TRIANDRIA D1GYXIA 49 



acuminate ; abortive floret neutral, with the upper palea oblong, obtus* 

 or emarginatc. Beck, Bot. p. 396. Speciji 1 Gray, Grain. 1. no. 33. 

 P. rostratum. Muhl. CataL p. 9. Ejusd. Gram. p. 121. Bart. Phil. 

 1. p. 48. Florul. Cestr. p. 16. 

 Two-edged Paxicum. 



Root perennial. Culm 2 to 4 feet high, compressed, glabrous, somewhat genicu- 

 late at base. Leaves linear, lanceolate, keeled, pilose on the upper surface, slight- 

 ly scabrous on the margin : shcatlis about half as long as the internodes, (longer, 

 Ell.) pilose on the margin, and upper part ; ligulc obsolete. Panicles terminal and 

 lateral, oblong, rather slender or contracted; branches erect. Spikelets smooth, 

 acuminate, with the beak often a little curved or oblique, somewhat secund, in 

 interrupted racemes : lower glume ovate, acute, scarcely half as long as the upper. 

 Upper palea of the abortive Jloret oblong, rather obtuse, sometimes a little emargi- 

 nate, (bifid, Torr.) ciliate, with a green nerve on each edge. Perfect Jloret & third 

 shorter than the upper glume, oblong, very smooth and shining. 



Ilab. Fields and meadows : common. Fl. July. Fr. September. 



Obs. This varies considerably in size and pubescence. The spikelets are een- 

 ^rally one third or one half larger than in the preceding species. The specimen, 

 in Dr. Gray's work, does not exactly quadrate with our plant. 



11. P. pnoLiFEitr:*, Lam. Culm assurgent, geniculate, branched at 

 the joints, glabrous ; sheaths smooth and loose; panicles terminal and 

 axillary, diffuse and expanding ; spikelets racemose, smooth ; abortive 

 floret without an upper palea. Beck, Bot. p. 396. Spj-cim. Grav 

 Gram. 1. no. 34. *' 



P. dichotomiflorum, Mx. Am. \.p. 48. 



P. geniculatum. .)////,/. Catal. p. 9. Ejusd. Gram. p. 123 Bart 

 Phil. 1. /;. 47. Ell. Sk. 1. J). 117. ' 



Proliferous Panicum. 



Whole plant smooth. Root annual. Culm 1 to 2 or 3 feet long, stout and 

 somewhat succulent, geniculate, assurgent, branched. Leaves lanceolate, nerved 

 slightly scabrous on the margin ; sheaths loose, and somewhat inflated ; U*«U cili- 

 ate, or beard-form. Panicles rather large, spreading ; branches straight, scabrous 

 the principal ones nodosely articulated at base. Spikelets lanceolate, acute • low' 

 ev glume short, very broad amplexicaul, obtuse, the ud^^ ^ 

 acute, 7-nerved: Abortive Jloret without an upper palea. Perfect Jloret rather 

 striate 1, ^ ***** ^^^ lanCeolate ' acute > smooth and fining, obscurely 



Bab. Wet meadows : margin of Schuylkill : not common. FL Sept. Fr. Octo 



Obs. Found by 1). Townsend, Esq. in 1829. A dwarfish variety, much branch- 

 ed and spreading, with culms not more than a span long, occurs about West Chei 



12. P. Crus galli, /,. Racemes dense, spikeform, alternate and in 

 pairs compound; rachis about 5-angIed, hLutely scabrous jUJLj 

 Jbspid with cartilaginous bristles; lower palea of the abortive floS? 



™t p" 393.* ^ 6Cabr ° l,fi aWn ; Sheaths 0f the Ieaves «noath. BeTk, 



Ichinochloa Crus galli. Beauv. Lindl. Encv. p. 54. 

 fesex 8 foot Panicux. 



