P A N I 
not in this. According to Mr. Curtis, the calyx has three 
valves, two of which are oppofite, equal, ovate, obtufe, 
ribbed; the third very minute, and placed below the 
others : the corolla has two valves, which are ovate, hol¬ 
low, Aiming, and nearly equal. He obferves, that fpar- 
rows are remarkably fond of the feeds; and that the whole 
of this genus, when cultivated in a garden, require to be 
protected from them. Native of Europe, as Germany, 
Carniola, England. With us not common, though the 
moll: common of the panicums. In Batterfea-fields, near 
London; by Martha’s chapel, near Guildford in Surrey; 
and in the gravel-pits by Chippenham-park, Cambridge- 
(hire, and the corn-fields adjoining. It flowers in July 
and Auguft, and is an annual grafs of no ufe in cul¬ 
tivation. 
7. Panicum Germanicum, or German panic-grafs: 
fpike compound, clofe ; fpikelets glomerate ; involucrets 
briftle-fliaped, longer than the flower; rachis hirfute. 
This has been confounded with the next fpecies, from 
which it is diftinCV, in having the fpike net interrupted 
at the bafe, fmaller and ovate; in the height of the culm; 
in the, (hortnefs of the involucrets ; and in having the 
rachis hirfute. Mr. Miller fays, it rifes with a jointed 
reed-like (talk about three feet high, and about the fize 
of the common reed ; with a leaf at each-joint a foot and 
a half long, and about an inch broad at the bafe where 
broadeft, ending in an acute point, rough to the touch, 
embracing the ftalk at the bafe, and turning downwards 
about half the length. The (talks are terminated by com¬ 
pact fpikes, about the thicknefs of a man’s finger at bot¬ 
tom, growing taper towards the top, eight or nine inches 
long, clofely fet with fmall roundilh grain like that of 
millet. It is annual, and perilhes foon after the feeds are 
ripe. There are three varieties of it, with yellow, white, 
and purple, grains. It has been formerly cultivated for 
bread, in fome of the northern countries; but is not fo 
much efteemed as the Italian fort; fince, however, it will 
ripen better in a cold climate than that, it is generally 
cultivated where a better fort of grain will not fucceed : 
neither of them are reckoned to afford fo good nourilh- 
ment as millet. Native of the fouthern part of Europe. 
| 3 . Involucrets fhorter than the flower. Willdenow 
fays, that he has frequently received the feeds of this 
variety under the name of P. indicum and fibiricum ; that 
it approaches in habit to P. verticillatum, on account of 
the very fliort involucrets, fometimes fcarcely vifible with¬ 
out tearing the fpikelets in pieces : but that it differs very 
much in the hairinefs of the rachis, which in P. verticil¬ 
latum is fmooth. 
8. Panicum Italicum, or Italian panic-grafs: fpike 
compound, with the bafe interrupted, nodding; fpikelets 
glomerate; involucrets briftle-fliaped, much longer than 
the flower; rachis tomentofe. Culm annual, from afoot 
and a half to near four feet high, and much thicker than 
that of the preceding ; the leaves are alfo broader. The 
fpikes are a foot long, and twice the thicknefs of thofe of 
the former, but not fo compact, being compofed of feveral 
roundilh cluttered fpikes ; the grain is alfo larger. There 
are two or three varieties of this differing only in the 
colour of the grain. It is frequently cultivated in Italy 
(whence its trivial name) and other warm countries. It 
is a native of both Indies, and of Cochinchina; and was 
cultivated by Mr. Miller in 1739. I 1 dowers in July and 
Auguft. 
9. Panicum fetofum, or briftly panic-grafs : fpike com¬ 
pound, fpikelets panicle-fafcicled, briftles mixed with the 
florets and very long, peduncles almoft fmooth. Height 
from tvvo-to four feet. Culm Ample, ereCt, round, fmooth, 
leafy. Leaves half a foot long, lanceolate, flat, entire, 
pubefeent; (heaths embracing the culm, villofe at the 
neck. Spike terminating, compound, a foot long, com¬ 
pofed of panicle-fafcicled racemes half an inch in length. 
Spikelets tw'o to four, cluttered, pedicelled, unequal, 
mixed with briftles, green. It approaches near to P. 
4 
C U M. 331 
Italicum ; but in that the fpikelets are glomerate, on 
hirfute pedicels. 
