Spikes panicled, filiform, spikelets very minute one-or more-flowered, glumes awnless. 39. Leptochloa.



31. Aristida, L.

These are tufted, annual or perennial grasses. Spikelets are panicled, 1-flowered, laterally compressed, with the rachilla jointed above the empty glumes, 3-glumed. The first and the second glumes are narrow, keeled, 1-nerved, awned or not and persistent. The third glume is very narrow, cylindric, coriaceous, convolute, acuminate, 3-nerved, tip produced into a long 3-partite, naked or hairy awn twisted below the branches, with a minute palea which is convolute round the ovary. Lodicules are two, linear or oblong-linear and hyaline. Stamens are three. Styles are distinct. Grain is long, narrow and cylindrical.

KEY TO THE SPECIES.

Awn tripartite from the base and not articulate with the top of the glume, persistent and glabrous.

Annual.

Glumes I and II not awned.

Awn without any column and branched from the base. 1. A. Adscenscionis.

Awn with a short column and with shorter branches. 4. A. mutabilis.

Perennial.

Panicle cylindric, glumes I and II awned; callus with white silky hairs. 2. A. setacea.

Panicle effuse, glumes I and II awned or not; callus naked. 3. A. Hystrix.

Awn with a long column, tripartite at the top.

Annual; panicle lax, narrow; glumes I and II awned. 5. A. funiculata.



Aristida Adscenscionis, L.

This grass is usually an annual becoming a perennial under favourable conditions. Stems are slender, sometimes even filiform, erect, or ascending, simple or branched, varying in length from 9 inches to 3 feet.

The leaf-sheath is glabrous, thinly striate. The ligule is a row of fine short hairs. Nodes are glabrous.

The leaf-blade is narrow, linear, tapering to a fine point, convolute in bud, scabrid above and smooth below, with a minutely serrate, very narrow, hyaline margin, 1 to 10 inches long and 1/12 inch broad.

The inflorescence is a lax, narrow, subsecund panicle, varying in length from 3 to 12 inches, and with a slender glabrous peduncle; the main rachis is filiform and glabrous; branches are either solitary or binate, unequal; branched either from the middle or the base; pedicels are short and capillary.



The spikelets are narrow, erect, green, occasionally also purplish, 1/4 to 1/3 inch long exclusive of the awn. There are three glumes. The first glume is linear-lanceolate, acute, membranous, 1-nerved with a scaberulous keel, 1/16 to 3/16 inch long. The second glume is longer than the first, linear-lanceolate, acute, occasionally 2-toothed and apiculate, 1-veined about 1/4 inch long and with a smooth keel. The third glume is as long as the second or slightly longer, laterally compressed, 3-nerved, smooth but scaberulous along the keel, awned; there are three scabrid awns, varying in length from 1/2 to 3/4 inch, continuous with the glume without a column, not jointed, and the middle awn is longer than the lateral ones; the callus is long, pointed and villous. There is a minute palea. Lodicules are two, similar to the palea in size, linear oblong. Anthers are yellow dotted with purple. The ovary is oblong linear with two white feathery stigmas.

Grain is long and linear.

This when young is eaten by cattle, but they do not like it when in flower.

Distribution.—Occurs all over the Presidency in the plains and the low hills.

Aristida setacea, Retz.

This is a tall coarse perennial grass with hard, smooth and polished, stout, erect simple or branched stems, 3 to 4 feet. Roots are stout and wiry.

The leaf-sheath is glabrous, cylindrical. The ligule is a row of short hairs. The nodes are glabrous.

The leaf-blade is linear, coriaceous, convolute, glabrous, strongly nerved, 6 to 12 inches long.

The inflorescence is a contracted panicle varying from 6 to 18 inches with short, erect or subsecund branches.



The spikelets vary from 1/2 to 2/3 inch excluding the awn. There are three glumes. The first glume is about 3/8 inch long, lanceolate-linear, narrowed into a short awn. The second glume is longer than the first, 1-nerved and minutely 2-toothed or notched at the base of the awn. The third glume is 5/8 inch long, 3-nerved, nearly smooth. The callus of the third glume is long, densely silkily hairy with three awns not jointed at the base with the glume; awns about 1 inch or more. Lodicules are ovate-lanceolate, fairly large. Grain is narrow, cylindrical.

This grass grows in open dry situations in many parts of the Presidency.

Distribution.—All over India.

Aristida Hystrix, Linn. f.

This is a diffuse perennial grass with a creeping root-stock, with fairly stout sometimes proliferous freely branching stems; branches are stiff, erect, inclined or prostrate, varying in length from 6 inches to 2 feet.

The leaf-sheath is glabrous and cylindric. The ligule is a ridge of close-set hairs. Nodes are glabrous.

