1957] 



BOTANY OF THE CHIMANTA MASSIF— I 



401 



ad nodos intermedios ramosi; vaginae internodia aequantes, pilosae vel papilloso- 

 pilosae in collo pubescentes marginibus ciliatae; ligula ciliata 2 mm longa; 

 laminae 4-6.5 cm longae, 5-9 mm latae, acutae, subcordatae, dense pilosae; 

 paniculae 3-7 cm longae, 1.5-3.5 cm latae, ramis solitariis adscendentibus vel 

 patentibus axe pilosae; spiculae 2-2.2 mm longae, purpureae, sparse pubescentes 

 vel pilosae; gluma prima 1.5-1.6 mm longa, acuta, 1-nervia; gluma secunda et 

 lemma sterile tenuia fructu paulo longiora, gluma obtusa, lemma subobtusum; 

 fructus 1.8 mm longus, ellipticus, subacutus, striatus, glabrus, lucidus. 



Perennial; culms erect, 20-35 cm high, branching at the middle nodes, papil- 

 lose-pilose to glabrous, the nodes bearded; sheaths mostly about as long as the 

 internodes, pilose or papillose-pilose, pubescent on the collar, the margins ciliate; 

 ligule a rim of hairs about 2 mm long; blades 4-6.5 cm long, 5-9 mm wide, acute, 

 rounded and somewhat cordate at the base, softly and rather densely pilose on the 

 lower surface, sparsely pilose above but the hairs longer,' somewhat ciliate at the 

 base; panicles 3-7 cm long, 1.5-3.5 cm wide, the solitary branches stiffly as- 

 cending to spreading, branching at or near the base, the axis and branches pilose; 

 spikelets 2-2.2 mm long, tinged with purple, sparsely pubescent or pilose; first 

 glume 1.5-1.6 mm long, 1-nerved, usually acute; second glume and sterile lemma 

 thin, slightly longer than the fruit, the glume obtuse, the lemma subobtuse with a 

 palea but apparently without a staminate flower; fruit 1.8 mm long, elliptic, blunt, 

 striate, smooth and shining. 



TYPE: locally frequent at base of Upper Falls of Rio Tirica above Summit 

 Camp, alt. 1940-1950 m, Central Section, Chimanta Massif, Bolivar, Venezuela, 

 February 7, 1955, Julian A. Steyermark & John J. Wurdack 535 (US 2,182,126) ; 



This species is closely allied to Panicum albociliatum Swallen, which differs 

 in having larger, glabrous spikelets, and shorter, ovate, glabrous, ciliate blades. 



Panicum tiricaoides Swallen, sp. nov. 



Perenne; culmi erecti vel adscendentes basi decumbentes, ramosi, ca. 80 cm 

 longi nodiis pubescentibus; vaginae sparse pilosae vel papilloso-pilosae in collo 

 dense pubescentes; ligula ciliata, 2-3 mm longa; laminae usque ad 8 cm longae, 

 10 mm latae, in ramis multo breviores, subtus dense pubescentes, supra sparse 

 pilosae vel subglabrae; paniculae 8 cm longae, 6 cm latae, ramorum parviores; 

 spiculae 2.4-2.5 mm longae, acutae, glabrae; gluma prima 1.5-1.7 mm longa, acuta, 

 3-nerviis; gluma secunda et lemma sterile aequalia fructum aequantia; fructus 2.3 

 mm longus, summo compressus scabrus. 



Perennial; culms erect or ascending from a decumbent base, about 80 cm long, 

 branching, the nodes pubescent or nearly glabrous; sheaths sparsely pilose or 

 papillose-pilose, densely pubescent on the collar; ligule a short ciliate membrane 



2- 3 mm long; blades as much as 8 cm long, 10 mm wide, much smaller on the 

 branches, softly and densely pubescent on the lower surface, sparsely pilose or 

 nearly glabrous above; panicle 8 cm long, 6 cm wide, smaller on the branches; 

 spikelets 2.4-2.5 mm long, acute, glabrous; first glume 1.5-1.7 mm long, acute, 



3- nerved; second glume and sterile lemma equal, about as long as the fruit; 

 fruit 2.3 mm long, scabrous at the summit, the tip laterally compressed. 



TYPE: frequent, thickets along Rio Tirica, below Summit Camp, alt. 1925 m, 

 Central Section, Chimanta Massif, Bolivar, Venezuela, February 5, 1955, Julian 

 A. Steyermark & John J. Wurdack 475 (US 2,182,124). 



Panicum wurdackii Swallen, sp. nov. 



Perenne; culmi erecti basi decumbentes 110 cm alti, glabri; folia inferiora 

 conferta laminis 8-12 mm latis curvatis; culmorum vaginae elongatae internodiis 

 multo breviores; laminae erectae, 25-30 cm longae, 7-8 mm latae, superiores 



