Needle Leaf Rosette Grass

Panicum subvillosum Ashe, Jour. Elisha Mitchell Soc. 16: 86
1900.
Panicum unciphyllum f.pUosumScribn.&Merr.TZhodoraS: 124. 1901. Hot P. pilosum Sw. -1788.
Vernal culms tufted, 1 0-45 cm. high, slender, ascending or spreading, pilose with ascending hairs, usually faintly papillose, the lower internodes short, thus making the plant more leafy below, the nodes short-bearded; leaf -sheaths sparsely pilose with ascending hairs, the lower overlapping, the upper much shorter than the long internodes; ligule 3 mm. long; blades rather firm, ascending, 4—6 cm. long, 4-6 mm. wide, rarely wider, acuminate, slightly narrowed toward the base, both surfaces pilose, the hairs on the upper surface 3-5 mm. long, shorter on the lower; panicles long-exserted, ovate to oblong in outline, 3-5 cm. long, two thirds to three fourths as wide, rather densely flowered, the axis pubescent or toward the base pilose, the lower branches ascending; spikelets 1.8-1.9 mm. long, 0.9 mm. wide, elliptic, obtuse, pubescent; first glume nearly or quite half the length of the spikelet, acuminate; second glume scarcely equaling the the fruit at maturity; fruit 1.5 mm. long, 0.8 mm. wide, elliptic, obtuse.
Autumnal phase widely spreading, sparingly branching from the lower nodes, the leaves and panicles not greatly reduced, the panicles overtopped by the leaves, these less copiously pilose.
Typb locality: Carlton, Minnesota.
Distribution: Nova Scotia to Minnesota, and south to Connecticut and northern Indiana.

Panicum fusiforme Hitchc. Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb
12: 222. 1909.
Panicum neuranthum ramosum Griseb. Cat. PL Cub. 232. 1866. Not. P. ramosum L,. 1767.
Vernal phase similar to that of P. angustifolium; culms 30-70 cm. high, the basal and lower blades narrower and at least the lowermost softly pubescent beneath, the longitudinal wrinkles obscure, the leaves more or less clustered toward the base of the culms, the panicles thus longexserted; spikelets 3.3-3.5 mm. long, 1.4—1.5 mm. wide, elliptic, long-attenuate at base; first glume two fifths the length of the spikelet, usually obtuse; second glume and sterile lemma exceeding fruit and somewhat beaked beyond it at maturity, pubescence as in P. angustifolium; fruit 2.5 mm. long, 1.4-1.5 mm. wide, broadly elliptic, obscurely puberulent at subacute apex.
Autumnal culms erect or reclining, under favorable conditions forming dense,jbushy clusters
30-60 cm. in height; blades soon involute, 3-5 cm. long; spikelets more turgid than those of the
primary panicles, 3.5-3.8 mm. long, more pointed; fruit more turgid.
Type locality: Western Cuba.
Distribution: Georgia to Florida and Mississippi; Cuba; Jamaica.

Panicum ovinum Scribn. & Smith; Scribn. Circ. U. S. Dep. Agr
Agrost. 16: 3. 1899.
Vernal phase with culms usually few in a cluster, erect or nearly so, glabrous, 30-50 cm. high; leaf -sheaths glabrous or the lowermost appressed-pubescent ; blades erect or ascending, stiff, glabrous, the lower somewhat ciliate on the margin at base, the lowermost ovate or lanceolate, as much as 1 cm. wide, those of the mid-culm 10-15 cm. long, 3-6 mm. wide, the uppermost shorter and narrower; panicles usually short-exserted, 5-9 cm. long, three fourths as wide or less, loosely flowered, the lower branches ascending; spikelets 2.1-2.2 mm. long, 1.2-1.3 mm. wide, obovate-elliptic, obtuse, the basal attenuation short ; first glume about one fourth the length of the spikelet, usually truncate ; second glume and sterile lemma scarcely equaling the fruit at maturity, papillose-pubescent, sometimes minutely so; fruit 1.8 mm. long, 1.1 mm. wide, oval, puberulent at the apex.
Autumnal phase erect or nearly so, the blades becoming loosely involute, not much shorter than the vernal blades; spikelets more turgid, sometimes slightly shorter than those of the primary panicle.
Type locality: Waller County, Texas.
Distribution: Arkansas to Mississippi and eastern Texas; Vera Cruz.

