PANICLE CHARACTERS OF SORGO O 
the material with which he worked into nine groups, according to 
the form of the fertile and sterile spikelets ; the form, color, texture, 
pubescence, and markings of the glumes ; and the length of the pedi- 
cel of the sterile spikelets compared with the length of the fertile 
spikelets, ranging from Group A, in which the fertile spikelet was 
lanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate and acute, the lower three-fourths of 
the empty glumes being coriaceous, through groups having spikelets 
ovate, elliptic, obovate, obovate-rhomboid, deltoid, orbicular, and 
obtuse-hexagonal. The varieties within these groups were again 
divided according to the form and other characteristics of the pani- 
cle. The sorgo varieties selected for the present study, where con- 
forming at all to his classes, would be included in not more than three 
or four of them, and only a few of our varieties seem to conform to 
his descriptions. His characterization of Group C and description 
of the variety saccharatus are here reproduced : 
C. Sessile spikelets elliptic or ovate, twice to less than twice as long as 
broad, acute or somewhat acute, broadest in the middle or lower 
down, first glume almost all coriaceous, more rarely in the one-fourth 
to three-fourths above chartaceous, and there not depressed ; second 
glume acute. Pedicel of the sterile spikelets (rarely male) usually 
four to five times shorter than the sessile spikelets. Caryopsis equal- 
ing or almost equaling the glumes, the mature not exserted. 
Var. saccharatus (9, p. 310), panicle ovate, the lower branches nodding, 
equaling two-thirds of the panicle ; lower branches smooth, for 6 
centimeters or 8 centimeters naked. Hermaphrodite spikelets 5.5 mil- 
limeters long, 3 millimeters broad, straw color to reddish ; sparsely 
pilose. Caryopsis dilute red. Awn about 10 millimeters long, with 
bend exserted. 
Hackel's description conforms more nearly with our Honey variety 
than with any other, it being the one commonly cultivated at the 
present time which has red glumes and the lower panicle branches 
naked for about 6 or 8 centimeters. 
Schumann (14) formed the major divisions of his key to varieties 
cultivated in East Africa on the extent and the manner in which the 
glumes covered the grain, or caryopsis. He recognized three major 
groups: Obtectae, Seminudre, and Nudre. The seminaked group was 
divided into three subgroups according to the degree of compactness 
of the panicle. His key follows. 
Key to the East African cultivated varieties of sorghum, by Schumann 
A. Obtectae. Covered varieties. The glumes are longer than the fruits, closed 
entirely, or gaping apart at the point only Var. 1, callomelaena K. Sch. 
B. Seminudae. Half-naked varieties. The glumes are shorter than the fruit ; 
they lie close to the former, which they far surpass. 
a. Effusae. Panicles open and spreading, branches of the inflores- 
cence of the first order obliquely erect, overhanging bow shaped 
at the extremities Var. 2, elegans Kcke. 
6. Contractae. Panicles erect, condensed, the branches of the in- 
florescence erect and lying close together, more rarely slightly 
bent outward. 
a. The axis of the panicle gradually attenuate. 
I. Empty glumes black or dark "purplish red Var. 3, stuhlmannii Kcke. 
II. Empty glumes yellowish red Var. 4, conculor K. Sch. 
fi. The axis of the paaiicle breaks off suddenly, so that it is far 
overtopped by the upper inflorescence rays. 
I. Empty glumes yellow Var. 5, schenekii Kcke. 
II. Empty glumes brown Var. 6, baumannii Kcke. 
c. Compactae. Panicle recurved, branches of the inflorescence very 
compact, so that the fruits are crowded together. 
a. Empty glumes black; fruit red Var. 7, ondongae Kcke. 
0. Empty glumes black; fruit white Var. 8, neesii Kcke. 
C. Nudae. Naked varieties. Glumes as long as the fruit, at the time of ma- 
turity expanding, and inflexed from the sides Var. 9, roxburyJiii Hack. 
