14 NORTH AMERICAN SPECIES OF LEPTOCHLOA. 



with numerous ascending branches 4 to 8 cm. The tropical specimens often 

 have more ample panicles. Spikelets crowded, about 2 mm. long. 3 to 

 5-flowered. Empty glumes acute, lower narrow and shorter, about 1\ mm.; 

 lower flowering glumes bear awns about their own length, upper with shorter 

 awns or awnless. 



Distribution: Florida along the coast south of Tampa, Simpson. Texas, Cor- 

 jnts Christi, and Hidalgo, a Nealley. South America and West Indies. 



LEPTOCHLOA NEALLEYI Vasey. Bull. Torr. Bot. Club, 12: 7. 1885. "Col- 

 lected in Texas by Mr. Gr. C. Nealley. for whom it is named.*' 



Leptochloa stricta Fourn. PI. Mex. 2: 147. 1886. I have examined the type in 

 Paris. ''Vera Cruz (Gouin, n. 73)." 



Fig. 7.— L. nealleyi. 



Stems | to 14- m. high, smooth. Leaves elongated or on the smaller plants only 5 

 to 10 cm. long, 3 to 5 mm. wide, involute, somewhat scabrous; sheaths smooth 

 or very slightly scabrous. Panicles narrow, 2 to 4 dm. long, branches numer- 

 ous, crowded, appressed. 2 to 6 cm. long. Spikelets crowded, about 2 to 3 

 mm. long, 3 to 4-flowered. First empty glume about one-half the length of 

 the second and narrower; flowering glumes obtuse. 



Distribution: Texas: Nealley 2501 : Bush 1363; Buckley, Drummond 291; Tracy 

 7368. This has the aspect of L. scabra, but the glumes are rounded at the 

 apex, while in the latter they are acuminate or slightly awned. (PI. III. fig. 

 2; text fig. 7.) 



LEPTOCHLO A SCABRA Nees. Agrost. Bras. 435. 1829. " Habitat in ripa 

 inundata fluminum Amazonum, Tagipuru et Tocantins, provinciae Paraensis 

 (Mart. ) . " Nees remarks that this differs from L: virgata in having the leaves 

 and sheaths very scabrous and the small, whitish, slender spikelets entirely 

 unawned. (PI. Ill, fig. 1; text fig. 8.) 



Fig. 8.—L. scabra. 



L. langloisii Vasey. Bull. Torr. Bot. Club, 12: 7. 1885. " This large and 

 showy species was found in Louisiana by Rev. A. B. Langlois, for whom it 

 is named." 



Resembles L. nealleyi in habit. Differs in having distinctly scabrous sheaths: 

 the branches of the panicle longer and more or less curved; the spikelets 3 mm. 

 or more long, the glumes acute or acuminate. Our plants are probably intro- 

 duced from further south. 



Distribution: Louisiana: In ditches and fields, Station Michaud, 13 miles from 

 New Orleans, Langlois. Brazil: Rusby 235. British Guiana: Jenman 4441. 

 Costa Rica: Tonduz 2604; Spruce 424. 



« The specimen from Hidalgo (fig. 4) differs from the others in having the flowering glumes 

 awnless. It is in an unsatisfactory condition, but may be L. virgata, Beauv. 



