184 



CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Vernal form cespitose; culms erect or somewhat spreading at base, rather stout, 

 usually 30 to 60 cm. high, or sometimes as much as 1 meter high, the nodes bearded 

 with reflexed hairs; skeaths glabrous, or the lower pubescent, ciliate on the margin, 

 more or less mottled or glandular, especially the upper at anthesis; blades firm, 

 glabrous, sometimes sparsely ciliate at the base, 5 to 12 cm. long, 5 to 10 mm. wide, 

 the lower ascending, the upper usually reflexed; panicles ovoid, 5 to 8 cm. long, 



nearly as wide, rather densely flowered, the axis 

 and ascending branches viscid-spotted; spikelets 

 elliptic, 2 mm. long, 1 mm. wide; first glume less 

 than one-third the length of the spikelet, pointed ; 

 second glume and sterile lemma subequal, the 

 slightly shorter glume scarcely covering the fruit at 

 maturity; fruit elliptic 1.7 mm. long, 1 mm. wide, 

 sub obtuse. 



Autumnal form erect or more or less reclining from 

 the weight of the foliage, the branchlets and foliage 

 forming large clusters from the nodes of the vernal 

 culm; reduced blades numerous, 1 to 3 cm. long, 1 to 3 mm. wide, flat or soon becoming 

 involute; panicles mostly reduced to a few long-pediceled spikelets. 



This species has been confused with Panicum microcarpon, from which it is distin- 

 guished by the pubescent spikelets, 2 mm. long, and by the erect autumnal form 

 with involute blades. The viscid spots on the sheaths are often conspicuous. 



Two specimens, Hitchcock 1420 and 1421, while showing all the other characters 

 of this species have glabrous spikelets, but they are fully 2 mm. long. 



Fig. 180. — P. nitidum. 

 specimen 



From type 



DISTRIBUTION. 



Low moist or marshy ground from Virginia to Florida and along the coast to Texas; 

 also in the Bahamas. 



Missouri: Carter County, Eggert 288. 



Virginia: Virginia Beach, Hitchcock 119. 



North Carolina: Scranton, Chase 3200. 



South Carolina : Orangeburg, Hitchcock 4, 15, 1376, 1389, 1392, 1420, 1421, 1422, 1423. 



Georgia: Thomson, Bartlett 1173, 



1456. 

 Florida: Milton, Chase 4307, 4321; 



Madison County, Combs 266; 



Citrus County, Combs 979, 



1008; Lake County, Chase 



4091, Hitchcock 814, Nash 376; 



Sanford, Chase 4132, Hitchcock 



774; Titusville, Chase 3990, 



4005, 4017; Myers, Hitchcock 



898, 908, Lee Co. PI. 478, 479; 



Miami, Hitchcock 718, Tracy FlG> 181# _ Di , 



8850; Homestead, Hitchcock 



687; Captiva Island, Tracy 7199; Sumter County, Curtiss 3600A in part«; 



Duval County, Curtiss 3600 A in part; Sanibel Island, Tracy 7170; Braiden- 



town, Hitchcock 961. 

 Mississippi: Biloxi, Hitchcock 1081, Tracy 2031, 4591, 4609 in part; Macon, 



Tracy 3228. 



a The specimen of this number in the Gray Herbarium consists of P. nitidum and 

 P. equilaterale. 



