368 MISC. PUBLICATION 243, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 
Glabrous perennial, bamboolike in aspect, commonly 5 m tall, 
the strong hollow culms sometimes 1 cm thick, erect and unsupported, 
the summit only arching (or weaker culms "leaning among brush), 
the lower half to two-thirds simple and naked, the short sheaths 
bladeless or nearly so, the elongate internodes ‘plotched with dull 
purple, branching from the upper nodes, the branches commonly 
fascicled, divaricate, often 1 m long, sometimes again branching; 
blades convolute in the bud, spreading, flat, firm, unsymmetrically 
lanceolate-oblong, abruptly acuminate, commonly 20 cm long and 
5 cm wide, those of the ultimate branches smaller, the lowermost on 
both primary culm and branches rudimentary; panicles 10 to 15 cm 
long, about two-thirds as wide, those of the secondary branches 
reduced, the branches stiffly ascending or spreading, each bearing a 
single large long-acuminate pistillate spikelet at the thickened summit 
and several small slender-pediceled staminate spikelets along the 
rachis (fig. 339). 
The form described as Olyra arundinacea, has glabrous sheaths and 
more loosely flowered green panicles. It is found in the West Indies 
chiefly from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and extends to Brazil. The 
typical form of O. latifolia, with hispid sheaths and denser purple 
panicle, is found chiefly in Cuba and Jamaica, but extends from 
Mexico to Brazil. The differences mentioned above are best seen in 
the primary culms and panicles. 
Copses and shady banks, Mexico and West Indies to South America. 
In Cuba this is one of the grasses called ‘‘tibisi.”” The species is to 
be found on probably all the West Indian islands. It has not been 
observed in Bermuda or in the Bahamas. 
2. Olyra ciliatifolia Raddi, Agrost. Bras. 19. 1823. Brazil. 
Culms erect, mostly simple, in small clumps but gregarious, 
glabrous, mostly 40 to 80 cm tall: sheaths hispidulous or the lower 
glabrate; blades flat, glabrous, oblong-elliptic, 8 to 15 cm long, 2 to 4 
cm wide, asymmetric at base, one side rounded, the other side straight 
for 1.5 to 4.cm at an angle of 30° to 45°, the tip acuminate; panicles 
10 to 15 cm long, the lower half or two-thirds staminate, the pis- 
tillate spikelets in the upper part of the panicle and at the ends of 
the upper branches; staminate spikelets narrow, about 5 mm long, 
short-awned ; pistillate spikelets elliptic on thickened pedicels, 
glabrous, acuminate, about 1 cm long, the first glume bearing an 
awn 1 to 2 cm long; fruit loosely clothed with silky hairs. 
Shade of trees, Trinidad to Brazil. Referred by Grisebach® to 
O. semiovata Trin. 
TRINIDAD: Port-of-Spain, Hitchcock 10133; Broadway 9194. With- 
out locality, Broadway in 1918; Purdie 26. 
97. LITHACHNE Beauv., Ess. Agrost. 135. pl. 24. f. 2. 1812 
Plants monoecious; spikelets in small axillary panicles, these with a 
single pistillate spikelet at the summit and 1 to several staminate 
spikelets below; terminal panicle if present wholly staminate; first 
olume of pistillate spikelet wanting; second glume and sterile lemma 
herbaceous, long-acuminate; fruit bony-indurate, laterally subcom- 
"95 Fl. Brit. W. Ind. 535. 1864, 
