GRAMINEAE 87 



3. P. bistichum L. 



Stems creeping and rooting, branched, usually, rather stout and somewhat 

 compressed, the flowering branches erect, 15 to 50 cm high. Leaves flat 

 or involute, 4 to 15 cm long, 5 mm wide or less. Spikes 2, terminal, rather 

 stout, 4 to 6 cm long, ascending. Spikelets 2-seriate, about 2.5 mm long. 



In low wet grass lands near the sea and tidal streams, fl. Aug.-Nov.; 

 widely distributed in the Philippines near the seashore. All warm countries. 



4. P. CONJUGATUM Berg. 



A gregarious, nearly glabrous grass, the stems spreading and branching 

 below, the flowering branches 20 to 70 cm high. Leaves narrowly lanceo- 

 late, flat, thin, 8 to 20 cm long, 5 to 15 mm wide. Spikes, 2, terminal, 

 slender, 6 to 12 cm long, the peduncles slender. Spikelets imbricate, 1.2 

 to 1,4 mm long, pale-green, plano-convex, the empty glumes with long, soft, 

 white marginal hairs. 



In v.'aste places, especially in the shade, very common, flowering all the 

 year ; throughout the Philippines, introduced. A native of tropical America, 

 now found in most tropical countries. 



In addition to the above species, Paspalum dilatatum Poir., an American 

 species, has been cultivated by the, Bureau of Agriculture in Singalon. 



21. DIGITARIA Scopoli 



Annual, mostly ascending or erect, slender grasses, the inflorescence com- 

 posed of spike-like racemes which are in whorls or somewhat scattered or 

 crowded at the apices of the stems. Leaves flat. Spikelets narrow, in 

 pairs or in threes on one side of the flattened rachis, one spikelet of each 

 pair generally longer-pedicelled than the other. Glumes 3 or 4, the 2 or 

 3 outer ones thin, the flrst sometimes wanting, the fourth or flowering 

 glume glabrous and shining, at length hardened, enclosing a palea, of similar 

 texture, and a perfect flower. (Latin "finger" in allusion to the digitate 

 inflorescence.) 



A genus of considerable size in all tropiical and temperate regions, 

 reduced by some botanist to Panicum and others to Paspalum, about 7 

 species in the Philippines. 



1. Spikelets about 3 mm long. 

 2. Marginal nerves of the second glume densely vill«us-ciliate with spread- 

 ing hairs !• D. ciliaris 



2. Glumes not ciliate. 



3. Spikes digitate or in pairs at the apex oi the stem.... 2. D. sanguinalis 

 3. Spikes somewhat scattered along the rachis; sheaths hirsute. 



3. D. consan^uinea 

 1. Spikelets about 1.5 mm long. 

 2. Spikes digitate or approximate at the apex of the stem. 



3. Spikes usually 2 or 3, less than 5 cm long; stems short, erect from 



a prostrate creeping base 4. D. longiflora 



3. Spikes more numerous, 10 or less, frequently 10, cm long; stems 



elongated, erect, base scarcely prostrate 5. D. violascens 



2. Spikes alternate, scattered on the somewhat elongated rachis. 



6. D. pedicellaris 

 1. D. CILIARIS (Retz.) Pers. Halos (Tag.). 



A rather slender, erect or suberect, branched grass 1 m high or less, 

 the ba.^al parts of the stem more or less decumbent. Leaves narrowly 



