Chase — Notes on Genera of Panicetz. IV. 



137 



reflexed racemes approximate at the summit of the culm, are here taken 

 as the distinguishing characters of this genus. 



Besides the species placed in this genus by Hitchcock (1. c. ) a third 

 .South American species belongs in the. genus, Reimarochloa aberrans 

 (Doell), Reimaria aberrans Doell (Mart. Fl. Bras. 2 2 : 38. pi. 13. 1877) 

 " Habitat prope Santarem provinciae Paraensis (B. Spruce n. 851 et 887.)" 

 The type specimen. Spruce 851, was examined in the Munich Herbarium. 

 In this species the second glume is occasionally present on racemes with 

 glumeless spikelets. 



16. Genus PASPALUM L. 



Paspalum L. Syst. Nat. ed. 10. 855. 1759. After a brief diagnosis four 

 species are given, P. dimidiatum, P. virgatum, P. paniculatum and P. 

 distichum. All agree with the diagnosis, though the last, with acute 

 fruit, might be excluded from eligibility as type species because the gen- 

 eric diagnosis reads : " Cor. Gluma * * * obtusa." None of the 

 species are figured in the same work, none are economic nor indigenous 

 from the standpoint of the author. Paspalum virgatum and P. panicu- 

 latum are here first published, P. dimidiatum being the only one pre- 

 viously described. For this reason and also because it is the first species 

 under the genus it is here taken as the type. This is given as follows : 

 "dimidiatum a P[aspalum] spicis subsolitariis, pedunculo communi 

 membranaceo. Panicum dissectum sp.pl. 57. n. 6." There is nothing 

 to explain why Linnaeus changed the specific name. This is discussed 

 by Hitchcock (Contr. Nat. Herb. 12 : 115-116. 1908) who examined in the 

 Linnaean Herbarium the type specimen, upon the sheet of which Lin- 

 naeus wrote both ' ' dimidiatum ' ' , which is crossed out, and ' ' dissectum. ' ' 

 The plant is also marked "K" which indicates that it was collected by 

 Kalm. In the second edition of the Species Plantarum (page 81. 1762) 

 Linnaeus corrects himself, giving the name Paspalum dissectum L. based 



upon "Panicum dissectum Sp. pi. 1. 

 p. 57." (For a full discussion the 

 reader is referred to Hitchcock's 

 paper. ) The specimen belongs to the 

 species long known under the name 

 Paspalum membranaceum Walt. 



The masculine form Paspalus was 

 used by Flixgge (Gram. Monog. 51-190. 

 1810) Boemer and Schultes (Syst. Veg. 

 2 : 290-317. 181 7) and by Nees ( Agrost. 

 Bras. 18-82. 1829). 

 Digitaria Heist, in Fabr. Enura. Fl. Hort. Helm. 207. 1759. This name 

 is given as follows: "Digitaria Heist. Dactylis Bai. Gramen dactylon 

 majus panicula longa, spicis pluribus nudis crassis. Sloane." This phrase 

 name in Sloane ( Voy. Jam. 1 : 112. pi. 69. f. 2. 1707) refers to the species 

 later published as Paspalum virgatum L. , Sloane' s specimen of which 

 was examined in the herbarium of the British Museum. This phrase 



Fig. 8. 



Paspalum dissectum. 



(Two views of spikelet and fruit 



x 10 diam.) 



