264 



MEMOIRS OF THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN 



'[Vol. 9, No. 3 



in the latter species the spikelets are much smaller (2.2 mm), the panicles are 

 larger with more spreading branches, the culms are coarser, and the blades are 

 glabrous except just above the ligule area. 



Panicum kavanayense Swallen, sp. nov. 



Perenne; culmi erecti ca. 75 cm alti; foliae basi confertae vaginis basi dense 

 villosis ad summum sparse vel dense pilosis, curvatis, laminis 20-25 cm longis, 

 4-7 mm latis, erectis, pungentibus, scaberulis, basi longe pilosis; culmorum 

 foliae 2 laminis reductis; panicula 7 cm longa, ca. 8 cm lata, ramis adscendenti- 

 bus ad basin ramosis, ramulis implicatis; spiculae 2.3-2.4 mm longae, purpureae, 

 plus minusve confertae, pedicellis lateralibus spicula brevioribus; gluma prima 

 lata, obtusa, marginibus hyalinis, spjcula 1/2 brevior, carina scabra, nerviis 

 lateralibus obscuris; gluma secunda obtusa fructu 1/4-1/3 brevior; lemma sterile 

 fructum aequans, subacutum, plus minusve cucullatum; fructus 1.8 mm longus, 

 acutus, flavidus, laevis, lucidus. 



Perennial; culms erect, about 75 cm high; leaves mostly basal, becoming 

 loose and curled with age, the sheaths densely villous at the very base, sparsely 

 to rather densely hairy near the summit, otherwise glabrous, the blades mostly 

 20-25 cm long, 4-7 mm wide, erect, pungently pointed, finely scabrous, with long 

 hairs at the base; culm leaves two with much reduced blades; panicle 7 cm long, 

 about 8 cm broad, the branches ascending, at least some of them branching from 

 near the base, the branchlets implicate; spikelets 2.3-2.4 mm long, purple, some- 

 what clustered toward the ends of the branchlets, the lateral pedicels usually 

 shorter than the spikelet; first glume broad, obtuse, with hyaline margins, usually 

 a little less than half as long as the spikelet, scabrous on the midnerve to nearly 

 glabrous, the lateral nerves obscure; second glume obtuse, 2/3-3/4 as long as 

 the fruit; sterile lemma as long as the fruit, subacute, somewhat cucullate; fruit 

 1.8 mm long, acute, yellowish, smooth and shining. 



TYPE: frequent in savanna at Kavanayen, alt. 1200 m, Gran Sabana, Bolivar, 

 Venezuela, March 30, 1952, Bassett Maguire 33701; U. S. National Herbarium 

 No. 2,078,781. 



Panicum maguirei Swallen, sp. nov. 



Perenne; culmi erecti, 75 cm alti, foliis basi confertis; vaginae basi dense 

 villosae, summo sparse pilosae, leviter curvatae; laminae 26-30 cm longae, 

 8-10 mm latae supra basi pilosae marginibus scabrae; culmorum foliae 2, vagina 

 suprema elaminata; panicula longe exserta, 10 cm longa, ramis paucis adscenden- 

 tibu* vel reflexis ramulis paucis brevibus paucifloris; spiculae 2.5-2.7 mm 

 longae, purpureae; gluma prima obtusa spicula 1/2 brevior; gluma secunda obtusa 

 fructu brevior; lemma sterile fructum aequans vel paulo longius; fructus 2.4 mm 

 longus, ellipticus, subacutus, laevis, lucidus. 



Perennial; culms erect, 75 cm high, the leaves crowded at the base; sheaths 

 densely villous at the very base, sparsely pilose at the summit, otherwise 

 glabrous, becoming flat and loosely curled; blades 26-30 cm long, 8-10 mm 

 wide, narrowed toward the base, more or less pilose above the ligule area, the 

 margins usually scabrous;, culm leaves two, the upper sheath bladeless; panicle 

 long-exserted, 10 cm long, about as wide, the branches few, ascending to re- 

 flexed, bearing a few short branchlets above the middle; spikelets mostly 3 or 4 

 toward the end of the branchlets, 2.5-2.7 mm long, purple; first glume obtuse, 

 half as long as the spikelet; second glume obtuse, shorter than the fruit; sterile 

 lemma subacute, as long as or slightly longer than the fruit; fruit 2.4 mm long, 

 elliptic, subacute, brownish, smooth and shining. 



