana Desv. Journ. de Bot. 1 : 68. 1813. Based upon Aristida ameri- 

 cana Swartz. 



Bouteloua litigiosa Lag. Gen. & Sp. Nov. 5. 1816. Based upon Aristida americana L. 



Aristida furcata Poit.; Roem. & Schult. Syst. Veg. 2:711.1817. A herbarium 

 name published as a synonym of Dineba americana Beauv. 



Euvriana juncea Trin. Gram. Unifl. 238. 1824. I The specimen in the Trinius Her- 

 barium, collected by Poiteau in Haiti, probably is the Aristida americana of Linnseus. 



a Proc. Linn. Soc. Bot. 6 : 49. 1862. 



Fig. 56.— Bouteloua 

 vaneedeni. a, Spike- 

 let; 6, c, lemma and 

 palet with rudiment 

 attached, o, Scale5; 

 6, c, scale 7.5. From 

 type specimen. 





