140 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



Panicum lanatum Sw. Prod. 24. 1788. 



The type specimen marked "P. lanatum fl. ind. occ. Jamaica. Swartz," is allied 

 to P. divarication L. and P. sloanei Griseb. The species is characterized by the 

 densely lanose-velvety sheaths and blades. On account of the earlier Panicum 

 lanatum Rottb. Descr. PI. 3. 1776 ( Valota insularis (L.) Chase), I suggest for Swartz's 

 species the name Panicum swartzianum (Panicum lanatum Sw., not Rottb.). 



Panicum arundinaceum Sw. Prod. 24. 1788. 



There are two plants upon the type sheet, which is marked "Panicum arundina- 

 ceum fl. ind. occ. Jamaica. Swartz," one with a large spreading panicle, the other with 

 a narrow compact panicle. The description applies better to the first, although they 

 are both Isachne arundinacea (Sw.) Griseb. 



Panicum polygamum Sw. Prod. 24. 1788. 



The type specimen marked "Prodr." is Panicum maximum Jacq., an earlier name, 

 which Swartz himself uses in his Flora. 



Panicum glutinosum Sw. Prod. 24. 1788; 



The type specimen marked "P. glutinosum fl. ind. occ." from "Jamaica. Swartz," 

 belongs to this species as generally understood. 



Panicum trichoides Sw. Prod. 24. 1788. 



There are two plants upon the type sheet, which is labeled ''trichoides fl. ind. occ." 

 from ''Jamaica. Swartz." The left-hand specimen is the form described as /'. brevi- A 

 folium in Grisebach's Flora; the other is the same as the type of Panicum tricanthum Nees/*- 

 in the Berlin Herbarium, examined at Halle. The leaf blades of the right-hand speci- 

 men are longer and the spikelets somewhat larger than in the left-hand one. Sloane's 

 plan'' df Panicum bri wifolium is cited by Swartz.- Itis evident from the more complete 

 description given later in his Flora that Swartz considered his species the same as P. 

 brevifolium L. and variable enough to include both the plants preserved, but wished 

 to change the name. The type of P. brevifolium L. is from India. The species is 

 shown by description and the specimen in the Linnsean herbarium to be P. ovalifolium 

 as described in Hooker's Flora of British India. Hence we may consider P. trichoides 

 Sw. as applying to the Tropical American species usually described as P. brevifolium. 

 L. (P. capillaceum Lam. Tabl. Encycl. 1: 173. 1791), the left-hand plant beingtaken 

 as the type, and adopt Panicum I richanthum Nees for the larger form. 



Panicum caespitosum Sw. Fl. Ind. Occ. 1: 140. 1797. 



The type specimen marked ''P. cacspitosum fl. ind. occ." from "Jamaica. Swartz" 

 is Panicum prostratum Lam., but, as shown previously (page 119), we should use the 

 name Panicum rcptans L. for this species. The Mexican plant which has been dis- 

 tributed under the name /'. caespitosum in recent collections is a different species. c 



oFl. Ind. Occ. 1: 170. 1797. 

 b Hist. Jam. pi. 72. f. S. 



c This was brought to my attention by Professor Mez, of Halle, for whom I propose 

 to name this species : 



Brachiaria meziana sp. nov. 



Perennial; culms cespitose, glabrous, at first erect, 20 to 30 cm. high; later branched 

 and decumbent becoming as much as 70 cm. long; leaves light green, sheaths densely 

 ciliate on the margin, sometimes sparsely pilose on the surface, blades 5 to 12 cm. long, 

 5 to 10 mm. wide, moderately stiff and firm, glabrous or sparsely pilose on either sur- 

 face, ciliate on the margin near the base with papillose hairs; early panicles long- 

 exserted, later ones less so or scarcely exserted, consisting of several spike-like racemes 

 2 to 3 cm. long, along the upper 2 to 3 cm. of the culm; spikelets placed with the 

 first glume toward the axis, arranged in 2 rows on one side of a somewhat flattened 

 narrow rachis interspersed with pilose hairs, nearly sessile, glabrous, 3 mm. long, 

 ovate, subacute; first glume ovate, 3-nerved, 1 mm. long, second glume as long as 



