530 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 
DISTRIBUTION. 
Lakes, ponds, and swamps, growing 
in the water, Panama to Pard4. 
Panama: Gatun, Hitchcock 9178. 
Along the Sambu River, Pit- 
tier 5546. 
TriymapD: Mazanilla, Hitchcock 
10376. Cedros, Hitchcock 
10148. St. Joseph, Hitchcock 
Fic. 144.—Distribution of P. grande. 10022. 
VENEZUELA: Bobures, Jahn 353. 
114. Panicum tuerckheimii Hack. 
Panicum tuerckheimu Hack. Oesterr. Bot. Zeitschr. 12: 60. 1906. Guatemala, 
Cubilgititz [Cubilquitz] im Hochwald, 350 ms m. leg H. v. Tiirckheim (1903 sub nr. IT. 
820).”’ 
DESCRIPTION. 
Plants perennial from a firm knotty base with strong roots; culms erect or ascend- 
ing, simple, 30 to 50 cm. high, compressed, glabrous, the nodes appressed-hirsute, few 
to several long erect leaves borne at the base; sheaths compressed-keeled, more or less 
hispidulous at the junction with the blade, otherwise glabrous, those of the basal leaves 
loose, overlapping, those of the culm about as long as the in- 
ternodes; ligule membranaceous-ciliate, scarcely 0.5 mm. 
long; blades thin, flat, 10 to 25 cm. long, 2 to 2.5 cm. wide, 
gradually tapering from about the middle to an acuminate 
apex, the uppermost rather abruptly narrowed to a some- 
what rounded ciliate base, the lower and especially the 
basal blades gradually tapering into a narrow, more or less 
folded, petiole-like base, ciliate on the margins, puberu 
lent on the upper surface at the very base; panicle short 
exserted, 15 to 20 cm. long, less than one-fourth as wide, 
the slender angled axis and branches glabrous, the branches 
remote, rather stiffly ascending, with short ascending re- 
mote branchlets, these spikelet-bearing from the base, 
more or less pilose in the axils, the lower branches about 10 cm. long; spikelets 
rather short-pediceled, russet brown, 2.5 to3 mm. long, about 0.9 mm. wide, acum- 
inate, very sparsely appressed-pilose; first glume minute, hyaline; second glume and 
sterile lemma rather faintly nerved, subequal, or the acuminate tip of the glume 
exceeding the lemma; the sterile palea wanting; fruit 2.4 mm. long, 0.8 mm. wide, 
the lemma and palea not greatly in- 
durated, the lemma minutely pubes- 
cent at the pointed apex, the palea at 
the very tip not inclosed. 
In the original description Professor 
Hackel states that the first glume is 
altogether wanting. This appeared to 
be the case and, failing to note the 
obscure organ, we excluded this species 
from the genus Panicum in the Re- 
vision.! The first glume is present, 
but is so thin in texture and so closely appressed’ that the nerves and the base of 
the sterile lemma are obscurely visible through it. , 
This species, known only from the type collection, has no close allies. 
1Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 15: 16. 1910. 
Fig. 145.—P. tuerckheimii. 
From type specimen. 
Fig. 146.—Distribution of P. twerckheimit. 
