MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 



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a glabrous ring below; sheaths 

 sparsely to densely villous; ligule 4 

 mm. long; blades rather stiff, 6 to 10 

 mm. wide, the upper surface sparingly 

 pilose toward the base and margins, 

 otherwise glabrous, the lower surface 

 velvety- villous; panicle 7 to 11 cm. 

 long; spikelets 2 mm. long. Autumnal 

 culms erect, bearing at the middle 

 nodes a few appressed fascicles of 

 branches. % — Prairies and dry 

 open woods, Alabama (Mobile) to 

 Texas and Arkansas. 



Figure 962. — Panicum praecocius. Two views of 

 spikelet, and floret, X 10. (Type.) 



53. Panicum praecocius Hitchc. 

 and Chase. (Fig. 962.) Vernal culms 

 15 to 25 cm. tall, at first erect and 

 simple, soon branching and genic- 

 ulate, becoming 30 to 45 cm. long, 

 papillose-pilose with weak spreading 

 hairs 3 to 4 mm. long; sheaths pilose; 

 ligule 3 to 4 mm. long; blades 5 to 9 

 cm. long, 4 to 6 mm. wide, long-pilose 

 on both surfaces, the hairs on the 

 upper surface 4 to 5 mm. long, erect; 

 panicle 4 to 6 cm. long, the axis pilose; 

 spikelets 1.8 to 1.9 mm. long, pilose. 

 Autumnal culms in close bunches, 10 

 to 20 cm. tall, the branches appressed, 

 the scarcely reduced blades erect. 

 % — Dry prairies and clearings, 

 Michigan to North Dakota, south to 

 Arkansas and eastern Texas. 



54. Panicum subvillosum Ashe. 

 (Fig. 963.) Vernal culms leafy below, 

 10 to 45 cm. tall, ascending or spread- 

 ing, pilose, the nodes short-bearded; 

 sheaths sparsely pilose with ascend- 

 ing hairs; ligule 3 mm. long; blades 4 

 to 6 cm. long, 4 to 6 mm. wide, both 



Figure 963. — Panicum subvillosum. Two views of 

 spikelet, and floret, X 10. (Type.) 



surfaces pilose, the hairs on the upper 

 surface 3 to 5 mm. long; panicle long- 

 exserted, 3 to 5 cm. long; spikelets 

 1.8 to 1.9 mm. long. Autumnal culms 

 widely spreading or prostrate, spar- 

 ingly branching from the lower nodes, 

 the leaves and panicles not greatly 

 reduced. % — Dry woods and 

 sandy ground, Nova Scotia to Minne- 

 sota, south to Connecticut, Indiana, 

 and Missouri. 



55. Panicum occidentale Scribn. 

 (Fig. 964.) Vernal culms yellowish 

 green, leafy toward base, 15 to 40 cm. 

 tall, spreading, sparsely pubescent; 

 sheaths sparsely pubescent; ligule 3 

 to 4 mm. long; blades firm, erect, or 

 ascending, 4 to 8 cm. long, 5 to 7 



Figure 964. — Panicum occidentale. Two views of 

 spikelet, and floret, X 10. (Type.) 



mm. wide, the upper surface nearly 

 glabrous, the undersurf ace appressed- 

 pubescent; panicle 4 to 7 cm. long; 

 spikelets 1.8 mm. long. Autumnal 

 culms branching from the lower nodes, 

 forming a spreading tussock 10 to 15 

 cm. high; leaves and panicles reduced. 

 91 — Peat bogs and moist sandy 

 ground, British Columbia and Idaho 

 to southern California. 



56. Panicum pacificum Hitchc. and 

 Chase. (Fig. 965.) Vernal phase light 

 green; culms 25 to 50 cm. tall, ascend- 

 ing or spreading, leafy, pilose, the 

 nodes short-bearded; sheaths pilose; 

 ligule 3 to 4 mm. long; blades erect or 

 ascending, 5 to 10 cm. long, 5 to 8 