10. Panicum lanceolatum, or fpear-leaved panic-grafs: 
fpikes alternate, outer valve of the calyxes ciliate and 
aw'ned, leaves lanceolate. Culms Ample, decumbent, 
leafy, rooting, long. Leaves naked, nerved, with very fine 
lines between the nerves, ciliate at the bafe. Spike com¬ 
pofed of alternate fpikelets an inch long. Flowers di¬ 
rected one w'ay, alternately in pairs, on a flexuofe three- 
cornered rachis, one larger, both awned, fometimes, but 
feldom, on the lower part of the fpike, folitary; all green. 
Native of the Eaft Indies, whence it was fent by Koenig. 
11. Panicum ftagninum, or pond panic-grafs: fpikes 
alternate, directed one way; calyxes two-flowered, awned, 
hifpid. Culms ereCt, three feet high, leafy. Spike com¬ 
pound, half a foot long. Spikelets an inch anil a half in 
length ; flowers in pairs and'folitary, rather large. Native 
of the Eaft Indies, in ponds. Found by Koenig. 
12. Panicum crus corvi, orcrow'-foot panic-grafs: fpikes 
alternate, directed oneway; fpikelets fubdivided ; glumes 
fometimes awned, hifpid; rachis three-cornered. Culm 
annual, two feet high, fubereft, manifold, jointed, leafy. 
All the florets hermaphrodite. Though Loureiro de¬ 
fer! bes it under the name of crus corvi, he obferves that i| 
is intermediate between that and crus galli, and different 
from both. Linnaeus remarks, that it refembles the next 
fpecies very much, but that it is lefs and more tender ; 
the panicle more nodding, with a three-cornered (not five- 
cornered) rachis; the flowers on the fpike are directed 
one way, and not incumbent all round on the rachis. 
Native of the Eaft Indies, Cochinchina, and Japan. In¬ 
troduced in 1781 by Monf. Thouin. It flowers in July 
and Auguft. 
13. Panicum crus galli, or thick-fpiked cock’s-foot 
panic-grafs: fpikes alternate and conjugate; fpikelets 
fubdivided; glumes awned, hifpid; rachis five-cornered. 
Root annual. Culms feveral, from one to two feet in 
height, thick, at firft procumbent or oblique, but finally 
almoft upright. Flowering-branches leafy, naked at top, 
even. Leaves on the culm very wide, flat, even on both 
fides, hifpid at the edges. Inftead of a ligule, a fliort 
triangular membrane, adnate, duiky. Sheaths loofe, Com- 
prefied a little, cloven, even ; the lower ones acute, leaf- 
lefs. General rachis linear, flattilh, rugged, with one 
angie underneath, fcarcely projecting, two at the fides 
(harper, and one above, with a groove for the infertion of 
the branches. Partial rachis three-cornered, fomewhat 
flexuofe, fubdivided, involucred at the bafe with whitifli 
hairs in bundles. Florets cluttered, directed one way, 
on very fliort fubdivided peduncles, with bundles of hairs 
at the bafe. Calyx nerved, pubefeent, rugged; two of 
the valves mucronate, and the third flat and awned; the 
awn terminating, rugged, itraight, fliort. 
Mr. Curtis remarks, that the leaves in more humble 
plants are three or four inches long, and from two to 
three lines in breadth ; in taller plants lix inches or 
nearly a foot in length, four lines and fometimes fix 
or leven broad, tapering to a point, keeled, fmooth, the 
edges very finely toothed, and about the mouth of the 
(heath hairy. Spikes pale-green, (bmetiines varying to 
purple. Spikelets often twelve in number, thick,round- 
ifli, the lowermoft an inch and a half in length, longer 
and farther alunder than any of the reft. Seeds rather 
large, fliining, covered by the valves of the corolla/round 
on one fide, and flat on the other. Thefe feeds being- 
large and plentiful, this grafs is much fought after by 
fmall birds. Native of Virginia, the Cape of Good Hope, 
and feveral parts of Europe, as Sweden, Germany, Swif- 
ferland, the fouth of France, and in England. Thomas 
Willifell found it in a garden between Deptford and 
Greenwich; with a fmooth fpike, in a lane near the 
Neat-houfe gardens ; with an awned fpike, by the rivulet- 
fide near Petersfield, Hampfliire, by Mr. Goodyer. Mr. 
Hudfon deferibes it as growing by Martha’s Chapel near 
■ Guildford. 
