HITCHCOCK AND CHASE NORTH AMERICAN PANICUM. 



315 



in Torrey's writing: " 'Panicum macrocarpon Elliott' LeConte." Torrey's note on 

 this specimen would seem to have been written before the publication of the species 

 as above, as he seems to think LeConte credits the name to Elliott. No data are given 

 on the label or sheet. No other specimen could be found in the herbarium that could 

 be connected with LeConte's name. If LeConte had a herbarium and if it be in exist- 

 ence, its whereabouts is unknown. The above specimen, which is taken as the type 

 of P. macrocarpon, is a single plant with simple culm and immature unexpanded 

 panicle. 



Panicum schnecki Ashe, N. C. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bull. 175 : 116. 1900. "River bot- 

 toms, southern Indiana and Illinois, June." The type, in Ashe's herbarium, consists 

 of two culms, one sterile and one with an immature, scarcely-exserted panicle. On 

 the accompanying label with the printed heading "Herbarium of W. W. Ashe" is 

 written in Ashe's hand "Panicum Schnecki W. W. Ashe," but no data whatever are 

 given. 



This is the species described by Torreya as P. nervosum Muhl. Panicum macro- 

 carpon LeConte, though published in his Catalogue seems to have been unknown to 

 Torre y.& 



DESCRIPTION. 



Vernal plants in clumps of few to several culms from a knotted crown; culms rather 

 stout, 45 cm. to 1 meter high, erect, glabrous, or the lower internodes sometimes 

 sparsely pubescent, the nodes glabrous, rarely with a few hairs; sheaths shorter than 

 the internodes, ciliate on the margin, a pubescent ring at the juncture with the blade, 

 otherwise glabrous, or the lower sparsely downy; ligules nearly obsolete; blades rather 



thin, ascending or spreading 8 to 18 

 cm. long, 1.5 to 4 cm. wide, the lower 

 smaller, acuminate, cordate-clasping at 

 the base, glabrous, rarely sparsely 

 pubescent on one or both surfaces, short- 

 cilia te at least toward the base; panicles 

 usually short-exserted or sometimes 

 finally long-exserted, 7 to 15 cm. long, 

 about two-thirds as wide, the long, few- 

 flowered, nearly simple branches stiffly 

 ascending; spikelets rather ehort-pedi- 

 celed, commonly more or less clustered 

 in twos or threes, 3.4 to 3.7 mm. long, 

 1.8 to 2 mm. wide, oval-obovate, turgid, 

 sparsely pubescent; first glume one- 

 third to half the length of the spikelet, pointed; second glume and sterile lemma 

 scarcely covering the fruit at maturity; fruit 3 mm. long, 1.6 to 1.8 mm. wide, elliptic, 

 minutely pubescent on the obscurely apiculate apex. 



Autumnal form more or less spreading, branching from the middle nodes, the upper 

 leaves of the branches crowded and spreading, not much reduced, the small panicles 

 partly included. 



In this species the culms, nodes, and leaves are typically glabrous, but occasional 

 specimens show more or less pubescence. The following represent this variation: 

 Darner 89, Shear in 1899, Ward in 1880, Wetherhy 53. 



a Fl. North. & Mid. U. S. 143. 1823. 



^ See P. macrocarpon Torr. under P. scribnerianum, page 283. 



Fig. 355. — P. latifolium. From type specimen of 

 P. macrocarpon LeConte. 



