548 GRAMINE^. 



volute ; panicle narrow : brandies few, distant, suberect, inferior compound, racemiform : 

 spikelets minute, glabrous, irrea;ularly one-sided, erect ; lowest glume one-third to half as 

 long as the spiJcelet, 3-nerved, 2 superior 5-7-nerved, equalling the fertile flower, or the 

 second a little shorter ; fertile fiower ellipsoidal, pointed, smooth, half-terete. — P. hians, 

 PI. Spruce (non Ml.). — I'-IV high; panicle l"-2", spikelets i'" long, the latter greenish, 

 pointed. — Hab. Jamaica !, Pd., in savannahs, Manchester ; Trinidad !, Pd., in sandy swamps ; 

 [Cuba!; Brazil!]. 



100. P. diffusum, Sw. Annual, erect: nodesvillous; leaves linear-acuminate, glabrous; 

 panicle laar, spreading : branches scattered, inferior sparingly compound, racemiform : pe- 

 dicels often longer than the spilcelet : spikelets glabrous, irregularly one-sided, erect ; lowest 

 glume half as long as the spikelet, %-nerved, second 9-13-nerved, a little shorter than the 

 7— 9-nerved third one, both exceeding the ellipsoidal, pointed, half-terete, smooth fertile 



flower. — Trin. Ic . t. 263. — P.hirsutum, T.l {nonSw.). — 1'-2' high, anomalous in'§- 1 by 

 its often filiform pedicels, which in smaller specimens however are short ; leaves rigid : 

 sheath glabrous or pilose ; panicle 3"-6", spikelets 1'" long, the latter pale-green. — Hab. 

 Antigua!, Wullschl.; [Cuba!, S. Croix!]. 



101. P. laxum, Sw. ! Stem compressed, ascending from a creeping base; nodes gla- 

 brous ; leaves linear-acuminate, glabrous ; panicle spreading : inferior branches com- 

 pound, racemiform : spikelets minute, glabrous, irregularly one-sided, erect ; lowest glume 

 one-third to half as long as the spikelet, 1-S-nemed, 2 superior equalling the fertile flower, 

 second 5-, third 3-nerved ; fertile fower elliptical-oblong, pointed, smooth, half-terete. — 

 Kth. Rev. t. 110. Trin. Ic. t. 215. — P. tenuiculmum, Meg. P. diandrum, XM. : stamens 

 3-3. P. ramuliflorum, Bochst.! — 2'-3' high; panicle greenish or tinged with purple, 

 4"-15" long ; spikelets V" long, acute, or with a bluntish point. — ^Hab. Jamaica !, Sw., 

 March, on wet pastures ; Antigua I, Wullschl., Dominica !, Imr. ; [Cuba 1 to Brazil !]. 



102. P. potamium, Trin. Stem angular below, ascending from a creeping base : nodes 

 villous ; leaves linear-acuminate, rounded at the base, glabrous ; panicle spreading, deltoid : 

 •branches compound, with spreading, racemiform branchlets .- axis bearing a few bristles : 

 spikelets glabrous, strictly one-sided, spreading or superior dejlexed; lowest glume one-half 

 to one-third as long as the spikelet, 3-nerved, 2 superior little exceeding the fertile flower, 

 second 3-5-, third 3-nerved ; fertile flower elliptical-lanceolate, pointed, smooth, half- 

 terete. — P. hydrophilum, TV. (non Schult.) P. polygonalum, Sieb. Trin. inon Schrad.). 

 P. tenuiculmum, Ns. in PI. Seem. ! {non Meg.). — 1'-2' high ; panicle pale-green, 3"-4" 

 diam. : inferior secondary branches 1", spikelets i'" long,^ — Hab. Trinidad !, Sieb., Sch. ; 

 [Mexico! to Brazil!]. 



103. P. distichum, Lam. Stoloniferous, erect or ascending, glabrous or pilose at the 

 nodes and sheaths ; leaves lanceolate- or linear-acnminate, rounded at the base ; panicle 



f^reading, tapering at the summit : branches simple, numerous, uppermost shorter, approxi- 

 mate ; spikelets ovate, glabrous, deflexed; lowest glume half as long as the spikelets, 3-5- 

 nerved, 2 superior equal, 5-nerved, as long as the onate, pointed, smooth, half-terete fertile 

 flower. — Trin. Ic. t. 213. — 1'-5' high; panicle 4"-12", its inferior subdistant branches 

 l"-li", green spikelets 4'" long. 



a. Nodes glabrous ; leaves 8"'-4"' broad ; spikelets exceeded by the scattered hairs of the 

 axis. 



/3. pilosum, Sw. Nodes pilose-bearded ; leaves 4"'-5"' broad ; panicle shorter : branches 

 more distant : axis pilose with scattered hairs. 



y. lancifolium. Stout; nodes densely viHons; leaves 8"'-10"' broad; panicle long: 

 axis of its branches glabrous. ' 



Hab. Jamaica !, Al., Wils., common in pastures (y3) ; Dominica !, Imr. (o), S. Vincent !, 

 Ouild. ; Trinidad I, Sch., Cr. (a, 7) ; [Mexico to Brazil ! ; Pacific islands]. 



1 04. P. frondescens, Meg. Ascending from a creeping base, glabrescent ; leaves 

 striate, obliquely oblong-lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, acuminate : sheath ciliate j panicle 

 spreading, tapering above : brandies simple, much longer than their internodes, superior 

 gradually shorter, densely approximate : spikelets ovate-lanceolate, glabrous, deflessed-spread- 

 ing ; lowest glume one-third to one-fonrth as long as the spikelet, 3-nerved, second ex- 

 ceeded by the third, 5-7-nerved, third twice as long as the oblong-lanceolate, pointed, 

 smooth, half-terete fertile flower. — Kth. lilv. i. 108. — P. stoloniferum, var. majus, Tr. — 



