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24 FIELDIANA: BOTANY, VOLUME 28
striped, the wings brownish; spikelets very flat, closely appressed;
second glume 5.6 mm. long, 3 mm. wide at the base, winged, prominently
cordate, obtuse, 5-nerved, the lateral nerves approximate,
transversely veined, the margins hispid-ciliate; sterile lemma 5 mm.
long, 2.5 mm. wide, oval, somewhat cordate at the base, 3-nerved,
scabrous, the margins hispid-ciliate, the hairs shorter than those of
the second glume, with a prominent seta at the summit 2.5-3.5 mm.
long; fertile lemma 4.5 mm. long, lanceolate, somewhat stipitate,
with a tuft of hispid hairs at the summit, the margins narrow, sparsely
hirsute; palea thin, seriate, sparsely pubescent above the middle.
Type in U.S. Nat. Herb., no. 1,911,668, collected on savanna and
shrubby growth bordering forest of Rio Karuai, between Santa Teresita
de Kavanayen and base of Ptari-tepui, state of Bolivar, alt.
1220 m., November 18, 1944, Julian A. Steyermark 60302.
Paspalum erectifolium is related to P. setiglume Chase, described
from Auyan-tepui, which differs in being much taller, more than 1
meter with six racemes 10-12 cm. long, and much longer, linear
blades which are only sparsely hispid. Both are distinguished from
all other known species of Paspalum by the long terminal seta of the
sterile lemma.
Paspalum piligerum Swallen, sp. nov.
Perenne; culmi erecti, 70 cm. alti; vaginae internodiis longiores,
inferiores breves dense papilloso-hispidae, superiores elongatae
sparse papilloso-hispidae, 2 supremae efoliatae, scabrae; ligula
membranacea 2 mm. longa; laminae firmae, acuminatae, pungentes,
valde papilloso-hispidae, infima 17 cm. longa, 12 mm. lata; racemi 4,
approximate, 11-14 cm. longi, in axillis dense pilosi; rachis 8 mm.
lata, glabra; spiculae appressae basi barbatae; gluma secunda 7 mm.
longa, ovato-lanceolata, 3-nervis, dorso basi dense pilosa, summo
marginibus hispida; lemma sterile 5.7 mm. longum, lanceolatum,
sparse papilloso-hispidum, marginibus in pane inferiore dense
papilloso-ciliatis, in parte superiore scabris; fructus 4 mm. longus,
stipitatus, lemma lanceolate minute scabro, summo hispido; palea
glabra obtusa.
Perennial; culms erect, 70 cm. high; leaves mostly crowded toward
the base; sheaths all longer than the intern odes, the lower ones
short, very densely papillose-hispid, the upper ones elongate, less
densely papillose-hispid, the two uppermost bladeless, scabrous
only; ligule membranaceous, about 3 mm. long; blades thick, firm,
acuminate, pungently pointed, very densely papillose-hispid on both
surfaces, the hairs on the upper surface interlacing on either side of
the midnerve, the lower ones 17 cm. long, 12 ram. wide, becoming
smaller upward; racemes 4, ascending, approximate on a short axis,
11-14 cm. long, with dense tufts of white hairs in the axils, the
rachis extended beyond the spikelets, broadly winged, 8 mm. wide,
glabrous, the midrib green, the wings straw-colored; spikelets
crowded, appressed, bearded at the base; second glume 7 mm. long,