MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 



643 



1. Depauperata. — Ligule less than 1 

 mm. long; blades elongate, the 

 basal ones not forming a distinct 

 rosette in autumn; spikelets 

 strongly 7- to 9-nerved. Au- 

 tumnal phase with short branches 

 from lower nodes. 



5. Panicum depauperatum Muhl. 

 (Fig. 914.) Vernal phase with culms 

 several to many in a tuft, slender 

 but rather stiff, erect or nearly so; 

 sheaths glabrous or papillose-pilose; 

 blades 6 to 15 cm. long, 2 to 5 mm. 

 wide, often involute in drying; pan- 

 icle exserted, usually not much ex- 

 ceeding the leaves, 4 to 8 cm. long, 

 few-flowered; spikelets 3.2 to 3.8 

 mm. long, elliptic, pointed, glabrous 

 or sparsely pubescent; second glume 

 and sterile lemma extending beyond 

 the fruit, forming a beak. Autumnal 

 phase similar, the reduced panicles 

 partly concealed in the basal leaves. 

 % — Open sterile woods, Quebec 

 and Nova Scotia to Minnesota, south 

 to Georgia and Texas. 



6. Panicum perlongum Nash. (Fig. 

 915.) Vernal phase similar to that of 

 P. depauperattwi; the tufts smaller, 

 usually pilose, the panicle narrower; 

 spikelets 2.7 to 3.2 mm. long, oval, 

 blunt, sparingly pilose, the glume 

 and sterile lemma not extending 

 beyond the fruit. Autumnal phase 

 similar, the reduced panicles nu- 

 merous. % — Prairies and dry soil, 

 Indiana to Manitoba and North 

 Dakota, south to Colorado and 

 Texas. 



7. Panicum linearifolium Scribn. 

 (Fig. 916.) Vernal phase in dense 

 tufts; culms slender, erect, 20 to 45 

 cm. tall; sheaths papillose-pilose; 

 blades erect, usually overtopping the 

 panicles, 2 to 4 mm. wide; panicle 

 long-exserted, 5 to 10 cm. long, the 

 flexuous branches ascending; spike- 

 lets 2.2 to 2.7 mm. long, oblong- 

 elliptic, obtuse, sparsely pilose. Au- 

 tumnal phase similar, the reduced 

 panicles hidden among the basal 

 leaves. % — Dry woods, Quebec 

 and Maine to Wisconsin, south to 

 Georgia and Texas. 



Figure 914. — Panicum depauperatum. Panicle, X 1; 

 two views of spikelet, and floret, X 10. (Amer. Gr. 

 Natl. Herb. 78, D. C.) 



Figure 915. — Panicum per- 

 longum. Two views of 

 spikelet, and floret, X 10. 

 (Type.) 



8. Panicum werneri Scribn. (Fig. 

 917.) Vernal phase similar to that of 

 P. linearifolium, the culms usually 

 stiffer, blades firmer, shorter and 

 wider (15 cm. long or less); nodes 



