6. P. dilatàtum, Poir. Stout, erect, 2–5° high, villous at the top of the sheath; spikes few on a naked peduncle, erect, 2–3´ long; spikelets 1´´ long or more, the lower glume soft-villous on the margin.—Va. to Tex.
[+][+][+] Spikelets acute; spikes always a pair at the summit of the naked peduncle.
7. P. dístichum, L. (Joint-Grass.) Nearly glabrous, rather glaucous; culms ascending (about 1° high) from a long creeping base; leaves linear-lanceolate (2–3´ long); peduncle usually short; spikes short and closely-flowered (9´´–2´ long), often slightly separated; rhachis flat on the back; spikelets ovate, slightly pointed (barely 1½´´ long), approximate on one side of the rhachis.—Wet fields, Va. and southward. July–Sept.
8. P. Ellióttii, Watson. Culms ascending (1–2½° high) from a creeping base; leaves lanceolate (3–6´ long, 4–6´´ wide); spikes slender, rather sparsely flowered (1–4´ long), both sessile upon the long slender peduncle; spikelets ovate-lanceolate (2´´ long), on nearly opposite sides of the rhachis. (Milium paspalòdes, Ell. P. Digitaria, Chapm.; not Poir.)—Va. and southward.
4. ERIÓCHLOA, HBK. ([Pl. 16.])
Spikelets ovate, subsessile or shortly pedicelled upon one side of the rhachis of a spike, with a callus at base and jointed on the pedicel, 1-flowered. Glumes 3, the 2 empty ones slightly unequal, membranaceous, acute, the flowering one shorter, indurated, obtuse, enclosing the free grain.—Coarse tufted grasses, with flat leaves, the spikes more or less scattered along a common peduncle, and the pedicels and rhachis of the spike usually pubescent or hairy (hence the name, from ἔριον, wool, and χλόα, grass).
1. E. polystàchya, HBK. Culms erect or decumbent, 2° high; spikes 6–12, erect or ascending, 1–2´ long, forming a compound spike 3–6´ long; spikelets glabrous, very shortly pedicelled, oblong-lanceolate, nearly 2´´ long.—S. Kan. to Tex. and Mex.
5. PÁNICUM, L. Panic-Grass. ([Pl. 13.])
Spikelets jointed upon the pedicels, ovate, panicled, racemed, or sometimes spiked, not involucrate, with one perfect and sometimes a second lower rudimentary or staminate flower. Glumes 4, but the lower one usually short or minute (rarely even wanting), and the third empty or sterile, membranaceo-herbaceous. Upper flower perfect, closed, coriaceous or cartilaginous, usually flattish parallel with the glumes, awnless (except in § 3), enclosing the free and grooveless grain. Stamens 3. Stigmas plumose, usually purple. (An ancient Latin name of the Italian Millet, P. Italicum (now Setaria Italica), of uncertain origin and meaning.)
§ 1. DIGITÀRIA. Spikelets crowded 2–3 together in simple and mostly 1-sided clustered spikes or spike-like racemes, wholly awnless and pointless, 1-flowered; lower glume minute or obsolete or wanting; annual, often purplish.