The Philippine Journal of Science, C. Botany 
Vol. VIII, No. 3, May, 1913. 
ON ERAGROSTIS CILIANENSIS (ALL.) VIGNOLO LUTATI 
By F. Tracy Hubbard 
{Cambridge, Mass., U. S. A.) 
The widely distributed grass, commonly known as Eragrostis 
major Host and as E. megastachya Link, presents a complicated 
case of synonymy, and a detailed study of the questions involved 
shows that neither of the above names is valid in accordance 
with the provisions of the International Code of Botanical 
Nomenclature. Herewith is given a partial list of synonyms, 
followed by a discussion of the questions involved. 
ERAGROSTIS CILIANENSIS (All.) Vignolo Lutati in Malpighia 18 (1904) 
386. 
Briza eragrostis L. Sp. PI. (1753) 70. 
Poa multiflora Forsk. FI. Aegypt.-Arab. (1775) 21. 
Poa cilianensis All. FI. Pedem. 2 (1785) 246, t. 91, f. 2. 
Poa eragrostis Cav. Ic. 1 (1791) 63, t. 92. 
Briza oblonga Moench Meth. (1794) 185. 
Poa megastachya Koel. Gram. (1802) 181. 
Eragrostis major Host Gram. Austr. 4 (1809) 14, t. 2U. 
Eragrostis megastachya Link Hort. Berol. 1 (1827) 187. 
Taking the synonymy in order of date the oldest name is Briza 
eragrostis L., which is invalid because of Poa eragrostis L, Sp. 
PI. (1753) 68, which is the name-bringing synonym of Eragros- 
tis (L.) Beauv. Agrost. (1812) 71 & text accompanying t. Ik, fig- 
11, the species commonly heretofore known as E. minor Host 
Gram. Austr. 4 (1809) 15. 
Poa multifiora Forsk., the next synonym, is invalid because 
there is already Eragrostis multifiora (Roxb.) Trin. in Mem. 
Acad. St. Petersb. VI 1 (1830) 401, which is the oldest name of 
a valid species. 
Poa cilianensis All. is the oldest valid name of the species 
known as Eragrostis major Host or E. megastachya (Koel.) Link. 
There seems to be no doubt as to the identity of the plant which 
Allioni describes. It was collected by Bellardi on his father's 
estate of Ciliani in Piedmont and is a low-ground form of E. 
major Host, if we can believe subsequent authors. The descrip- 
tion is adequate and fair, the plate worthless. The definite 
status of the species, however, has definitely been settled by 
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