HITCHCOCK REVISIONS OF NORTH AMERICAN GRASSES. 



179 



European botanists generally refer this to Polypogon monspeliensis (L.) Desf. r 

 The synonym from the Flora Suecica refers to Panicurn viride as stated by Schinz and 

 Thellung and as is determined by the common name (Hund-hirs) given in the Flora 

 Suecica. 2 Schinz and Thellung look upon Cynosurus paniceus as a composite species 

 consisting of two elements of which Linnaeus himself separated one as P. viride 3 

 in 1759, and the other as P. verticillatum* in 1762. Following the International Code, 

 which requires that the original name be retained for one of the elements of a com- 

 posite species, the authors hold that the name must apply to the residue after P. 

 viride had been segregated. They therefore replace Setaria verticillata by. Setaria 

 panicea (L.) Schinz & Thell. 



The present author rejects this disposition of the name because Linnaeus's own 

 description given at the beginning of the paragraph above quoted from the Species 

 Plantarum, does not apply to either Panicurn viride or P. verticillatum, the phrase 

 t; nosculis simplicibus biaristatus" appearing to apply to Polypogon monspeliensis. 

 This version is strengthened by the fact that Linnaeus later 5 transfers the name 

 to Alopecurus and alters the description to read 

 •Alopecurus panicula subspicata glumis villosis, 

 corollis aristatus." Hence the name is to be re- 

 ferred as a synonym to Polypogon monspeliensis, 

 based upon Alopecurus monspeliensis I;. 6 There 

 is no specimen in the Linnaean Herbarium to sup- 

 port Cynosurus (or Alopecurus) paniceus. 



The plants described under Chaetochloa brevispica 

 Scribn. & Merr. 7 are C. verticillata. The name is 

 based on Panicurn verticillatum parviflorum Doell 8 

 (not Cenchrus parviflorus Poir.) from Brazil. The 

 type of this has not been examined. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Plants annual, often much branched at base 

 and geniculate-spreading ; culms smooth, scabrous 

 below the panicle, as much as 1 meter tall, usually 

 less; sheaths glabrous, or rarely scabrous toward 

 the summit, ciliate, keeled; ligule very short, 

 densely ciliate; blades flat, rather thin, scabrous 

 on both surfaces, often more or less pilose on one 

 or both surfaces with short scattered hairs, usually 10 to 20 cm. long and 5 to 10 

 mm. wide; panicles erect but not stiff, cylindric or somewhat tapering upward t 

 more or less lobate or interrupted, especially toward base, mostly 5 to 15 cm. long, 

 7 to 15 mm. wide, or in robust specimens as much as 2 cm., the axis scabrous 



1 Richt. PI. Europ. 1: 40. 1890; Aschers. & Graebn. Syn. Mitteleur. Fl. 2:161- 

 1899. (Alopecurus paniceus). 



1 Hartm. Handb. Skand. Fl. ed. 10. 1: 275. 1870. Cynosurus paniceus is given as a 

 synonym of Setaria viridis. Nathorst. Svenska Vaxtnamn. Ark. Bot. 2 1 : 79. 1904. 

 Hundhirs is given as a common name of Setaria viridis. 



3 Syst. Nat. ed. 10. 2 : 870. 1759. 



4 Sp. PI. ed. 2. 1: 82. 1762. 



5 Sp. PI. ed. 2. 1: 90. 1762, 



6 L. Sp. PI. 61. 1753. 



7 U. S. Dept. Agr. Div. Agrost. Bull. 21: 15./. 5. 1900. 



8 In Mart. Fl. Bras. 2 2 : 172. 1877. 



Fig. 43.— Chaeiochloa verticillata. From 

 Steele in 1898, District of Columbia. 



