Panicum rudgei Roem. & Schult.

Panicum rudgei R. & S. Syst. Veg. 2: 444. 1817
Panicum scoparium Rudge, PI. Guian. 1: 21. 1805. Not P. scoparium Lam. 1798.
Panicum Rudgei brasiliense Raddi, Agrost. Bras. 48. 1823.
Panicum dasytrichum Spreng. Syst. 1 : 317. 1825.
Panicum hirsutum Willd.; Spreng. Syst. 1: 317, as synonym. 1825. Not P. hirsutum Sw. 1797.
Panicum rhigiophyllum Steud. Syn. Gram. 76. 1854.
Panicum rigens Salzm.; Steud. Syn. Gram. 76, as synonym. 1854. Not P. rigens Sw. 1788.
Panicum cayennense divaricatum Doell, in Mart. Fl. Bras. 2 2 : 220. 1877.
Plants perennial, yellow-green or tawny; culms robust, 30-100 cm. high, erect or somewhat geniculate at base, often zigzag, especially above, densely and harshly villous; leaf -sheaths nearly equaling the internodes or overlapping, densely papillosevillous or hirsute; ligule mem-branaceous, ciliate, about 1 mm. long, the hairs of the ligule blending with the hairs of the upper surface of the blade; blades thick, linear, 15-40 cm. long, 5-10 mm. wide, rather rigidly ascending, flat or folded, slightly narrowed toward the base, gradually long-acuminate, densely short-hirsute on both surfaces or glabrate; panicles terminal and in the axils of the approximate upper 2-6 leaves, forming an oblong inflorescence one third the height of the plant, or more, each more or less included at base in the subtending sheath; branches pilose in the axils, branching freely from the base, the branches and branchlets angled, scabrous, the lower branchlets stiffly ascending, the upper and the long pedicels divaricate, somewhat flexuous; spikelets about 3.5 mm. long, 1.5 mm. wide, turgid, somewhat attenuate at base, strongly nerved, sparsely hirsute, the stiff hairs irregularly distributed ; first glume about two thirds the length
of the spikelets, acuminate ; second glume and sterile lemma subequal, exceeding the fruit,
abruptly pointed, the latter subtending a palea and staminate flower; fruit 2.1 mm. long, 1.1
mm. wide, elliptic, smooth and shining, a cartilaginous flap-like appendage at the base.
Type locality: Guiana.
Distribution: Jamaica; Costa Rica to Brazil.