Panicum arenicoloides Ashe, Jour. Elisha Mitchell Soc. 16: 89
1900.
Panicum orthophyllum Ashe, Jour. Elisha Mitchell Soc. 16: 90. 1900.
Vernal phase intermediate in appearance between that of P. angustifolium and P. aciculare, grayish-green, slender, mostly 30-50 cm. high; lower leaf -sheaths and blades softly villous; blades 7-12 cm. long (the lower shorter), 3-4 mm., rarely 5 mm. wide, tapering from the base to a more or less involute apex; panicles 4-6 cm. long, two thirds to three fourths as wide, the lower branches ascending; spikelets 2.1-2.5 mm. long, 1.2-1.3 mm. wide, obovate, obtuse; first glume one third the length of the spikelet, truncate or pointed; second glume and sterile lemma scarcely covering the fruit at maturity, papillose-pubescent; fruit 1.8-1.9 mm.long, 1.1-1.2 mm. wide, obscurely puberulent at the apex.
Autumnal phase bushy-branching, erect or topheavy, the blades involute ; spikelets more turgid, the attenuate base in exceptional specimens elongate, lengthening the spikelet to as much as 2.8 mm.
Type locality: Wilmington, North Carolina.
Distribution : North Carolina to Florida and eastern Texas; Guatemala.

Panicum neuranthum Griseb. Cat. PL Cub. 232. 1866
Vernal phase with numerous cespitose, stiff, erect, glabrous culms, 30-60 cm. high; leafsheaths glabrous or ciliate on the margin and usually with a few long hairs at the summit, or the lowermost sparsely ascending-pubescent; blades erect or ascending, glabrous or with a few cilia toward the base, the short basal blades few or wanting, those of the middle culm usually 10-15 cm. (sometimes only 5-6 cm.) long, 3-5 mm. wide; panicles finally long-exserted, 5-9 cm. long, narrow, the flexuous branches narrowly ascending, rarely loosely spreading, the branchlets appressed, the short-pediceled spikelets more or less secund along the branches; spikelets 2 mm. long, 1.2 mm. wide, broadly obovate, blunt, the attenuation at base short; first glume about one third the length of the spikelet, truncate or pointed; second glume and sterile lemma scarcely equaling the fruit at maturity, finely papillose-pubescent; fruit 1.8 mm. long, 1.1 mm. wide, elliptic, puberulent at the subacute apex.
Autumnal phase with erect, usually slender culms nearly as tall as the vernal form ; blades involute but not stiff, not conspicuously shorter than the vernal blades, 4-10 cm. long; spikelets more turgid, the fruit often slightly exceeding the second glume.
Type locality: Eastern Cuba.
Distribution: Southern Florida and Mississippi; Cuba.

