254 



CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



mm. wide, the margins nearly parallel for two-thirds their length, with fewer ciliae at 

 the base; panicles more loosely flowered; spikelets slightly smaller, 1.4 to 1.5 mm. 

 long, 1 mm. wide. 



Autumnal form decumbent, rather freely branching from the middle nodes before 

 the matmity of the primary panicles, these early branches long and again branching 

 more freely than in the species, the ultimate blades and panicles not greatly reduced. 

 This subspecies is distinguished by the ligules, slightly smaller spikelets, and nar- 

 rower, parallel-margined blades, taken in combina- 

 tion, and in autumnal specimens by the more freely 

 branching habit. The specimens cited below all 

 show this combination of characters, but about half 

 as many specimens occur which are intermediate 

 between this and the species. These bear a gen- 

 eral resemblance to the subspecies, having spikelets 

 about 1.5 mm. long, and narrower, but not always 

 parallel-margined blades, but with no ligule or the merest trace of one. Because of 

 the large proportion of these intermediate specimens P. inflatum Scribn. & Smith 

 is here reduced to a subspecies of P. sphaerocarpon. 



Fig. 275.— p. sphaeroearpon inflatum. 

 From type specimen. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



Moist sandy ground, Maryland to Florida, and west along the Gulf to Texas, thence 

 north to Missouri. 



Missouri: Monteer, Bush 747 in part, 753. 



Maryland: Owings, Hitchcock 1618; Chesapeake Junction, Hitchcock 24:12 . 



North Carolina: Wilmington, 



Chase 3134, 3158. 

 South Carolina: Orangeburg, 



Hitchcock 26. 

 Georgia: Savannah, Kearney 188, 



194; Americus, Tracy 3642; 



Thomasville, Tracy 3656. 

 Florida: Lake City, Combs 182; 



Quincy, Combs 403, 406; St. 



Vincent, Tracy 6458. 

 Alabama: Selma, Kearney 7 ; Fort 



Morgan, Tracy 8400. 

 Mississippi: Biloxi, Tracy 4593, 



4622; Centerville, Tracy 3619; Horn Island, Tracy 2862, 6471. 

 Louisiana: Calhoun, Hitchcock 1285; Alexandria, Ball 441, 536; Calcasieu, 



Cocl-s 3007; Lake Chaiies, C^ase 4429. 

 Texas: Without locality, Nealley in 1890. 

 Oklahoma: Poteau, Hitchcock in 1903 (Hitchcock Herb.). 



:A 



Fig. 276. — Distribution of P, sphaeroearpon inflatum. 



V 150. Panicum polyanthes Schult. 



Panimm multiflorum Ell. Bot. S. C. & Ga. 1 : 122. 1816, not Poir. 1816. Elliott 

 gives no exact locality, but his specimen was presumably from the viciaity of Charles- 

 ton as he merely states, ' ' Grows in shaded, dry soils . ' ' The type, in the Elliott Herba- 

 rium, consists of a single culm, lacking base, bearing three leaves and an immature 

 panicle, slightly included at base. The accompanying label reads: "Panicum multi- 

 florum mihi. Hab. in umbrosis. Flor. May-Jun." 