The leaf-blades are quite flat, narrowly lanceolate-linear very finely acuminate, glabrous on both the surfaces but with tufts of hairs on both sides at the base where the blade joins the sheath, prominently nerved; margin is even and without any hyaline border, the blade varies in length from 2 to 9 inches.



The inflorescence is an effuse panicle, as long as broad, varying in length from 4 to 10 inches; the main rachis is stout, finely scabrid, with stiff slender, horizontally spreading or reclining branches that arise in pairs from the nodes, the branches have swollen bases at the nodes and they are covered by long hairs.

The spikelets are 3/8 inch long excluding the awn. There are three glumes. The first glume is chartaceous, lanceolate, acuminate and terminating in an awn, 1-nerved, 3/8 to 1/2 inch including the awn, with the keel very finely scabrous. The second glume is longer than the first, chartaceous, lanceolate, terminating in an awn, 1/2 to 3/4 inch long including the awn, with a smooth keel. The callus of the third glume is short, pointed and villous. The third glume is chartaceous finely scabrid 1/4 to 3/8 inch long excluding the awn, 3-nerved, 3-lobed at the apex and the lobes becoming awns; awns are 1 inch long, the middle one being a little longer. The outer margin of the glume is broader than the inner margin and is rounded at the apex at the base of the awn. There are three stamens and the anthers are pale or purplish. The style branches are purplish. The lodicules are 1/8 inch long obliquely lanceolate.

This grass is fairly common in all open dry situations throughout this Presidency.

Distribution.—Deccan Peninsula and Ceylon.



Aristida mutabilis, Trin. & Rup.

This is a small tufted annual grass with simple or branched slender stems spreading at the base, and sometimes geniculately ascending and rooting at the lower nodes, 6 to 12 inches long. The nodes have dark purple rings when dry.

The leaf-sheath is glabrous, with membranous margins and long hairs at the mouth. The ligule is a row of short dense hairs.

The leaf-blade is slender, convolute, rigid, curved, and the tip ending in a sharp point, 1 to 3 inches long.

The inflorescence is a narrow panicle, cylindric, with short crowded branches, some of them remote lower down, peduncle is smooth, and rachis smooth or scaberulous; branches and pedicels are scaberulous.



The spikelets are shortly pedicellate, pale-green about 1/4 inch long exclusive of the awn. There are three glumes. The first glume is membranous, oblong-lanceolate, shortly awned, 1-nerved, keeled and scaberulous on the keel and the sides. The second glume is narrower and longer than the first, shortly awned 1-nerved, 2-toothed, obscurely scaberulous and encircling the third glume. The third glume is narrow, convolute, scaberulous, 3-nerved awned with a shortly bearded callus, the awn is three branched articulate to the short column at the base about 3/4 inch long with the middle branch slightly longer than the other two; palea is minute. Lodicules are two and narrow. The grain is narrow as long as the glume and grooved.

This resembles in general habit and appearance Aristida Adscenscionis, but it is not so widely distributed. So far this has been noticed only in Tinnevelly and Nellore districts.

Distribution.—Southern India, the Punjab and Rajputana, also in Arabia and tropical Africa.

Aristida funiculata, Trin. & Rup.

This is a slender annual grass with geniculately ascending stems, radiating on all sides. The stems vary in length from 10 to 20 inches.

The leaf-sheath is glabrous and cylindrical. The ligule is a short membrane ciliate at the margin, or a close set fringe of hairs.

The leaf-blade is flat or convolute, narrowly linear-acuminate, with long scattered hairs on the upper surface and tufts of long hairs at the mouth, and varying in length from 2 to 6 inches and in breadth from 1/20 to 1/12 inch.

The inflorescence is a narrow, lax panicle with short, erect, capillary branches. The spikelets vary in length from 1/2 to 7/8 inch.

There are three glumes. The first glume is linear-lanceolate, acute and terminating in an awn, 1-nerved and varying in length from 3/4 to 7/8 inch. The second glume is similar to the first, but narrower and shorter, 1/2 inch or longer. The third glume is very short, and is prolonged towards the apex as a narrow firmly convolute strap forming a twisted column of about an inch jointed at the base, and this ends in three slender scabrid awns of about 1-1/4 inch, the middle one being longer. The glume just below the joint is finely scabrid to a little distance. The palea is short. Anthers are small, purple. The style branches are also purple. Lodicules are oblong, obliquely truncate at the apex and about 1/10 inch long. The grain is cylindric.



Found in open dry situation in several places, but not widely distributed.

Distribution.—From the Punjab to Concan and Madras Presidency, Arabia, Baluchistan and Tropical Africa.



