218 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



Schumann 19 published the name Pennisetum americanum, based on Panicum ainer- 

 icanum L., applying it to pearl millet. Panicum americanum L. is based on "Pani- 

 cum americanum Clus. hist. 2, p. 215." Clusius's figure does not represent pearl 

 millet, nor does his description apply to it. It is more like common millet (Chae- 

 tochloa italica) but was probably based on a confusion of two or more species. Schu- 

 mann's name was accepted by Leeke. 20 



DESCRIPTION. 



Plants annual, branching at the base, robust, as much as 2 meters tall; culms 

 simple or rarely branching, densely villous below the panicle, often minutely so below 

 the nodes, otherwise glabrous; nodes usually appressed-pubescent; Bheaths loose, 

 mostly overlapping, commonly scabrous and usually densely hairy on the margins 

 toward the summit and on the collar; ligule densely hairy, about 3 mm. long; blades 

 flat, cordate at base, sometimes as much as 1 meter long and 5 cm. wide, scabrous on 

 both surfaces, the midnerve prominent; panicles cylindric, stiff, very dense, as much 

 as 40 to 50 cm. long and 2 to 2.5 cm. thick, pale, bluish tinged, or sometimes tawny, 

 the stout axis densely villous; fascicles on slender villous peduncles 2 to 5 cm. long, 

 spreading; bristles unequal, the inner coarser, sparsely plumose below, about equaling 

 the mature fruit; spikelets mostly 2 in a fascicle, short-pedicellate, at maturity 3.5 

 to 4.5 mm. long, obovate, turgid; glumes unequal, the first minute, the second one- 

 fourth to half the length of the spikelet, ciliolate; sterile lemma slightly shorter than 

 the fertile one, firm, obscurely nerved, ciliate at the broad summit, inclosing a villous 

 palea and sometimes a staminate flower; fertile lemma indurate, abruptly pointed, 

 long-ciliate on the margins, except at the base and apex, the palea broad, thinner, 

 villous on the margins and toward the summit, the subglobose or pyriform ripe cary- 

 opsis forcing open the lemma and palea and equaling them, bluish lead color or 

 whitish; anthers with a minute tuft of hairs at the tips. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



Known only in cultivation. Leeke 21 considers it a composite species having a 

 polyphyletic origin, arising in cultivation from Pennisetum gymnolhrix (A. Br.) 

 Schum., P. perottetii (Klotzsch) Schum., P. mollissimum Hochst., P. violaceum 

 (Lam.) L. Rich, and P. versicolor Schrad. These species are all natives of Africa. 

 Pennisetum glaucum has numerous varieties and forms. It is an important food 

 plant in Africa 22 and is also cultivated for its grain in India, Arabia, and southern 

 Europe. In our Southern States it is grown to a limited extent for forage. It is 

 sometimes called Indian millet, African millet, and cat-tail millet. 



Pennisetum purpureum Schumach., 23 a tropical African species, is being introduced 

 as a fodder plant in the Southern States under the name Napier grass. In Africa it is 

 also called elephant grass. It is a robust leafy tufted branching perennial, 2 to 4 meters 

 tall, with elongate blades 2 to 3 cm. wide, and dense, stiff, tawny or purplish panicles, 

 the fascicles sessile, the sparsely plumose bristles exceeding the two or three un- 

 equally pediceled spikelets. 



19 In Engl. Pflanzenw. Ost-Afr. 5 B : 51. 1895. 



2n Zeitschr. Naturw. 79: 52-96. 1907. 



2I Zeitschr. Naturw. 79: 55. 1907. 



22 For a full treatment of the varieties and their history see Koern. & Wern. Handb. 

 Getreid. 1: 284. 1885; Schum. in Engl. Pflanzenw. Ost-Afr. 5 B : 51-58. 1895; and 

 Leeke. Zeitschr. Naturw. 79: 52-108. pi. 2, 3. 1907. 



23 Schumach. & Thonn. Beskr. Guin. PI. 64. 1827. Described from Guinea, 

 Africa. 



