PREFACE 



The paper presented herewith, by Mrs. Agnes Chase, assistant 

 agrostologist of the United States Department of Agriculture, is a 

 revision of one of the important genera of grasses. The method of 

 study and presentation is the same as that followecTin earlier papers 

 on North American grasses, which have been published in the 

 Contributions. 



The genus Pennisetum belongs chiefly to the Old World, Africa 

 being especially rich in number of species. In North America we 

 have 10 species which are native and 4, including the well-known 

 pearl millet, which are now established from earlier introductions, 

 besides a few species cultivated for ornament, and one promising 

 forage grass which is now being introduced into the Southern States. 



The native North American species have been much confused with 

 each other and with closely related South American species. They 

 are confined chiefly to the tropics and subtropics, only one native 

 species extending into the southern United States. 



Frederick V. Coville, 

 Curator of the United States National Herbarium. 



