GRAMINEAE (GRASS FAMILY) 103 



§ 1. PASPALOIDEA Nash. Spikelets acute, glabrous, subsessile in one-sided 

 racemes, these racemose on an elongated axis. 



1. P. hemltomum Sohultes. Culms thick, 9-12 dm. long, rooting and 

 branching at the lower nodes ; sheaths loose, glabrous or hairy on the 

 margins ; blades 1-2 dm. long, about 1 cm. wide ; panicle 1-2 dm. long, very 

 narrow, the remote racemes appressed, spikelet-bearing to the base ; spikelets 

 2.8 mm. long, lanceolate ; fruit less indurated and rigid than in true Panicum ; 

 palea not inclosed at the apex. (P. Curtisii Chapm.; P. digitarioides Car- 

 penter.) — Ponds, Del, to Tla. and Tex. 



§ 2. EUPANICUM Gren. & Godr. Spikelets disposed in more or less spread- 

 ing panicles ; palea included at the summit. 



* Veeruc6sa. — Spikelets tuberculate ; branching annuals, rooting at the lower 



nodes. 



2. P. verrucbsum Muhl. Glabrous ; culms slender, spreading or ascending, 

 3-6 dm. high ; leaves 1-1.5 dm. long, 4-6 mm. wide, shining; panicle diffuse, 

 few-flowered, 0.7-2.5 dm. long (reduced panicles often pro- 

 duced from the base), branches capillary, spreading, spikelet- a^ 

 bearing toward the ends ; spikelets 1.5 mm. long, subacute ; iRiS 

 first glume about one fourth as long as the faintly nerved ^m 

 warty second glume and sterile lemma ; fruit apiculate. — t 

 Moist sandy soil, Mass. to Fla. ; also in Ind. at the s. end sg. p. verrnoosum. 

 of L. Michigan. Fig. 58. Spikelet x 9. 



* * CapillXria. — Branching annuals, hispid as a whole ; panicles diffuse ; spike- 



lets glabrous, strongly nerved ; first glume about one half the length of the 

 second, broad, clasping the base of the spikelet, acute ; second glume and 

 sterile lemma slightly or greatly exceeding the elliptical smooth and shining 

 fruit. 



3. P. capill^lre L. (Old-witch Grass.) Culms stout, sparingly branched, 

 ascending ; sheaths and usually the leaves (5-16 mm. wide) copiously papillose- 

 hispid ; panicle very large and diffuse, often half the length of 

 the entire plant, included at base until maturity ; spikelets 

 2-2.5 mm. long; second glume and sterile lemma acuminate, 

 exceeding the fruit. — Sandy soil, and as a weed in fields, N. S. 

 to B. C, and southw. Aug. -Oct. — At maturity lower panicle- 



„„ „ .„ branches diverge and the panicles break away and act like tumble 



SDikelets x 4 ^^eds. FiG. 59. 



■ 4. P. Gattingdri Nash. Culms widely spreading or decum- 

 bent, sometimes as much as 1 m. long, branching at all tjie nodes, the branches 

 again branching ; the numerous exserted panicles oval, smaller and less diffuse 

 than in the preceding ; spikelets more turgid; leaves less hirsute. (P. capillare, 

 var. camj>estre Gattinger.) — Moist open ground, Me. to N. C, 111., and Mo. — 

 Depauperate plants forming very small prostrate mats occur in N. E. and N. Y. 



5. P. flixile (Gattinger) Scribn. Slender, erect, 3-6 dm. high, with a few 

 erect branches at base ; leaves 1-2,5 dm. long, 2-6 mm. wide, rarely wider, some- 

 times nearly glabrous, erect ; panicles usually one half the length of the entire 

 plant, narrowly oblong with ascending branches; spikelets 3-3.6 mm. long, 

 solitary at the ends of the branchlets ; the long acuminate second glume and sterile 

 lemma one third longer than the fruit. — Moist sandy soil, Pa. and Mich., southw. 



6. P. philadSIphicum Bernh. Slender, erect or ascending, usually decum- 

 bent at base, freely branching, zigzag, 1.5-4 dm. high ; leaves less than 1 dm. 

 long, 2-6 mm. wide ; panicle about one third the entire height of the plant, 

 rather few-flowered, spikelets in 2's or sometimes solitary, at the ends of the 

 divergent flexuous branchlets, 1.7-1.8 mm. long; second glume and sterile 

 lemma acute, barely exceeding the fruit. (P. minus Nash, according to descrip-- 

 tion; P. minimum Scribn.'^ A[crr.) — Dry woods, clearings, and sandy shores, 



