188 



CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



107. Panicum clutei Nash. 



Panicum clutei Nash, Bull. Torrey Club 26 : 569. 1899. "Pine-barrens of southern 

 New Jersey. Collected by Mr. W. N. Clute * * * on a trip from Tuckerton to 

 Atsion, July 3-6, 1899." The type, in Nash's herbarium, consists of three stout 

 culms with mature panicles. The lowermost nodes are sparsely bearded, the upper 

 glabrous, the lowermost sheaths sparsely soft-pilose as in the type of P. mattamus- 

 heetense. The blades are puberulent or pilose on the auricles and the dense ligule is 

 0.5 mm. long. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Fig. 187.— P. clutei. From type 

 specimen. 



Vernal form similar in color, size, and habit to P. mattamusheetense, but more nearly 

 glabrous, only the lowermost nodes, sheaths, and blades velvety, the puberulent 

 ring at the summit of the sheath less dense or wanting; panicles similar, on the average 



smaller; spikelets 2.2 to 2.3 mm. long, 1 mm. wide, 

 indistinguishable from the smaller spikelets of P. 

 mattamusheetense; fruit the same size and shape. 



Autumnal form stiffly erect, branching from the 

 lower and middle nodes before the maturity of the 

 primary panicles, the earlier branches nearly equal- 

 ing the primary culms, the later branches shorter, 

 somewhat crowded, the reduced blades spreading. 



This form is but doubtfully distinguished from P. 

 mattamusheetense. The division is here made on the 

 nearly glabrous character of P. clutei, and spikelets 

 not over 2.3 mm. long, but a few of the specimens are about as referable to one species as 

 to the other. One specimen, Chase 3590, has the smaller panicles and more numerous 

 branches of P. clutei, but the two or three lower sheaths and blades are velvety, 

 while Chase 3793 has spikelets but 2.1 mm. long and upper nodes puberulent only, but 

 is densely velvety below. The latter specimen is referred to P. mattamusheetense 

 because its vernal form {Chase 3744 J) 

 is more like the type of P. matta- 

 musheetense than like that of P. clutei. 

 One specimen, Chase 3242, has glabrous 

 spikelets. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



Low moist ground and cranberry 



bogs, Massachusetts to North Carolina. 



Massachusetts: Framingham, 



Smith 732; W T est Falmouth, 



Churchill in 1894 (Hitchcock 



Herb.). 

 New York: Riverhead, Young in 1874 (Field Mus. Herb.). 

 New Jersey: Burlington County, Clute in 1899; Toms River, Bichnell in 1900; 



Manchester, Chichering in 1877; Atsion, Chase 3545, 3553; Forked River, 



Chase 3590; Tuckerton, Chase 3598. 

 Delaware: Ellendale, Commons 345. 

 District of Columbia: Kenilworth Swamp, Steele in 1899. 

 Virginia: Bedford County, Curtiss in 1871 (Gray Herb.). 

 North Carolina: Roanoke Island, Chase 3242. 



Fig. 188.— Distribution of P. clutei. 



