70 MISC PUBLICATION 243, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 
33. DANTHONITA Lam. and DC., Fl. France. 3:32. 1805. Oaterass 
Spikelets several-flowered, the rachilla readily. disarticulating 
above the glumes and between the florets; glumes about equal, broad 
and papery, acute, mostly exceeding the uppermost floret; lemmas 
rounded on the back, obscurely several-nerved, the base with a strong 
callus, the apex bifid, the lobes acute, usually extending into slender 
awns, a stout awn arising from between the lobes; awn flat, tightly 
twisted below, geniculate, exserted, including three nerves of the 
lemma. Tufted perennials with few-flowered panicles of rather large 
spikelets. 
Glumes 6 to 12, rarely to 15, mm long; lower lemmas 5 to 6 mm long. 
. D. DOMINGENSIS. 
Glumes 20 to 22 mm long; lower lemmas 8 to 9 mm long___ 2. D. oBTORTA. 
1. Danthonia domingensis Hack. and Pilger, in Urban, Symb. 
Antill. 6: 1. July 15, 1909. Santo Domingo, Eggers 2227b. 
Danthonia shrever Britton; Nash, Torreya 9: 210. October 26, 
1909. Jamaica, Shreve in 1906. 
Culms erect, 30 to 60 cm tall, finally forming large dense tussocks 
raised above the general level of the soil; leaves aggregate at the base, 
the blades usually elongate and overtopping the panicles, from rather 
coarse to subfiliform, involute, scabrous toward the ends; panicle 10 
to 15 cm long, rather open; spikelets 12 to 15 mm long, 3 to 6-flowered; 
oelumes 6 to 12 mm long, rarely longer; lemmas villous, 5 to 6 mm long, 
the awned lobes nearly as long, the main awn spreading, the terminal 
segment about 1 cm long; rachilla joints villous, noticeable between 
the florets (fig. 39, A). 
On cleared slopes near the summit of Sir Johns Peak, altitude 
about 2,000 m, the only known locality in Jamaica, and Hispaniola in 
the mountains, 1,800 to 2,700 m. 
JAMAICA: Sir Johns Peak, Harris 10914, 11429 (Amer. Gr. Nat. 
Herb. 647), 11594, 11629 (Amer. Gr. Nat. Herb. 648); Hitchcock 9720; 
Shreve in 1906. 
Haiti: High ridge of La Selle, 2,400 to 2,500 m, ‘“‘ccommon’’, Ekman 
H 3153. Roberjot, Ekman H 1424. Pétionville, Ekman H 5997. 
Marigot, Ekman H 10048. 
Dominican ReEpustuic: Sierra de los Comisarios, Hkman H 6809. 
Constanza, Tuerckheim 3414. Loma Rosilla, Fuertes 1776. Valle 
Nuevo, Eggers 2227b. Moncién, Ekman H 12830. Los Vallecitos 
del Yaque, Hkman H 13659. 
2. Danthonia obtorta Chase, sp. nov.”® 
Habit similar to that of the preceding, the lower sheaths somewhat 
firmer; blades elongate, equaling or overtopping the panicle, involute, 
slender, narrower at base than the firm summit of the sheath, the 
lower part curved forward, bringing the upper surface downward; 
this surface pilose with fragile hairs, the blades otherwise glabrous 
and smooth; panicle 13 to 16 cm long, loose; spikelets 2 to 2.5 cm 
long, 7- to 9-flowered, the slender villous rachilla joints strongly 
zigzag; glumes 2 to 2.2 cm long; lemmas villous on the lower half, 
8 to 9 mm long (to the base of central awn) the awned lobes nearly 
19 Perennis caespitosa; culmi erecti, 40-55 em alti; laminae elongatae involutae, basi tortae pilosae; pani- 
cula 13-16 cm longa, sublaxa; spiculae magnae; glumae 2-2.2 cm longae; lemmata 8-9 mm longa, basi pilosa; 
arista 17-20 mm longa. 