32. Sporobolus, Br.

These are perennial or annual grasses with varied habit. Inflorescence is an open or contracted or spiciform panicle. Spikelets are small consisting of three membranous glumes, 1-nerved or nerveless. The first and the second glumes are unequal, persistent or separately caducous. The third glume is ovate or oblong, acute or obtuse, longer or shorter than the second, 1-nerved, paleate; palea is as long as the glume and of the same texture of the glume dorsally narrowly inflexed along the middle line and splitting into two halves. Lodicules are very minute or absent. Stamens one to three. Styles are with short stigmas. Grain oblong, obovoid or round.

KEY TO THE SPECIES.

Glumes I and II both shorter than III.

Panicle rather narrow with short capillary branches; glumes I and II nerveless. 1. S. diander.

Glume I shorter than II and III and II nearly or quite as long as III.

Panicle contracted, narrow and spiciform; glume I 1-nerved. 2. S. tremulus.

Panicle open and effuse.

Branches with spikelets and pedicels appressed. 3. S. coromandelianus.

Panicle short; leaves glabrous. Branches with pedicel and spikelets drooping and not appressed. 4. S. commutatus.

Panicle large; leaves with long hairs. 5. S. scabrifolius.

Sporobolus diander, Beauv.

This is a tufted annual or perennial grass. Stems are slender with leaves tufted at the base, 1 to 3 feet high.

The leaf-sheath is glabrous and smooth, ribbed, the lower short and the upper very long. Nodes are glabrous. The ligule consists of a fringe of minute hairs.

The leaf-blades are usually flat, glabrous, strongly nerved, with filiform tips, 3 to 10 inches by 1/25 to 1/16 inch.

The inflorescence is an erect narrow pyramidal panicle, varying in length from 4 to 10 inches and about 2 inches in breadth. The branches are very fine, spreading and in scattered fascicles, 1/2 to 2 inches long, with many very small spikelets arranged racemosely along the axis. Spikelets are small 1/18 to 1/20 inch long, with very short pedicels. The first glume is very short less than 1/5 inch, broadly oblong, nerveless, hyaline, broadly truncate and erose at the apex. The second glume is a little longer than the first, but shorter than the third, hyaline, broadly elliptic-oblong, nerveless or obscurely 1-nerved. The third glume is broadly ovate-oblong, subacute, 1-nerved, paleate; the palea is plicate in the median line. Stamens are usually two. The grain is obovoid, truncate at the apex, and with a small white swelling in the centre at the apex, rugulose, red-brown.



This grass grows usually gregariously in somewhat sheltered situations all over the Presidency on the plains and low hills. This is an excellent fodder grass. It forms fairly large tufts with plenty of green leaves on rich moist soils. When the leaves are young cattle eat this grass very eagerly, but do not seem to care for it when the leaves become old. However by frequent grazing it can be made to produce young leaves in succession. This grass is also an excellent soil binder, as its roots form a perfect matting in any kind of moist soil soon after planting. This is very difficult to eradicate when once established.

Distribution.—Throughout India and Burma.



Sporobolus tremulus, Kunth.

A small tufted perennial grass.

The plant consists of prostrate stems and stolons, filiform and wiry. Stems vary in length from 2 to 18 inches, prostrate or erect, rooting at the lower nodes; flowering branches always ascending.

The leaf-sheath is glabrous, finely striate, shorter than the internode. The ligule is a very short ciliated membrane.

The leaf-blade is narrow linear, pungent, somewhat rigid, flat, distichous, base rounded with or without a few long hairs and varies in length from 1/4 to 1 inch and in breadth from 1/20 to 1/16 inch, but in plants growing in rich moist soils the leaves become longer reaching 3-1/2 inches in length.

The inflorescence is a narrow spiciform panicle with appressed branches and spikelets, sometimes interrupted, varying in length from 3/4 to 1-1/4 inch; both the peduncle and the main rachis are glabrous, and the latter wavy.



The spikelets are 1/16 inch long, oblong-lanceolate, pale, crowded, glabrous, shortly pedicelled on thinly scaberulous filiform short branches. There are three glumes in the spikelet, and all the glumes are membranous and thin. The first glume is a little shorter than the second and about two-third the length of the third glume and 1-nerved. The second glume is a little shorter than the third or equal to but not longer, oblong-lanceolate, subacute or obtuse, 1-nerved and obscurely scaberulous at the back along the nerve. The third glume is broadly oblong, subacute or obtuse, 1-nerved, glabrous, with a palea as long as the glume; the palea is 2-nerved, oblong and truncate at the apex. Stamens are three and anthers are pale greenish yellow. Stigmas are pale. Lodicules are two, small.

This grass is an excellent one for binding the soil and may also prove successful as a fodder grass. It usually flourishes in moist situations, in sandy loams and rich heavy soils.

Distribution.—Plains throughout India and Ceylon.



Sporobolus coromandelianus, L.

The plant is a densely tufted annual varying in size with the nature of the soil, small and stunted in hard dry soils and large and spreading in rich loose and moist soils.

