MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE WEST INDIES 355 
Cusa: Rio Feo (Pinar del Rio), Ekman 17248 (Amer. Gr. Nat. 
Herb. 798). Without locality, Wright 3906, in 1865. Isla de Pinos, 
Curtiss 461. 
Dominican Repusiic: Cuenca, Ekman H 13308. 
94. PENNISETUM L. Rich., in Pers., Syn. Pl. 1: 72. 1805 
Spikelets solitary or in groups of 2 or 3, surrounded by an involucre 
of bristles, these not united except at the very base, often plumose, 
falling attached to the spikelets; first glume shorter than the spikelet, 
sometimes minute or wanting; second glume shorter than or equaling 
the sterile lemma; fertile lemma chartaceous, smooth, the margin 
thin, enclosing the palea. Annuals or perennials with usually flat 
blades and dense spikelike panicles. 
Bristles about 4 cm long; panicles oval, feathery; spikelets 10 to 12mm long. 
P. VILLOSUM. 
Bristles rarely over 2 cm long, most of them shorter; panicles cylindric or nearly 
so; spikelets not more than 7 mm long. 
Grain at maturity subglobose, bursting through the lemma and palea; panicle 
solidly dense, 2 cm or more thick; plants annual__-_--__--- 4. P. GLAUCUM. 
Grain permanently enclosed in the lemma and palea; panicles less than 2 em 
thick, not solid; plants perennial. 
Culms D) to 4m tall, robust; panicles mostly more than 15 cm long, very 
enccwmbladestilnteuee: ss sem Rie 5. P. PURPUREUM. 
Culms mostly less than 2 m tall or if taller, slender and branching. 
Bristles naked. Spike not more than 5 cm long, loose; spikelets about 
AP TRIN OIG eeeee aeons Ce eee ek eS 7. P. DOMINGENSE. 
Bristles or some of them plumose. 
Culms low and spreading; involucre with a turbinate naked base. 
. P. CILIARE. 
Culms erect, tall and rather stout; involucre with no naked base. 
Spikelets about 3 mm long, solitary i in the sessile invohucre. 
6. P. SETOSUM. 
Spikelets about 5 mm long, 2 or more in the peduncled involucre. 
P. ORIENTALE var. TRIFLORUM. 
1. Pennisetum villosum R. Br., in Fres. Mus. Senckenb. Abh. 2: 134. 
1837. Abyssinia. FEATHERTOP. 
Plant perennial; culms densely tufted from a knotted crown, 15 to 
50 cm tall; blades elongate, 3 to 6 mm wide; panicles tawny, very 
dense, oval, ae tole cm long, 3 to 5 em wide including the bristles; 
fascicles short-peduncled ; bristles slender, spreading, the longest 
4 to 5 cm long, the inner plumose below; spikelets 1 to 4 in a fascicle, 
10 to 12 mm long (fig. 326). 
A native of East Africa; cultivated for ornament in America and 
occasionally escaped. 
JAMAICA: Resource, Harris 12402 (probably cultivated or escaped 
from cultivation). 
2. Pennisetum orientale var. triflorum (Nees) Stapf, in Hook. FI. 
Brit. Ind. 7: 86. 1896. 
; pause triflorum Nees, in Steud., Syn. Pl. Glum.1: 107. 1854. 
ndia 
Plant perennial, forming tough clumps from knotted crowns, culm 
erect from an ascending base, usually 1 m or more tall, rather robust, 
simple or sparingly branched, pubescent or scabrous below the panicle; 
blades flat, lax, 5 to 10 mm wide, elongate; panicles 12 to 20 cm long, 
15 to 20 mm thick, purplish, rather loose at least toward the base, 
