HITCHCOCK AND CHASE — NORTH AMERICAN PANICUM. 151 



Depauperata. — Culms simple, mostly 10 to 40 cm. high; ligules less than 1 mm. long; 

 blades much elongated, 5 to 35 cm. long, 2 to 5 mm. wide, narrowed at the 

 base, long-acuminate at apex, basal blades shorter, but not forming a distinct 

 rosette in the autumn; spikelets 2.2 to 3.8 mm. long, strongly 7 to 9-nerved. 

 Autumnal form bearing simple branches from the basal or lower nodes, the 

 reduced panicles more or less concealed in the foliage at the base of the plants. 



Spikelets about 3.5 mm. long, beaked 82. P. depauperatum. 



Spikelets 3 mm. long or less, (sometimes 3.2 mm. long in P. per- 

 longum) not beaked. 

 Culms single or few in a tuft; spikelets turgid, blunt, 2.7 



to 3.2 mm. long; prairie plants 83. P. perlongum. 



Culms in large tufts; spikelets not turgid, 2.2 to 2.7 mm. 

 long; plants of dry woods. 

 Sheaths pilose; spikelets 2.2 to 2.7 mm. long, pilose. . 84. P. linearifolium. 

 Sheaths glabrous; spikelets 2.2 to 2.3 mm. long; glab- 

 rous or sparingly pilose 85. P. werneri. 



82. Panicum depauperatum Muhl. 



Panicum strictum Pursh, Fl. Amer. Sept. 1: 69. 1814, not R. Br. 1810. "On the 

 banks of the Delaware, Pennsylvania." The type, in Kew Herbarium, has pilose 

 sheaths. 



Panicum depauperatum Muhl. Descr. Gram. 112. 1817. "Habitat in glareosis, 

 floret Maio, Junio, Penns. Carolina." The type is in the Muhlenberg Herba- 

 rium. Muhlenberg described the species as having glabrous or pubescent leaves, 

 pilose sheaths, glabrous spikelets, and fertile floret a little shorter than the second 

 glume and sterile lemma. This description applies to the plant that has generally 

 been referred to P. depauperatum rather than to the one with smaller spikelets later dis- 

 tinguished as P. linearifolium, although in Muhlenberg's herbarium specimens of both 

 species are included in the same cover. Furthermore, some specimens with large 

 spikelets have pilose and others glabrous sheaths. Of these, a specimen with pilose 

 sheaths and spikelets 3.5 mm. long has been chosen as the type and has been so indi- 

 cated by attaching a note to the specimen. 



Panicum rectum Roem. & Schult. Syst. Veg. 2: 457. 1817. Based on P. strictum 

 Pursh, the original description of which is copied. 



Panicum involutum Torr. Fl. North. & Mid. U. S. 144. 1823. "Near Deerfield, 

 Massachusetts. Cooley." The type, in the Torrey Herbarium, is a small clump with 

 culms 20 to 30 cm. high, sparsely pilose sheaths, involute blades with a few hairs on 

 under surface, overmature primary panicles 4 to 5 cm. long, and spikelets 3.8 mm. long, 

 the second glume and sterile lemma with a few hairs; • secondary panicles with nearly 

 mature spikelets are present at base. The sheet bears two labels, one, "From Dr. 

 Cooley, Mass.," the other in Torrey 's handwriting bears the name "Panicum involu- 

 tum,*" [Torrey used an asterisk to indicate his own species] followed by a diagnosis. 



Panicum muhlenbergii Spreng. Syst. Veg. 1: 314. 1825. Sprengel states nothing 

 as to the source of his specimen other than "Amer. bor. (P. acuminatum Muhl.)." 

 Since this name immediately follows P. acuminatum Swartz it seems evident that 

 Sprengel meant to name the species which Muhlenberg described a as Panicum 

 acuminatum Swartz. There is no specimen bearing this name in the Muhlenberg 

 Herbarium. In the Sprengel Herbarium the specimen labeled "Panicum Muhlen- 

 bergii," and which must be taken as the type, is P. depauperatum Muhl. This is from 

 "Pine barrens, N. Jers., from Dr. Torrey." 



Panicum junceum Trin. Gram. Pan. 220. 1826. Trinius states that his specimen 

 is from North America and called P. acuminatum by Sprengel. Such a specimen 



a Descr. Gram. 125. 1817. 



