MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE WEST INDIES 279 
open but densely flowered, 4 to 7 cm long, pilose in the lowermost 
axil, the axis and branches smooth; spikelets elliptic, somewhat tur- 
gid, glabrous, about 1.3 mm long; first glume narrow, variable in 
length, sometimes half as long as spikelet, often wanting; second 
glume and sterile lemma equal, 3-nerved, the glume gibbous in the 
middle; fertile lemma felty-villous at base and apex, gibbous at the 
middle (fig. 249). 
Edges of ponds and lagoons, Brazil; Cuba. 
Cusa: Sdbalo, edge of lagoon, Ekman in 1923 (Amer. Gr. Nat. 
Herb. 705). Herradura, moist places in pinelands, Ekman 14089. 
58. Panicum hirtum Lam., Encycl. 4: 741. 1798. Cayenne. 
Annual; culms slender, branching, decumbent, 20 to 40 cm tall; 
blades flat, thin, ovate to lanceolate, cordate-clasping at base; sparse- 
ly hispid, 2 to 6 cm long, 0.8 to 2 em wide; pani- 
cles ovoid, 3 to 7 cm long, the branches deli- 
cate but stiffly ascending 
at a uniform angle, the WL 
spikelets recurved at SS Wi WY. 
night angles on capillary <= S\NW//” 
pedicels; spikelets 
strongly plano-convex, 
turgid, hispid, 1.2 mm 
long (fig. 250). 
Damp shady places, 
British Honduras; Trini- 
dad to Brazil. In the 
Lamarck Herbarium at 
Paris 1s a specimen of 
this species ‘‘de Porto- 
rico le Dru’’, but the lo- 
FiguRE 249.—Panicum dis- cality 1s probably an 
crepans. Panicle, X 1 (Ek- ss : SURE 250.—Panicum hirtum. 
man 14089); spikelet and flo- €FTor, as it is not other- aes and alahions x 10 
ret, X 10 (type). wise known from north (type). 
of Trinidad. 
Trinipab: Port-of-Spain, Hitchcock 10320. St. Joseph, Hitchcock 
10177. Aripo Road, Broadway 6450. Dibe Valley, Britton and Coker 
1754. Arima, Hitchcock 10310 (Amer. Gr. Nat. Herb. 546). Piarco 
Savanna, Hitchcock 10363. Blanchisseuse Road, Broadway 5929. 
Without locality, Bot. Gard. Herb. 3194. 
59. Panicum xalapense H. B. K., Nov. 
Gen. et Sp. 1: 103. 1815. Mexico. 
Vernal phase with slender culms 20 to 
60cm tall, the nodes bearded with reflexed 
hairs; sheaths retrorsely pilose; blades 7 
to 12 mm wide, pilose on both surfaces; 
panicles 5 to 10 cm long, open, few- RS fe ee re 
flowered, the branches flexuous; spikelets MEG ews oF spikelet, sna forel 
2 mm long, obovate, obtuse, pilose. AONKty De): 
Autumnal phase branching at the base, 
forming soft prostrate tufts or rosettes (fig. 251). 
Moist banks and open woods at low and medium altitudes, eastern 
and southern United States and Mexico to Costa Rica; Cuba and 
Hispaniola. 
