Chase — Notes on Genera of Panieese. III. 181 



narrow axillary panicles of a Liebmann specimen of S. stririiflorum 

 Fonrn. cited by Fonrnier in bis original description. 



Doell (1877 in Mart. Fl. Bras. 2: 2 315) includes all these forms in Olyra, 

 dividing the genus into "I. Acrandrogynae. Panicula terminalis, non- 

 nunquam cum una alterave panicula accessoria laterali. Spiculae utrisque 

 sexas in eadem panicula, femineae pauciores." [It should be noted that 

 the lateral panicles of this group are terminal on leafy branches not axil- 

 lary as in II and III. ] This includes 0. latifolia L. and fourteen other 

 species several of which we have not seen, but all ( except 0. sympodica Doell ) 

 apparently coming within the genus Olyra as limited above. " II Pleur- 

 androgynae. Paniculae laterales, basi masculae, apice femineae (suprema 

 rarius terminalis et mere mascula. ) " This includes 0. flaccida Doell, 

 which we have not seen, and 0. pauciflora Sw. "III. Heterogenicae. 

 Paniculae sexu distinctae, monoecae, inferiores mere femineae, nonnun- 

 quam ad spiculam unicam redactae, superiores masculae. Panicula ter- 

 minalis, ubi adest et ipsa mascula." A footnote is added here saying that 

 these characters are those of the genus Strephium which in his opinion 

 has too little to distinguish it. Under this division are 0. polypodioides 

 Trin., 0. floribunda Radd., and 0. nana Doell; 0. pineti Wright is 

 added at the end with the observation that this Cuban species also belongs 

 in this section of the genus. In the description of the latter the gibbous 

 pistillate floret is noted. 



Fournier (1881, Mex. PL 2:4) recognizes both Lithachne and Strephium 

 as genera, but he gives no generic description and the key is inaccurate as 

 regards position of pistillate spikelets in the latter two. (See above under 

 Fournier, 1876. ) Lithachne and Strephium are divided on the gibbous 

 floret of the first and linear-elliptic floret of the second. 



Bentham & Hooker (1883, Gen. PI. 3: 1110) include all these forms in 

 Olyra, remarking that Lithachne, Strephium and Raddia form a section 

 with axillary few-flowered pistillate or androgynous panicles. 



Hemsley (1885, Biol. Cent. Am. 3: 510) includes all under Olyra, trans- 

 ferring Fournier' s Strephium strictiflorum to Olyra. 



Hackel (1887, Engler & Prantl, Pfl. Fam. 2: 2 39) includes Lithachne, 

 Strephium and Raddia as synonym's under Olyra without subdivisions or 

 sections. 



Description. — Spikelets unisexual, unlike in appearance; inflorescence 

 * consisting of few to several small panicles or racemes, solitary or in fas- 

 cicles of two to four or five, short-exserted from the sheaths, each bearing 

 one pistillate spikelet on a clavate pedicel at the summit, 

 and one to several staminate spikelets on slender pedicels, 

 below; a narrow short-exserted terminal, wholly stami- 

 nate panicle often present, rarely a fascicle of 2 or 3 such 

 panicles ; pistillate spikelets V-shaped owing to the greatly 

 swollen fertile lemma; first glume wanting; second glume 

 and sterile lemma membranaceous, nerved, unequal, long- 

 acuminate; fruit laterally subcompressed (forming an ex- 

 ception to the tribe character of dorsally compressed fruit 

 in Paniceae) , lemma and palea thick bony-indurated, the lemma greatly 



