HITCHCOCK AND CHASE — NOKTH AMERICAN PANICUM. 



275 



DESCRIPTION. 



Vernal form densely cespitose, grayish olive green; culms geniculate-decumbent, 

 ascending at the ends, as much as 50 cm. long, the internodes and sheaths densely vel- 

 vety puberulent, the latter usually ciliate on the margin, at least toward the summit; 

 blades rather lax, spreading, 4 to 8 cm. long, 4 to 8 mm. wide, tapering toward both 

 ends, velvety-puberulent beneath, softly pubescent on the upper surface, sometimes 



obscurely so, ciliate at least half their length; 

 panicles as in P. lancearium, the spikelets more 

 globular-pyriform than in that species, 1.3 mm. 

 wide and nearly as thick, second glume and sterile 

 lemma densely papillose-pubescent; fruit 1.8 

 mm. long, 1.1 to 1.2 mm. wide; otherwise as in 

 P. lancearium. 



Autumnal form more freely branching than in 

 P. lancearium, often forming large mats, the de- 

 cumbent culms producing ascending branches 

 from all the nodes at about the maturity of the primary panicles, these repeatedly 

 branching, the ultimate branchlets crowded, but about evenly so throughout, not in 

 fascicles at the summit only, the spreading blades much reduced; winter rosettes 

 appearing early, the blades often 7 or 8 cm. long, glabrous or nearly so on the upper 

 surface. 



This species is usually readily distinguished from P. lancearium by the decumbent 

 habit and lax blades pubescent on both surfaces, but the blades are sometimes only 

 obscurely pubescent above. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



Fig. 307.— P. patulum. 

 specimen. 



From type 



Low moist woods of the Coastal Plain, southeastern Virginia to Florida and 

 Louisiana. 



Virginia: Cape Henry, Chase 5434; Dismal Swamp, Chase 3674. 

 North Carolina: Wilmington, Chase 3110, 4577. 

 South Carolina: Isle of Palms, Chase 4538, Hitchcock 413. 

 Georgia: Thomasville, Small in 



1895 (BiltmoreHerb.). 

 Florida: Jacksonville, Combs 3, 



Kearney 140; Lake City, Chase 



4282, Combs 132 in part; Mil- 

 ton, Chase 4312; Old Town, 



Combs 858, 859; Gainesville, 



Chase 4209; Grasmere, Combs 



1169; Titusville, Chase 4026, 



Hitchcock 765; Eustis, Chase 



4050, 4062, 4086; NashbO, 151, 



1117; Clearwater, Tracy 6701; 



Tampa, Hitchcock 946; Miami, 



Hitchcock 654, Tracy 8853; Levy County, Combs 783, 835; Palma Sola, Tracy 



6729;Sneeds Island, Tracy 6703; Myers, Chase 4183, Hitchcock 922; Seminole, 



Tracy 7198. 

 Alabama: Mobile, Hitchcock in 1904 (Hitchcock Herb.). 

 Mississippi: Biloxi, Chase 4357, 4371, Kearney 331, Tracy 4586, 4587; Horn 



Island, Tracy 3976. 

 Louisiana: New Orleans, Drummond 452. 



Fig. 308— Distribution of P. patulum. 



