BOTANY O1 THE MAYA AREA


1. Lasiacis procerrima (Hack.) Hitchc. Proc. Biol. Soc. WashiLgton 24: 145. 1911.
 Water bamboo.
 Culms erect, simple or sparingly branched, 1.5 to 2 m. tall; sheaths
 shorter than the internodes, the margins ciliate; blades mostly 15 to 30 em.
 long, 2 to 4 cm. wide, acuminate, cordate at the base, pubescent; panicles
 open, 30 to 60 cm. long, the widely spreading branches as much as 40 cm.
 long, bearing toward the ends a few short-pedicellate spikelets 3 to 4 mm.
 long. Jungle borders, ravines and dry open ground, Mexico to Venezuela.
 In British Honduras this grass is used by the Caribs for making brooms.
 BRITISH HONDURAS. Belize District: Manatee Lagoon, Peck 107. Gracie
 Rock, Gentle 1743. El Cayo District: Mountain Pine Ridge, Bartlett 11623.
 Stann Creek District: All Pines, Schipp 785. Carib Reserve, Smart 39.

 2. Lasiacis oaxacensis (Steud.) Hitche. Proe. Biol. Soc. Washington 24: 45. 1911.
 Plants without strong central canes, the culms slender, branching, creep-
 ing or clambering over low brush, as much as 5 m. long; blades narrowly
 lanceolate, 10 to 20 cm. long, 1 to 1.5 cm. wide, scabrous on both surfaces;
 panicles open, loosely flowered, 10 to 25 cm. long, the branches stiffly ascend-
 ing, usually naked below; spikelets 4 mm. long. Thickets, southern Mexico
 to Ecuador; also in Jamaica and Hispaniola.
 BmTISH HONDURAs. El Cayo District: Little Cocquericot, Lundell 3877.
 Toledo District: Columbia Village, Smart 47. Monkey River, Peck 593.
 Temash River, Schipp 1368.

3. Lasiacis grisebachii (Nash) Hitchc. Bot. Gas. 51: 302. 1911.
 Culms simple or much branched, prostrate, rooting at the lower nodes, the
branches ascending; blades narrowly lanceolate 6 to 12 cm. long, 5 to 10
mm. wide, glabrous or with a few scattered hairs; panicles 4 to 8 cm. long,
the branches few-flowered, stiffly ascending; spikelets 4 mm. long. Rich
woods and thickets, eastern Mexico, British Honduras, Honduras, Guatemala
and Cuba.
 BRITISH HONDURAS. Orange Walk District: Honey Camp, Lundell 10, 559,
559a. Belize District: Prospecto, Gentle 866. Manatee Lagoon, Peck 197.
El Cayo District: Between El Cayo and Benque Viejo, Bartlett 11505.
Roaring Creek Lundell 437.
 GUATEMALA. Petin: Uaxactun, Bartlett 12190.

4. Lasiacis divaricata (L.) Hitchc. Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 15: 16. 1910. Canizo,
 Tzenetcho.
 Culms clambering, as much as 4 m. long, smooth, freely branching, the
branches often zigzag; blades lanceolate, 5 to 12 cm. long, 5 to 15 mm.
wide, glabrous; panicles pyramidal, mostly 5 to 8 cm. long (rarely as much
as 12 cm.) the few-flowered branches 1 to 3 cm. long, spreading or re-
flexed; spikelets 4 mm. long. Thickets and edges of woods, southern Florida,
Mexico and the West Indies, south to Argentina.
 BRITISH- HONDURAS. Corozal District: Corozal, Gentle 103. Port Sal,
Lundell 4904, 4905 (in part). Orange Walk District?: Hillbank Camp,
Pelly 35. Belize District: Manatee Lagoon, Peck 93. El Cayo District:
Roaring Creek, Lundell 437. Stann Creek District: Middlesex, Schipp 332.
 GUATEMALA. Pet6n: La Libertad, Lundell 2249, 3548, 4882; Aguilar 19.
El Paso, Lundell 1587. Monte Santa Teresa, Lundell 2734.