HITCHCOCK AND CHASE TROPICAL NORTH AMERICAN PANICUM. 491 



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Fig. 63. — Distribution of P. stenodoides. 



This species resembles P. stenodes, but differs in having larger spikelets and papil- 

 lose-pilose or at least papillose sheaths. The type specimen and Hitchcock's no. 

 8147 are conspicuously pilose on sheaths and blades, but the other specimens of this 

 little-known species are papillose only or have a few hairs on the upper surface of the 

 blades. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



Open grass land and moist savannas, 

 Central America and northern South 

 America. 



British Honduras: Ycacos La- 

 goon, Pech 681 (Gray Herb.). 

 Costa Rica: Buenos Aires, Totoc^mz 



3583. 

 Panama: Chorrera, Hitchcock 8147 . 

 Near Corozal, Hitchcock 9207. 

 Trinidad: Piarco Savanna, south of Arouca, Hitchcock 10346. 



46. Panicum caricoides Nees. 



Panicum caricoides 'Nees; Trin. Gram. Pan. 149.1826. Trini us received the type 

 specimen from Nees, "V. spp. Brazil. (N. ab Esenb.)" Nees ^ afterwards describes 

 the species more fully and gives the original locality as "provincia Paraensi." The 

 type specimen is in the Trinius Herbarium at the St. Petersburg Academy of 

 Science. It is evidently a portion of the specimen at the Munich Herbarium. This 

 specimen, which is the basis of Nees's later description, was collected in Para by 

 Martins. 



■ Panicum junciforme Steud. Syn. PI. Glum. 1: 82. 1854. Given as a synonym of 

 P. caricoides. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Perennial, in tufts; culms erect, slender, glabrous, stiff 

 and wiry, as mxich as 90 cm. high; sheaths smooth; ligule 

 membranaceous, lacerate, minute; blades appressed, nar- 

 rower than the sheath, involute, glabrous, 1 to 5 cm. long, 

 the lower rarely longer; panicles terminal and axillary from 

 the upper sheaths, short-exserted, 1 to 1.5 cm. long, narrow, 

 nearly simple, the later panicles smaller, in fascicles of 2 or 



3, at first partially inclosed by the somewhat inflated sheaths, the pedicles bearing 



long erect white hairs just below the rather crowded spikelets; spikelets 1.6 to 1.8 



mm. long; about 0.8 mm. wide, turgid, glabrous; first glume about half as long as 



the spikelet, subacute; second glume 



and sterile lemma equal, covering the 



fruit, strongly nerved; fruit 1.4 to 1.5 



mm. long, 0.6 mm. wide. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



Wet savannavS, Trinidad to Brazil. 



/ Trinidad: Aripo Savanna, 

 / Cumuto Station, Hitchcock 



10069. 



Fig. 64. — P. caricoides. 

 From type specimen. 



ITiG. 65. — Distribution of P. caricoides. 



V 



'Agrost. Bras. 108. 1829 





