35 



pear to me to answer that of Elliott, who compares his with P. virga- 

 turn. 



49. P. capillare, Linn. — Culms 10 to 20 inches high, mostly branched 

 at the base, rather robust, erect or ascending, sheaths and usually the 

 leaves copiously hairy or hirsute ; panicles, lateral and terminal, half 

 to two-thirds the length of the plant, vaginate below, much branched, 

 the branches divaricate when old; .spikelets ovoid to oblong or lanceo- 

 late, obtusish, acute or even acuminate, three-fourths to nearly 2 lines 

 long, smooth, on long capillary pedicels, lower glume one half to two- 

 thirds as long as the spikelet, obtuse to acuminate, fertile flower ob- 

 tusish, rather shorter than the spikelet. 



All over the continent. 



a. variety campestre, Gattinger. — Culms slender, 1^ to 2 feet high, 

 much branched, leaves and sheaths sparsely hirsute, panicle, rather 

 pyramidal, much shorter than in the type (4 to 6 inches long, more 

 open and thinly flowered, spikelets three-fourths of a line long, smooth, 

 oblong, rather acute, lower glume obtusish. 



Tennessee, Dr. Gattinger. 



b. variety flexile, Gattinger. — Culms slender, 1J to 2£ feet high, 

 branched, below, leaves linear, C to 10 inches long, narrow, erect, 

 smooth or smoothish, sparsely ciliate on the margins aud sheaths, pan- 

 icle longer and narrower than in the preceding, 5 to 9 inches long, 2 to 

 4 inches wide, branches slightly spreading, single or in twos, smooth; 

 spikelets 1J lines long, lanceolate-acuminate, lower glume acute, per- 

 fect flower one-third shorter than the spikelet. 



Tennessee, Br. Gattinger. 



50. P. autumnale, Bosc. (P. divergens, Mulil). — Culms 12 to 18 inches 

 high, erect or decumbent below; leaves comparatively small, 2 or 3 

 incbes long, 2 to 3 lines wide, smooth except on the scabrous or undu- 

 late margins, sheaths smooth or the lower ones, sparsely hairy, ligule 

 membranaceous, obtuse, conspicuous; panicle very effuse, one-third the 

 length of the culm or more, the capillary branches long and sparingly 

 divided, often reflexed at maturity, and somewhat scabrous, the axils 

 sometimes sparsely hairy, the branchlets or pedicels long, naked, and 

 terminated by a single spikelet, which is spindle-shaped or obovate, 1 

 to 1J lines long, acute, the lower glume very minute (one-sixth to one 

 eighth as long as the spikelet), second and third glumes acute, ciliate 

 near the apex, or in southwestern specimens (variety pubiflorum), pu- 

 bescent all over, but little longer than the acute flowering glume. 



Illinois to Texas and the Southern States. 



51. P. Hallii, V. & S.— Culms slender, 1 to 2 feet high, branching; 

 leaves slender, 4 to G inches long; sheaths sparsely pubescent or 

 smooth; panicle open, diffuse, 4 to 5 inches long, sparsely flowered; 

 spikelets ]£ lines long, acute, smooth, lower glumes half as long as 

 spikelets, perfect flower a little shorter. More slender than P. capil- 



