118 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 
/ 62. Panicum hians Eli. 
Panicum lwans Ell. Bot. S. C. & Ga. 1: 118. 1816. Elliott gives no particular 
locality, but he states that the species is ‘‘ Very abundant near Michaux’s old farm, 10 
miles from Charieston.’’ The type, in the Elliott Herbarium, is labeled ‘‘ Panicum 
Hians mihi. Hab: in pinetis humidis,”’ but without particular locality. 
Panicum oblongiflorum Desv. Opusc. 89. 1831. ‘‘Habitat in Carolina * * * 4 
Bosce.’’ The type is in the Desvaux Herbarium. 
Panicum jejunum Trin. Mém. Acad. St. Pétersb. VI. Sci. Nat. 2': 103. 1836. 
‘‘Louisiana.’’ The type specimen, in the Trinius Herbarium, is marked ‘‘ Louisiana. 
mis. Hooker. 1835.” 
Aira incompleta Bosc; Steud. Nom. Bot. ed. 2. 1: 45. 1840. This isa nomen nudum 
mentioned as a synonym of Panicum debile [no author cited], but there is no cross 
reference under Panicum debile. We have seen specimens of this collected by Bosc, 
in the Trinius Herbarium, in the Padua Herbarium, and in the 
Delessert Herbarium. All are Panicum hians. In the absence 
of any evidence as to which is the type specimen we take as the 
type the one in the Padua Herbarium, which appears to con- 
tain Bose’s own herbarium. The locality of this is given as 
““Caroline.”’ 
Steinchisma hians Rai.; Ind. Kew. 2: 982. 1895. Based on 
Panicum hians Ell. Nash@ segregated the genus Steinchisma and 
q was followed by Hitchcock.® Steinchisma was first mentioned 
Fie. 111.—P. hians. 2 5 
Fromtypespecimen. PY Rafinesque © in a letter to De Candolle in which he pro- 
poses several new genera, this genus appearing as follows: ‘‘Stein- 
chisma= Panicum divaricatum, hians.’’ This probably refers to Panicum hians Ell. 
and to P. divaricatum Michx. which is given by Elliott as a queried synonym under 
P.hians. Panicum divaricatum Michx. is, however, Festuca obtusa Spreng.¢ Rafin- 
esque’s name is given by Steudelé as “‘Steinschisma Rafin. Panicum debile.” 
Panicum debile Ell. is P. verrucosum Mubhl. 
Nash separated the genus Steinchisma on the character of the enlarged palea of the 
sterile floret. This character is shared by Panicum exiguiflorum, P. cupreum, the 
South American P. decipiens Nees, and, in less pronounced form, by P. laxum and P 
pilosum, while P. polygonatum, which is evidently allied to P. larwm, has a very small 
palea. This character, since it proves not to be correlated with any other, does not 
seem to us sufficient for the segregation as a genus of those species showing it, especially 
since such segregation would place closely allied species in separate genera. 
Bealf and Scribner g misapply the name Panicum melicarium Michx. to P. hians 
Ell. Panicum melicariwm Michx. is Panicularia elongata (Torr.) Kuntze, P. melicaria 
(Michx.) Hitche.’ 
DESCRIPTION. 
Plants perennial, cespitose; culms simple or sparingly branching, 20 to 60 cm. 
high, erect or a few of the outer ones geniculate and rooting at the lower nodes, some- 
times prostrate and sending up erect branches; sheaths usually much shorter than the 
internodes, keeled, glabrous; ligules about 0.5 mm. long; blades 5 to 15 cm. long, 1 
a Small, Fl. Southeast. U. S. 105. 1903. 
b A. Gray, Man. ed. 7. 117. 1908. 
¢ Bull. Bot. Seringe 220. 1830. 
@See Hitchcock, Contr. Nat. Herb. 12: 149. 1908. 
€ Nom. Bot. ed. 2. 2: 635. 1841. 
f Grasses N. Amer. 2: 127. 1896. 
9U.S. Dept. Agr. Div. Agrost. Bull. 7: 66. 7. 48. 1897. 
hSee Hitchcock, Contr. Nat. Herb. 12: 149. 1908. 
