Panicum polyanthes Schult.

Panicum polyanthes Schultes, in R. & S. Syst. Veg. Mant. 2:
257. 1824.
Panicum multiflorum EH. Bot. S. C. & Ga. 1: 122. O 1816. Not P. multiflorum Poir. My 1816. Panicum microcarpon Muhl. Descr. Gram. 111. 1817. Not P. microcarpon Muhl.; Ell. 1816. Panicum microcarpon isophyllum Scribn. Bull. Tenn. Exp. Sta. 7: 51. 1894.
Vernal plants light-green, in tufts of few to several culms, 30-90 cm. high, stout, erect, the nodes glabrous or nearly so; leaf -sheaths long, usually overlapping, finely ciliate on the margin, otherwise glabrous ; ligule obsolete or wanting ; blades rather thin, prominently nerved, ascending, 12-23 cm. long, 15-25 mm. wide, the upper seldom reduced, longacuminate, scarcely narrowed toward the cordate base, rough or smooth on the upper surface, smooth below, the cartilaginous, scabrous margin ciliate toward the base; panicles exserted, 8-25 cm. long, one fourth to half as wide, densely flowered, the lower branches narrowly ascending, often distant, the upper fascicled, spike let-bearing to the base; spikelets 1.5-1.6 mm. long, 1-1.1 mm. wide, obovoid-spheric at maturity, minutely puberulent; first glume one third to two fifths the length of the spikelet, obtuse or obscurely pointed; second glume and sterile lemma equaling the fruit at maturity; fruit obovoid-spheric.
Autumnal phase remaining erect and simple or producing from the lower or middle nodes simple branches with smaller blades and panicles; winter rosettes like those of P. sphaerocarpon, but the leaves larger.
Type locality: South Carolina.
Distribution: New Jersey to Georgia and eastern Texas.