158 
PACIFIC SCIENCE, VoL XIII, April, 1959 
ligule a narrow membrane, pilosulous ciliate 
with hairs 0. 2-0.4 mm. long; blades 3-13 cm. 
long, 2-6 mm, wide, flat, linear, acute, white 
villous on both sides; panicles 2-15 cm. long, 
3-50 mm. wide, dense, terminal on all 
branches, enfolded at base by the leaf blade 
or sheath, the ascending branches closely 
appressed, but after anthesis the upper ones 
slightly diverging; the rhachis sparsely pi- 
losulous towards the base, but towards the 
apex scabrous; branchlets scabrous; spikelets 
1.2-1. 5 mm. long, elliptic ovoid, acute, gla- 
brous, pale scarious, with greenish nerves; 
first glume 1.9 mm. long, 1.2 mm. wide, 3- 
nerved, lance-ovate; second glume 1.7 mm. 
long, 1.4 mm. wide, broadly elliptic, acute, 
7-nerved; sterile lemma 1.8 mm. long, 1.1 
mm. wide, broadly elliptic, acute; sterile palea 
present, 1.1 mm. long, 0.5 mm. wide, elliptic, 
membranous, enfolded at base; fertile lemma 
0.9-1 mm. long, 0.6 mm. wide, ovate, carti- 
laginous, shining, white, then brownish lead- 
colored, faintly 5-nerved, concave, the mar- 
gins inrolled; palea gently concave, enclosed, 
3-nerved; anthers 0.4 mm. long, oblong; 
stigma dendritic. 
HOLOTYPUS: Niihau, Kii, between basalt 
rocks, on rocky knoll, 100 ft. alt., April 2, 
1949, H. Sl John 23,666 (BISH). 
SPECIMENS examined: Kii, with same data, 
Sl John 23,663; 23,670. 
The new species is a member of the sub- 
genus Panknm (formerly Etipankim) but it is 
not here assigned to a section. Neither the 
treatment of the genus in North America by 
Hitchcock and Chase nor the world treatment 
by Pilger in the second edition of Engler’s 
"Pflanzenfamilien” has any section into which 
this species will fit. It comes closest to agree- 
ing with the characters of section Capillaria, 
but it disagrees in several characters. 
The most closely related species is P. 
Fauriei Hitchc. of the islands of Hawaii, 
Maui, Molokai, and Oahu. This species dif- 
fers in having the sheaths appressed puberu- 
lous, the ligule a membrane with pilose hairs 
1 mm. long; the blades 0.8-3. 5 mm. wide, 
mostly involute, and below appressed puber- 
ulous; the panicle rhachis and branchlets 
ascending villosulous; the spikelets 1. 8-2.1 
mm. long, and the fertile lemma 1.2 mm. 
long. In contrast, P. Heupueo is distinguished 
by having the sheaths villous; the ligule a 
very narrow membrane pilosulous ciliate with 
hairs 0. 2-0.4 mm. long; blades 2-6 mm. wide, 
flat, villous above and below; panicle with the 
rhachis below sparsely pilosulous, above sca- 
brous, the branchlets scabrous; the spikelets 
1.2-1. 5 mm. long; and the fertile lemma 
0.9 mm. long. 
Panicum radiatius nom. nov. 
Paspalidium radiattm Vickery, N. S. Wales 
Natl. Herb., Contr. 1(6): 332-334, 1950; 
non Pankum radiatum R. Br., Prodr. EL 
Nov. Holl. 192 , 1810 which is Digitaria 
tonsa D. K. Hughes, Kew Bui. 313, 1923. 
The genus Paspalidium was described in 
the Flora of Tropical Africa, vol. 9, by Stapf. 
It was published in 1917 in the key only, then 
in 1920 a description of the genus and of the 
two species followed. The genus was validly 
published, but not contrasted with the re- 
lated genera or discussed. It now has been 
accepted and enlarged, especially in Aus- 
tralia, but little has been added to substantiate 
its generic status. The spikelets are biseriate 
on 1 -sided lateral spikes, but in detail are 
like those of species in the enormous genus 
Panicum. A revision of the Australian species 
has been announced by S. T. Blake, so a 
disposition of the other species should await 
that treatment. However, the structure of the 
spikelet agrees well with that of Panicum and 
the inflorescence seems to show a reduced 
state derived from a panicle, so it is here 
maintained that the best assignment for the 
species introduced to Hawaii is in the genus 
Panicum. A new name is proposed because of 
the existence of an earlier homonym in 
Panicum. 
Niihau: Short grass that appeared on its 
own on Niihau, November 1, 1939, G. C. 
Munro; Kiekie, 50 ft. alt., cultivated pasture 
