122 CONTRIBUTIONS FKOM THE NATIONAL HEEBAEIUM. 



Panicum ctenodes majus Trin. Gram. Icon. 2 : pi. 171. j. A. 1829. In the descrip- 

 tion of P. ctenodes a larger variety is referred to and figure A of the plate represents 

 this form. It does not appear certain that Trinius intended to name this in this way, 

 but in the explanation of the figure "ad specimen Brasiliense" he uses the term " Var. 

 major," and Kunth« cites the name as "Panicum ctenodes var. major." The type 

 is in the Trinius Herbarium. It is a shoot without a label, lying on a sheet of speci- 

 mens of P. stoloniferum from Brazil and appears to be the basis of figure A. One of 

 the loose labels may belong to this specimen. 



Panicum stoloniferum major[us] Kunth, Rev. Gram. 2: 389. 1831. Based on Pan- 

 icum ctenodes majus Trin. 



Panicum brachyclados Reichenb.; Trin. Mem. Acad. St. Petersb. VI. Sci. Nat. 1: 

 251. 1834. This is given as a synonym under P . Jrondescens Meyer, the authorship 

 being given as "Rchbch. in Weig. hb. Surin." The type, in the Trinius Herbarium, 

 is labeled "Panicum (Echinochloa) brachyclados. Surinam, ex herb. Reichenb." 



Panicum hegelii Steud. Syn. PI. Glum. 1: 65. 1854. "Guatemala." There is a 

 specimen in the Berlin Herbarium bearing this name, collected in Guatemala by 

 Kegel (no. 12716), which may be the type. No specimen of this 

 was seen in the Steudel Herbarium. 



Panicum umbrosum Salzm.; Steud. Syn. PI. Glum. 1: 65. 1854, 

 not Retz. 1786. This is given as a synonym under P. stoloniferum 

 Poir. The type, in the Paris Herbarium, is from Bahia, Brazil. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Culms ascending from a decumbent or creeping base, less freely 

 branching than in P. stoloniferum, 30 to 50 cm. high, compressed, 

 glabrous except below the panicle or sometimes with two lines of 

 Fig. 115.— P. fronde- p U k escence toward the summit of the internodes; nodes black; 

 sheaths shorter than the internodes, densely ciliate, otherwise glab- 

 rous; ligules nearly obsolete; blades 5 to 11 cm. long, 12 to 20 mm. 

 wide, acuminate, narrowed toward the base, glabrous; panicles 5 to 11 cm. long, 

 usually less than one-third as wide, rather compact, the numerous, approximate 

 racemes ascending or somewhat spreading, the lower 10 to 25 mm. long; spikelets 

 2.6 to 2.8 mm. long, about 0.6 mm. wide and 1 mm. thick, glabrous; first glume 

 scarcely one-third the length of the spikelet, acute, scabrous on the midnerve; second 

 glume and sterile lemma subequal, somewhat boat-shaped, acute, the sterile palea 

 about two-thirds as long as its lemma; fruit 1.6 mm. long, 0.5 mm. wide, pointed, 

 short-stipitate. 



This species resembles P. stoloniferum, but is larger in all its parts, while the numer- 

 ous racemes are usually aggregated into a rather compact panicle. 



The spikelets of this species and of P. stoloniferum, with their somewhat boat-shaped 

 second glume and sterile lemma, suggest species of Sacciolepis. In this species the 

 stipitate fruit also shows an approach to that genus, but the habit is wholly different. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



Moist woods, Mexico to Brazil and Peru. 



Mexico: Papantla, Liebmann 405; St. Sebastian, Rovirosa 497. 



Guatemala: Dept. Peten, Walker 1138. 



Trinidad: Broadway 2371. 



British Guiana: Meyer (Trinius Herb.). 



Dutch Guiana: W eigelt (Trinius Herb.); Hering (Acad. Phil. Herb.). 



French Guiana: Sagot 689 (Gray Herb.). 



<* Rev. Gram. 2: 389. 1831. 



scens. From type 

 specimen. 



