AMERICAN GRASSES DESCRIBED BY LINNAEUS. 115 



may not be type specimens, as he often applied a binomial to a species 

 already well known, but his American species may usually be traced 

 back to definite type specimens. The specimens from Kalm are 

 marked by Linnaeus with a small "K." These specimens are credited 

 to Canada by Linnaeus, but Kalm traveled as far south as Pennsyl- 

 vania and New Jersey. The specimens from Patrick Browne in 

 Jamaica are marked "Br." The Gronovius specimens were collected 

 by Clayton and are described in Gronovius's Flora Virginica. When 

 Linnaeus quotes Gronovius's diagnosis, Gronovius's species is the 

 type and is represented by a specimen in the British Museum. Often 

 Linnaeus has a specimen in his own herbarium received from Grono- 

 vius which he describes, citing Gronovius as a synonym. In such 

 cases the Linnaean specimen is the type. Linnaeus often cites Sloane's 

 plates, but only occasionally quotes his diagnoses. Sloane's speci- 

 men is the type only when Linnaeus quotes Sloane's diagnosis and 

 has no description of his own. In all cases it must be evident that 

 Linnaeus drew up his description wholly or in part from the preserved 

 specimen, which then becomes the type. 



Cinna arundinacea L. Sp. PL 5. 1753. 



This is the species as described in our manuals. The spikelets are nearly 5 mm. 

 long. Linnaeus states in his description that Kalm obtained the seed in Canada. The 

 sheet is marked "H U. " ° 



Phalaris oryzoides L. Sp. PL 55. 1753. 



There are two sheets, both bearing the name in the handwriting of Linnaeus. One 

 of these has a small label pasted on one corner of the sheet, "Gramen miliaceum Vol. 1, 

 pag. 350. n. 1." This, which is clearly the type, is Homalocenchrus oryzoides (L.) 

 Poll. Munro states that this specimen is from Gronovius. The type locality of the 

 species, as given by Linnaeus, is Virginia. The second sheet, on the other hand, 

 marked "Br" and therefore from Jamaica, is Homalocenchrus hexandrus (Sw.) Kuntze. 

 Sloane's plate 71, figure 1, cited later by Linnaeus b is an Eragrostis. 



Panicum dissectum L. Sp. PL 57. 1753. 



Upon this sheet Linnaeus wrote u dimidiabwm," which is crossed out, and "dissec- 

 tum;" also " K." The plant is what has been called Paspalum membranaceum Walt. 

 Spikes 4, with others hidden in the sheath; spikelets 2 mm. long. 



In determining the type of Panicum dissectum L. several points must be taken into 

 consideration. Linnaeus describes the plant as follows, "Panicum spiculis alternis; 

 rachi lineari membranacea extrorsum imbricato-norifera." This applies to the her- 

 barium specimen. The first synonym cited is "Dactylis spicis alternis numerosis 

 patulis, calycibus unifloris. Roy. lugdb. 56." The character "spicis numerosis" does 

 not apply to the Linnaean specimen. The second synonym, Plukenet, "Mant. 94. t. 

 350. f. 2" (from America), can scarcely be the same as the specimen of Linnaeus, for 

 the blades of the figure are long and gradually narrowed to a point. The third syno- 

 nym is a citation from Sloane, Hist. Jam. 1: 112. pi. 69. f. 2. This is the plant now 

 called Paspalum virgatum, as shown by the plate and by the specimen preserved in 

 the British Museum. The same plate is cited by Linnaeus under Andropogon fascicu- 



° An abbreviation for Hortus Upsalensis, indicating that the specimen was culti- 

 vated in that botanical garden. 

 &Sp. PL ed. 2. 81. 1762. 



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