HITCHCOCK AND CHASE NORTH AMERICAN PANICUM. 255 



Panicum microcarpon Muhl. Descr. Gram. 111. 1817, not Muhl.; Ell. 1816. a 

 "Semina e Virg. et Cherokee et Delaware." The type in the Muhlenberg Herbarium 

 consists of the iippe* portion of a culm with two leaves and a short-exserted panicle. 

 The attached label reads: "40, c Jul. 12. e Cherokee." 



Panicum polyanthes Schult. Mant. 2: 257. 1824. Based on P. multiflorum Ell. 

 not Poir. That Poiret's use of the name was earlier is given on the authority of 

 Sprengel.& 



Panicum microcarpon isophyllum Scribn. Tenn. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bull. 7: 51. /. 54. 

 1894. Xo specimen is cited but in the Scribner Herbarium is a sheet to which is 

 attached a note from Dr. Chapman suggesting the name ''isophyllum" and upon 

 which are four small specimens of P. polyanthes one of which is recognized as the plant 

 figured with the original description. The specimens were collected by E. E. Gayle, 

 Alleghany Springs, Blount Co., Tennessee, August. 1890. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Vernal plants light green, in tufts of few to several culms, 30 to 90 cm. high, stout, 

 erect, the nodes glabrous or nearly so; sheaths long, usually overlapping, finely ciliate 

 on the margin, otherwise glabrous; ligules obsolete or wanting; blades rather thin, 

 prominently nerved, ascending, 12 to 23 cm. long, 15 to 25 mm. wide, the upper seldom 

 reduced, long-acuminate, scarcely narrowed toward the cordate base, rough or smooth 

 on the upper surface, smooth below, the cartilaginous, scabrous margin ciliate toward 

 the base; panicles exserted, 8 to 25 cm. long, one-fourth to half as wide, densely 

 flowered, the lower branches narrowly ascending, often distant, the upper fascicled, 

 spikelet-bearing to the base ; spikelets 1.5 to 1.6 mm. 

 long. 1 to 1.1 mm. wide, obo void-spherical at ma- 

 turity, minutely puberulent; first glume one-third 

 to two-fifths the length of the spikelet, obtuse or 

 obscurely pointed; second glume and sterile lemma 

 equaling the fruit at maturity; fruit obovoid- 

 spherical. 



Autumnal form remaining erect and simple or ^.m ; -P. polyanthes From type 

 . . • iii i • i specimen of P. multiflorurn Ell. 



producing from the lower or middle nodes simple 



branches with smaller blades and panicles; winter rosettes like those of P. sphaero- 

 carpon, but the leaves larger. 



This species is distinguished from P. sphaerocarpon by its erect habit, taller, more 

 leafy culms, wider blades and narrow panicles. Specimens not infrequently occur in 

 which, from a twisting of the internodes, the blades are all or mostly on one side. This 

 is especially true of small, late culms. It was to such a specimen the name P. micro- 

 carpon isophyllum was given. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



Damp ground, woods and openings, Xew Jersey to Oklahoma, south to Georgia and 

 Texas. 



• New Jersey: South Amboy, Mackenzie 1380. 



Pennsylvania: Lancaster County, Heller 4772, Porter in 1898. 



Ohio: Lancaster, Kellerman 6767 . 



Indiana: Clarke County, Beam 5392; Batesville, Deam 6815. 



Illinois: Cobden, Earle in 1886; Jackson County, Fre?ich in 1905. 



Missouri: St. Louis, Eggert 250; Pleasant Grove, Bush 232. 



a See discussion under P. microcarpon Muhl.; Ell., page 181. 

 b Xeu. Entd. 2: 190. 1821. 



