HITCHCOCK AND CHASE — NORTH AMERICAN PANICUM. 



269 



The species described as P. ramulosum Michx. by Chapman « is P. chamaelonche as 

 shown by the description, by a specimen in the Chapman Herbarium at the New York 

 Botanical Garden labeled "Panicum ramulosum Michx. (nitidum S. Fl.!)& Southern 

 Florida," and by the fact thatChapmanc cites "P. ramulosum Flora" [Southern U. S.] 

 as a synonym under P. baldwinii Nutt. 



Scribner £^ describes and illustrates this species as P. baldwinii "Nutt. in herb." and 

 gives as synonym, "P. dichotomum var. nitidum Chapman, Southern Flora, first 

 edition." Chapman does not make the combination as stated by Scribner, but refers 

 P. nitiduin Ell. to P. dichotomum as a form. Chapman's plant as stated above is P. 

 chamaelonche, but P. nitidum of Elliott's herbarium is P. longiligulatum Nash. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Vernal form densely tufted; culms 10 to 20 or even 30 cm. high, ascending, glabrous, 

 the nodes glabrous; sheaths, except the basal ones, half as long as the internodes or 

 less, at least the upper rather loose, glabrous or occasionally with a few cilice on the 

 margin; ligules 0.2 mm. long; blades firm, ascending or spreading, 1.5 to 4 cm., rarely 

 5 cm. long, 2 to 3 mm. wide, more"or less involute-pointed, glabrous on both surfaces, 

 often with a few long, stiff hairs on the margin near the base; panicles finally long- 

 exserted, 2.5 to 5 cm. long, nearly as wide, the flexuous branchlets and pedicels spread- 

 ing at nearly right angles; spikelets 1.1 to 1.2 mm. long, 0.6 mm. wide, obovate, obtuse, 

 turgid, glabrous; first glume one-fourth to one-third as long 

 as the spikelet, obtuse; second glume slightly shorter than 

 the fruit and sterile lemma; fruit 0.9 to 1 mm. long, 0.6 

 mm. wide, elliptic, subobtuse. 



Autumnal form freely branching from the base and lower 

 nodes, the early branches often as long as the primary culms, 

 repeatedly branching, forming dense cushions, as much as 50 

 cm. across, the longer culms upturned at the ends; ultimate 

 branchlets more or less fascicled, the scarcely reduced blades 

 drying involute, overtopping the small panicles; winter rosettes usually persisting 

 green during the vernal state, the rather firm blades 2 to 5 cm. long. 



The plants are usually purple throughout in both vernal and autumnal state. 

 Occasional specimens, such as Hitchcock 873, are yellow green, and look strikingly 

 different in the field. Hitchcock's no. 

 1436, Chase 4570, and Tracy 6732 have 

 unusually large blades, as much as 6 

 cm. long and 5 mm. wide. The speci- 

 mens of Hitchcock 952 are 30 to 40 cm. 

 high, with large panicles and rather 

 long lower blades and appear to be 

 intermediate between this and P. 

 glabrifoliuin. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



^ , ., .,.,,, Fig. 298. — Distribution oi P. chamaelonche. 



Open sandy soil, mostly m the low 



pine land or "flatwoods," North Carolina to Florida and Mississippi. 



North Carolina: Vicinity of Wilmington, Chase 3125, 4570, Hitchcock 338, 339, 



1427, 1435, 1436, 1483, 1488; Wards Mill, Chase 3182. 



Georgia: Savannah, Kearney 177. 



« Fl. South. U. S. ed. 2. 667. 1889. 



b This is included as a form under P. dichotomum L. in Chapm. Fl. South. U. S. 

 576. 1860. 



c PI. South. U. S. ed. 3. 586. 1897. 



d U. S. Dept. Agr. Div. Agrost. Bull. 11 : 43./. 3. 1898, 



Fig. 297.— p. chamaelonche. 

 From type specimen. 



6^ 



