178 Chase — Notes on Genera of Fanicem. III. 



* Fruit smooth and shining, not pitted. 



Ol.YKA LATIFOLIA L. , CAPILLATA Trill., CAUDATA Trill., CORDIFOLIA 



H. B. K., pubescens Radd., scabra Nees. 



** Fruit not pitted, clothed with thick silky hairs at base and sum- 

 mit, on margins or back. 

 Olyra glaberrima Radd., cii.iatifoi.ia Radd., semiovata Trin., and 

 the following: 



Olyra yucatana 



Panicles contracted, often a second one from the upper sheath, 8-15 cm. 

 long. 2 cm. wide, axis and rachis scabrous; staminate spikelets on the 

 lower branches and lower part of upper pistillate branches, 8 mm. long 

 including the setaceous tip of the lemma, pa lea about 2 mm. shorter; 

 pistillate spikelets 15 to 17 nun. long, the glume and sterile lemma scab- 

 rous, 7-nerved, 8 nun. long, and acuminate into rlexuous setaceous tips 

 as Long again in the glume, half as long in the sterile lemma; fruit ellip- 

 tical, obscurely pointed, 7 nun. long, 4 mm. wide, white and shining or 

 old ivory toward maturity, the lemma silky-pubescent at base and on the 

 margins. Culms tall, slender; sheaths mostly longer than the internodes, 

 crisp-puberulent, blades 13 to 16 cm. long, one-third as wide, abruptly 

 acuminate at the apex, trapezoid -truncate at base. Known only from 

 Yucatan. 



This species was described and figured by Millspaugh & Chase ( 1903, 

 Field Col. Mus. Bot. :'> : 46) under the name Olyra semiovata Trin. The 

 examination of Trinius' type has shown this disposition of the Yucatan 

 form to lie erroneous. Type Gaunter 2372, No. 125941 Herb. Field Colum- 

 bian Museum. "Common at Chichankanab, Gaumer 1389, Pocoboch, 

 (in inner 2372." 



* * * Fruits pitted. 

 Olyra fascjculata Trin., fiijformis Trin., iieliconia Lindm. (PI. 

 Bolivianae, a Miguel Bang lectae no. 508, distributed as 0. latifolia be- 

 longs to the latter species. ) 



2. Upper panicle branches with globose, hispid-bristly, setaceous-pointed, 



pistillate spikelets only; lower branches with staminate spikelets 



only ; fruit pitted. 

 Oi.yka micrantha 11. B. K., HiRSUTA Trin., ventricosa Nees. A speci- 

 men from "Feejee Islands, Sandalwood Bay" collected on the Wilkes 

 expedition 1838-42 belongs in this group. 



3. Upper panicle branches with oval pistillate spikelets, not pointed, 



fruit smooth. 



< >i.yka kamosissima Trin., Panicum i.aterale Presl and probably O. sar- 



mentosa Doell, form a third group with unpointed pistillate spikelets on 



pedicels scarcely clavate, glabrous and unpitted fruit; slender-stemmed freely 



branching plants with blades and panicles scarcely exceeding 5 cm. long. 



