162 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



88. Panicum ciliatum Ell. 



Panicum ciliatum Ell. Bot. S. C. & Ga. 1: 126. 1816. No locality is cited. The 

 type, in the Elliott Herbarium, consists of two short culms with short-exserted, imma- 

 ture panicles. 



Panicum leucoblepharis Trin. Clav. Agrost. 234. 1822. Trinius's full citation is as 

 follows: "1177. Gr. miliaceum americanum, majus, panicula minore. Pluh. 

 Phytogr. p. 176. Tab. 92. /. 7. Mant. p. 95. (excl. Syn. Sloan, ut ipse Sloaneus 

 monet). Citatur a Gronowio (Virg. p. 12.) ad Pan. paniculatum floribus muticis; sed 

 quid illudf Figura bene convenit cum Panico quodam herb, notsr. [nostr.] ex Amer. bor. 

 (Pan. leucoblepharis m.) praeter cilia foliorum elegantissima, rigidiuscula. — Synon. 

 Recchii ap. Pluh. admodum dubium.'" Plukenet cites "Nov. Hispan. Terent. apud 

 Recc. 373" after the phrase name cited by Trinius. The figure, which is not identifi- 

 able, represents blades with cordate bases and no cilise. A specimen in the Trinius 

 Herbarium is labeled: "ab Enslino in Am. bor. 1. dt. cl. Trattinick." This is typ- 

 ical P. ciliatum Ell. Trinius a further describes this species, citing the Enslin speci- 

 men. Since the Plukenet figure can not certainly be identified, the Enslin specimen 

 has been chosen as the type. 



Panicum ciliatifolium Kunth, Rev. Gram. 1: 36. 1829. Based on P. ciliatum Ell. 

 without description or explanation as to reason for change of name. 



Panicum ciliatifolium Desv. Opusc. 88. 1831. "Habitat in America boreali." 

 The type could not be found in the Desvaux Herbarium, but the description leaves 

 no doubt as to the identity of the species. Desvaux cites P. ciliatum Ell. with a query. 

 He uses the name ciliatifolium apparently without reference to its previous use by 

 Kunth for the same species. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Vernal form with culms' 5 to 30 cm. high, erect or spreading, sparsely pilose toward 

 the summit, the nodes glabrous; sheaths ciliate on the margin, otherwise glabrous, 

 usually overlapping; blades 3 to 6 cm. long, 3 to 8 mm. wide, the uppermost often 

 much smaller, lanceolate, ciliate on the margin with stiff hairs 2 to 3 mm. long, arising 

 from papillae, panicles 3 to 4 cm. long, about as wide, with more numerous spikelets 

 than those of P. xalapense, the branches spreading, flexuous, the axis pilose; spikelets 



1.8 to 2 mm. long, 1 mm. wide, obovate-elliptic; first 

 glume half the length of the spikelet, subacute; second 

 glume and sterile lemma equal, not exceeding the 

 fruit, villous; fruit 1.7 to 1.8 mm. long, 0.9 mm. wide, 

 elliptic, the apex minutely umbonate. 



Autumnal form in flat, soft mats, similar to that of 

 P. xalapense. 



A specimen of Nash 807 from Eustis, Fla., in Hitch- 

 cock's herbarium, which is an autumnal form of this 

 species, consists of two small tufts, of which one has 

 glabrous spikelets, the other pubescent spikelets; the plants are otherwise identical; 

 the spikelets are of the same size and the fruits of the glabrous ones are umbonate 

 as in the pubescent ones. So far as examined, other specimens of this number have 

 pubescent spikelets. Two specimens, Chase 3131 from Wilmington, N. C, and Hitch- 

 cock 1062 from Biloxi, Miss., with pubescent spikelets only 1.6 mm. long are inter- 

 mediate between P. ciliatum and P. polycaulon and might perhaps be considered as 

 a form of P. polycaulon with pubescent spikelets. 



a Gram. Pan, 219. 1826. 



