HITCHCOCK AND CHASE NORTH AMERICAN PANICUM. 117 



Colombia: Santa Marta, Smith 202, 204; C6rdoba, Pittier 521, 553; Call, Pit- 

 tier 665. 



Trinidad: Hart 2177, 2289. 



British Guiana: Penman 6008, 6009. 



French Guiana: Sagot 692 (Gray Herb.). 



Brazil: Bahia, Salzmann; Madeira, Rusby 210; Prov. Goyaz, Gardner 3517'; 

 Campinas, Novaes 1246; Rio Janeiro, Wilkes Expl. Exped. 10; without 

 locality, Gardner 1183, Riedel 52, Sello. 



Paraguay: Hassler 8465, Morong 534, 537, 977, 1574. 



Uruguay: Arechavaleta 31 in 1888, 2 in 1893. 



Ecuador: Balao, Eggers 14585. 



Bolivia: Mapiri, Rusby 228, 236; Unduavi, Rusby 22; Yungas, Bang 266, in 

 part, 308a; Chaco, Fries 1537. 



61. Panicum exiguiflorum Griseb. 



Panicum minutiflorum Rich, in Sagra, Hist. Cuba 11: 305. 1850, not Rasp. 1825. 

 "Crescit in pratis et locis herbosis insulae Cubae." The type, in the Paris Her- 

 barium, is labeled "Insula Cuba. Legit Ramon de la Sagra." 



Panicum laxum variegatum Griseb. Cat. PI. Cub. 233. 1866. The only specimen 

 cited is Wright 3450. The type, in the Grisebach Herbarium, is from western Cuba, 

 1863, and is numbered " 909=3450." 



Panicum exiguiflorum Griseb. Cat. PI. Cub. 234. 1866. Based on "P. minutiflorum 

 Rich, ex descr., non Hochst." 



Panicum tricolor Hack. Oesterr. Bot. Zeitschr. 51 : 370. 1901. "In insulis Bahama; 

 Fortune Island, inter frutices, Eggers nr. 3978." The type is in Hackel's herbarium. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Plants perennial, cespitose, sometimes sending out prostrate, stolon-like shoots; 

 culms simple or sparingly branching from the upper nodes, erect from a decumbent 

 or ascending base, slender, wiry, 15 to 50 cm. high, the lower nodes 

 geniculate; sheaths much shorter than the elongated internodes, 

 ciliate, otherwise glabrous; ligules membranaceous, delicate, fim- 

 briate; blades appressed or ascending, 2 to 6 cm. long, 0.5 to 1.5 

 mm. wide, glabrous; panicles 3 to 10 cm. long, one-third to half as 

 wide, the slender branches few, spreading or reflexed at maturity, 

 Fig. no.— P. exig- bearing short, divergent branchlets with clustered, short-pediceled 

 uiflorum. From spikelets; spikelets 1.4 to 1.5 mm. long, about 0.5 mm. wide, and 

 type specimen twice as thick; first glume about one-third the length of the spikelet, 

 eqatum Griseb 3-nerved; second glume about two-thirds the length of thesubequal 

 sterile and fertile florets, the sterile palea very large and firm at 

 maturity, much expanding the spikelet; fruit 1.3 mm. long, 0.5 mm. wide, acute. 



The immature spikelets are dorsally compressed, as characteristic in this genus, 

 but as they mature the sterile palea becomes greatly enlarged, with broad firm wings, 

 and forces the spikelet open. In this character and in habit this species is most 

 closely related to P. hians Ell. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



Low savannas and moist sandy woods, Bahamas and Cuba. 



Bahamas: Fortune Island, Eggers 3978 (Hackel Herb.), Hitchcock in 1890; 



Inagua, Nash & Taylor 1450; Long Cay, Brace 4158, 4164; Acklins Island, 



Brace 4380 (all in Field Mus. Herb.). 



Cuba: Chirigote, Wright 3450; Herradura, Hitchcock 179, Tracy 9075; Prov. of 



Santa Clara, Leon 902; Guanabacoa, Leon 911, 913; Isle of Pines, Taylor 35. 



