176 Chase — Notes on Genera of Panieese. III. 



together with Hydrochloa, Zea and Coir, while Spinifex comes 

 in "Sectio secunda. Axes dioici " with Gynerium. 



Humboldt, Bonpland and Kunth (1815, Nov. Gen. 1:196) 

 propose a " Section IX Olyraceae " which includes Pharus, Olyra 

 and Luziola. \_Paniceac is their Section I.] Kunth (1815, Mem. 

 Mus. Hist. Nat. 2:75) proposes a group " Gramina Olyrea " 

 which includes Zizania, Luziola, Hydrochloa, Pharus, Olyra, Zea, 

 and Coix. 



Trinius (1826, Gram.. Pan. 53, 55, 247, 249), places Olyra 

 and Milium amphicarpon in his " Panieeorum Genera." 



Nees (1829, Agros. Bras. 298) establishes " Familia Secunda. 

 Gramineae Olyreae " for Strephium, Caryochloa, Luziola, Pharus, 

 Olyra and Coix (Family I is Paniceae). 



Kunth (1833, Enum. PL 67-70, 174) places Amphicarpum, 

 Olyreae and Spinifex in " III Paniceae " which is very nearly the 

 tribe Paniceae as recognized to-day, and subsequent authors 

 generally have followed this disposition of these forms, though 

 often associating Pharus and allied genera with them under 

 Panic * in . 



Though the Olyrae and Spinifex depart rather widely from 

 the Panicum type, their affinities are clearly with this tribe. 

 Lithachne Beauv. forms the only known exception to the tribal 

 character of fruit dorsally compressed or subcompressed. 



OLYREAE: Plants monoecious; blades Hat, abruptly narrowed into a 

 petiole-like base, convolute in the bnd, the consequent creases persistent 

 in the mature blade. First glume wanting in the pistillate spikelets, 

 both glumes and sterile lemma wanting in the staminate spikelets. 



Key. 



Inflorescence borne <>n leafy culms; fruit bony-indurated: 

 Panicles terminal on culms or leafy branches, pistil- 

 late spikelets above, staminate spikelets below, in 



same panicle Olyra 



Panicles all axillary or axillary and terminal ; tbe termi- 

 nal when present wholly staminate: 

 Fruit laterally compressed, conspicuously gibbous on 



upper dorsum Lithachne 



Fruit dorsally compressed, lanceolate Raddia 



Inflorescence consisting of 2 slender racemes, one staminate, 

 the other pistillate, digitate at the summit of a 

 naked culm ; leafy stems distinct from base ; fruit 

 scarcely indurated Mniochloa 



