HITCHCOCK AND CHASE — NORTH AMERICAN PANICUM. 241 



Spikelets 1.3 to 1.4 mm. long; culms very slender; 

 autumnal form with branches mostly aggre- 

 gated^toward the summit 147a. 



142. Panicum malacon Nash. 



Columbian um 

 thinium. 



Fig. 257.— P. malacon. From type specimen. 



Panicum malacon Nash, Bull. Torrey Club 24:197. 1897. ''Collected by the 

 writer in the 'high pine land' at Eustis, Lake County, Florida, May 1-15, 1894, no. 

 628." The type, in Nash's herbarium, is the early branching form, the numerous 

 branches appressed, the blades densely puberulent on both surfaces. 



Panicum strictifolium Nash, Bull. Torrey Club 26:579. 1899. "Collected by 

 the writer in the high pine land at Eustis, Lake Co., Florida, May 3, 1894, no. 603. 

 Most nearly related to P. malacon, but distinguished by the less copious pubescence 

 which is much finer and softer, and by the glabrous upper surface of the blades." 

 The type, in Nash's herbarium, is the early branching form, the primary panicles 

 destitute of spikelets and the secondary panicles immature. This is less densely 

 pubescent than is Nash 628, but the pubescence is not softer. The type of P. malacon 



is more copiously pubescent than are most 

 specimens of this species. The spikelets 

 of the two types are identical except that 

 those of Nash 603 are immature, while those 

 of no. 628 are mature. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Vernal form erect or stiffly spreading, pur- 

 plish olive green; culms 30 to 50 cm. high, 

 pubescent with ascending hairs, the nodes 

 short-pubescent; sheaths pubescent like 

 the culms, sometimes sparsely so; blades 

 stiffly ascending or somewhat spreading, 4 

 to 12 cm. long, 3 to 5 mm. wide, rarely 

 wider, sharply acuminate, scarcelynarrowed 

 toward the base, puberulent beneath, puberulent or glabrous above, often villous at 

 or near the margin or base with long hairs; panicles 4 to 7 cm. long, three-fourths to 

 nearly as wide, few-flowered, branches few, stiffly ascending, the spikelets on long, 

 stiff pedicels; spikelets 3 to 3.2 mm. long, 1.4 to 1.5 mm. wide, obovate (oblong before 

 maturity), pubescent; first glume distant, half as long as the spikelet or more, sub- 

 acute, 5 to 7-nerved; second glume scarcely equaling the fruit and sterile lemma; 

 fruit short-stipitate, 2.5 mm. long, 1.4 mm. wide, elliptic, acute. 



Autumnal form more, or less decumbent-spreading, branching from the lower and 

 middle nodes, the branches appressed 

 and later rather sparingly producing 

 appressed fascicled branchlets, the re- 

 duced blades stiff, erect, and involute- 

 pointed. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



Dry pine woods, the so-called "high 

 pine land," Florida. 



Florida: East Pass, Tracy 9140; 

 Lake City, Combs 167; Old 

 Town, Combs 855; Grasmere, 

 Combs 1036, 1161; Gainesville, 

 Chase 4251 ; Eustis, Chase 4072, 

 4077, Hitchcock 801, 813, Nash 36, 63, 132, 603, 628; Clearwater, Tracy 6700; 

 Dunedin, Tracy 6725; Lakeland, Hitchcock 845. 

 41616°— vol 15—10 16 



Fig. 258.— Distribution of P. malacon. 



