214 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL, HERBARIUM. 



except at the base, inclosing a well-developed palea and often a staminate flower; 

 fruit but little indurate, long-acuminate, the lemma finely nerved and scabrous 

 on the upper half, the margins thin and flat, the long brownish styles more or less 

 persistent or caught in the feathery bristles. 



This species is cultivated for ornament. In the trade it is commonly called Pcnni- 

 setum longistylum. According to Ilackel 8 and Leeke 9 this is not P. longistyhnn 

 Hochst. 10 A specimen of the type collection of the latter, Schimper's no. 65, from 

 Adoa, Abyssinia, in the National Herbarium, is very immature. It is much like 

 dwarfed plants of P. villosum. The bristles are less plumose than are those of that 

 species. It is clearly allied to P. villosum and does not belong in the section Gymno- 

 thrix, as stated by Hackel. Leeke places it next to P. villosum, differentiating it 

 by the greater number of nerves in the sterile lemma. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



Arid open ground, East Africa; sparingly escaped from cultivation in the United 

 States, Mexico, and Jamaica. 

 Michigan: Port Huron, Dodge 126. 

 Texas: Texarkana, Plank 23. 

 California: Santa Barbara, Eastwood 172; Chase 5600; Somes C17. Ventura, Parish 



11049. 

 Sinaloa: Topolobampo, Palmer 231 in 1897. 

 Jamaica: St. Andrew, Harris 12402. 



Pennisetum ruppelii Steud., 11 commonly called fountain-grass, is cultivated in 

 parks and borders. It is a tufted perennial about 1 meter tall, with simple culms, 

 narrow elongate scabrous blades, and beautiful feathery, purple or pinkish, nodding 

 panicles, 15 to 35 cm. long, the fascicles pedunculate, not crowded, with one to three 

 short-pediceled spikelets, the bristles plumose toward the base, the longest 3 to 4 cm. 

 long. Pennisetum macrostachyum (Brongn.) Trin., 12 with broad blades and larger 

 panicles with longer, more silky, not plumose bristles, is cultivated sparingly. A 

 purple strain of this has been called "P. macrophyllum atropurpureum" u by seedsmen. 



2. Pennisetum orientale triflorum (Nees) Stapf. 



Pennisetum triflorum Nee3 in Steud. Syn. PI. Glum. 1: 107. 1854. "(* * * 

 Royle Hrbr. nr. 59.) Nepal." The type has not been examined, but the description 

 well applies to the East Indian plants identified as P. orientale var. triflorum by Stapf. 



Pennisetum orientale var. triflorum Stapf in Hook. f. Fl. Brit. Ind. 7: 86. 1896. 

 Based on Pennisetum triflorum Nees. 



description. 



Plants perennial, forming tough clumps from knotted crowns; culms erect from 

 an ascending base, usually 1 meter or more tall, rather robust, simple or sparingly 

 branching, pubescent or scabrous below the panicle, otherwise glabrous; nodes 



8 In Engl. & Prantl, Pflanzenfam. 2 2 : 38. 1887. 



9 Zeitschr. Naturw. 79: 23. 1907. 



10 A. Rich. Tent. Fl. Abyss. 2: 338. 1851. 



11 Norn. Bot. ed. 2. 2: 298. 1841, nom. nud.; Syn. PI. Glum. 1: 107. 1854. "P. 

 macrostachyum Fresen. Hochst. hrb. un. it. Abyss, no. 72." Described from Abys- 

 sinia. 



12 Mem. Acad. St. Petersb. VI. 3 2 : 177. 1834. Originally described from the 

 Moluccas. 



13 Henkel in Mollers Deutsch. Gart. Zeit. 1806: 9. 1906. 