Panicum aciculare Desv.; Poir. in Lam. Encyc. Suppl. 4: 274
1816.
Panicum setaceum Muhl. Descr. Gram. 99. 1817.
Panicum subuniflorum Bosc; Spreng. Syst. 1: 312. 1825.
Panicum arenicola Ashe, Jour. EUsha Mitchell Soc. 15: 56. 1898.
Panicum filirameum Ashe, Jour. Elisha Mitchell Soc. 16: 88. 1900.
Panicum pungens Muhl.; Scribn. & Merr. Circ. U. S. Dep. Agr. Agrost. 27: 2, as synonym. 1900.
Vernal culms numerous in a tuft, ascending from a spreading base, appressed-pubescent below, glabrate above, 20-50 cm. or, in shaded situations, 60 cm. or more high, the nodes more or less pubescent but not bearded; lower leaf -sheaths villous, the upper glabrous except the ciliate margin; blades stiff, spreading or ascending, narrowed to an involute point, glabrous or the lower sparsely pilose, somewhat papillose-hispid on the margin at base, the middle culmblades 4-6 cm. long, rarely longer, 2-5 mm. wide, the uppermost shorter, usually only 1-2 cm. long and 1-2 mm. wide; panicles open, 3-7 cm. long, the flexuous branches spreading at maturity; spikelets 1.9-2 mm. long, 1.1 mm. wide, obovate, blunt, the basal attenuation short; first glume about one fourth the length of the spikelet, obtuse or pointed ; second glume and sterile lemma equal, papillose-pubescent; fruit 1.6 mm. long. 1 mm. wide, oval-elliptic, glabrous at the apex.
Autumnal phase consisting of numerous bushy-branched culms 1CK50 cm. long, spreading and forming dense cushions, the short blades involute, sharp-pointed and usually arcuate, mostly 1—3 cm. long; spikelets more turgid than in the vernal form.
TypB locality: Probably Porto Rico, though the published locality is "Indes orientales." Distribution: New Jersey to Florida and eastern Texas; Cuba and Porto Rico.

Perennials, Terrestrial, not aquatic, Rhizomes present, Stems nodes swollen or brittle, Stems erect or ascending, Stems caespitose, tufted, or clustered, Stems terete, round in cross section, or polygonal, Stem internodes hollow, Stems with inflorescence less than 1 m tall, Stems, culms, or scapes exceeding basal leaves, Leaves mostly basal, below middle of stem, Leaves mostly cauline, Leaves conspicuously 2-ranked, distichous, Leaves sheathing at base, Leaf sheath mostly open, or loose, Leaf sheath smooth, glabrous, Leaf sheath hairy, hispid or prickly, Leaf sheath hairy at summit, throat, or collar, Leaf sheath and blade differentiated, Leaf blades lanceolate, Leaf blades ovate, Leaf blades 2-10 mm wide, Leaf blades mostly flat, Leaf blades mostly glabrous, Leaf blades more or less hairy, Ligule a fringe of hairs, Inflorescence terminal, Inflorescence an open panicle, openly paniculate, branches spreading, Inflorescence a contracted panicle, narrowly paniculate, branches appressed or ascending, Inflorescence solitary, with 1 spike, fascicle, glomerule, head, or cluster per stem or culm, Inflorescence branches more than 10 to numerous, Flowers bisexual, Spikelets pedicellate, Spikelets dorsally compressed or terete, Inflorescence or spikelets partially hidden in leaf sheaths, subtended by spatheole, Spikelet less than 3 mm wide, Spikelets with 1 fertile floret, Spikelets wi th 2 florets, Spikelets solitary at rachis nodes, Spikelets all alike and fertille, Spikelets bisexual, Spikelets disarticulating below the glumes, Rachilla or pedicel glabrous, Glumes present, empty bracts, Glumes 2 clearly present, Glumes distinctly unequal, Glumes equal to or longer than adjacent lemma, Glume equal to or longer than spikelet, Glumes 3 nerved, Glumes 4-7 nerved, Lemma similar in texture to glumes, Lemma coriaceous, firmer or thicker in texture than the glumes, Lemma becoming indurate, enclosing palea and caryopsis, Lemma 3 nerved, Lemma 5-7 nerved, Lemma 8-15 nerved, Lemma glabrous, Lemma apex truncate, rounded, or obtuse, Lemma awnless, Lemma margins inrolled, tightly covering palea and caryopsis, Lemma straight, Palea present, well developed, Palea about equal to lemma, Stamens 3, Styles 2-fid, deeply 2-branched, Stigmas 2, Fruit - caryopsis.