The stems are closely spreading on the ground, rooting sometimes at the lower nodes, branching freely, profusely leafy at the base, covered by a few scale leaves, and 2 to 12 inches long.

The leaf-sheath is glabrous, faintly and finely striate, distichously imbricate, compressed, somewhat keeled, outer margin ciliate, and bearded at the mouth. The ligule is a thin short membranous ridge with a fringe of dense fine hairs. The leaf-sheath enclosing the base of the peduncle is rather long, glabrous with a tuft of short hairs at the mouth.

The leaf-blade is green without any glaucousness about it, 1/2 to 6 inches long, 3/16 to 1/4 inch broad, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, flat, acuminate, slightly coriaceous, many-nerved with a prominent midrib, scaberulous throughout, with a few long scattered deciduous, tubercle-based hairs towards the base, base subcordate, margin cartilaginous, scabrid and finely serrulate.



The inflorescence is a pyramidal panicle 1-1/2 to 4 inches long, erect on a terete glabrous peduncle 1-1/2 to 6 inches long, the main rachis is slender, erect, striate, glabrous and has glandular streaks just above the insertion of the branches of the lowest verticil. Branches are capillary, stiff and spreading, horizontally verticillate or subverticillate, the lowest whorl consisting of five to sixteen or seventeen branches and the others from three to nine, shining, swollen at the point of insertion and provided with a glandular scar a little above the point of insertion; branchlets are very close, appressed to the rachis of the branch never drooping or spreading, each bearing two to five spikelets.

The spikelets are small, 1/20 to 1/16 inch subsessile or pedicelled, always appressed to the rachis solitary in the upper portions of the branches, and two to five on the branchlets in the lower portion, pale, green or rarely copper coloured, oblong or lanceolate, acute or acuminate, caducous or glumes one and two persistent.

There are three glumes. The first glume is very small, hyaline, ovate, obtuse, occasionally truncate or acute, about one-fifth of the third glume or less. The second glume is membranous, ovate or oblong-lanceolate, acute or acuminate, thinly scaberulous and 1-nerved. The third glume is as long as or a little shorter than the second glume, 1-nerved and paleate. The palea is as long as the glume, oblong, 2-nerved, splitting in two portions between the nerves as soon as the grain is formed. Stamens are three with reddish purple anthers; stigmas are white at first, but turning brown while withering. Lodicules are two, minute. The grain is oblong, pale, brown and obtuse at both ends, embryo about 1/3 of the grain.

This grass flourishes in all kinds of soils all over the Presidency.

Distribution.—Throughout the plains of India and Ceylon. Also in Afghanistan and South Africa.



Sporobolus commutatus, Kunth.

This is an annual and usually grows in loose tufts. Stems are slender, always erect or ascending, leafy and branching, 2 to 15 inches long.

The leaf-sheath is shorter than the internode, slightly compressed, finely striate, glabrous and occasionally with a few scattered tubercle-based hairs, margin ciliate; the uppermost sheath is cylindric somewhat long and embraces the greater portion of the peduncle and has a bunch of short hairs at the top.

The leaf-blade is narrow linear-lanceolate, acuminate scaberulous throughout, with long tubercle-based hairs scattered all over, but more of them near the base; margins spinulosely distantly serrulate or scabrid, base rounded or subcordate, 1/2 to 4-1/2 inches long and 1/16 to 3/16 inch wide.



The inflorescence is diffuse, pyramidal, 1 to 3 inches by 3/4 to 2 inches, on a slender glabrous peduncle 1 to 6 inches long, main rachis is slender and angled, with a glandular streak or without it. Branches are effuse, fine, capillary (more so than in S. coromandelianus), obliquely ascending, never stiff and horizontal, verticillate or irregularly subverticillate, the lowest whorl of five to twelve and the others three to seven branches; the rachis of the branches is obscurely scaberulous, slightly swollen at the point of insertion; branchlets are never appressed to the branch, always drooping and spreading on all sides, and bearing two to four spikelets.

The spikelets are about 1/16 inch long, ovate-lanceolate, acute or acuminate dark or pale green, sometimes purplish, solitary or two to four on long slender pedicels, drooping, never appressed, and with glandular streaks. There are three glumes. The first glume is minute, hyaline, ovate, obtuse or acute, nerveless. The second glume is five or six times as long as the first, ovate lanceolate, 1-nerved, acuminate. The third glume is equal to or a little shorter than the second, ovate-lanceolate, acute, 1-nerved paleate; palea is equal to the third glume, 2-nerved splitting into two halves between the nerves. Anthers are three and purple in colour. Stigmas are white and feathery. Grain as in S. coromandelianus.

In Flora of British India, this plant is included under Sporobolus coromandelianus. These two plants (S. coromandelianus and S. commutatus) are quite distinct and grow side by side. As the differences are not easily seen in herbarium specimens the two plants are put together under the one species S. coromandelianus. The branches are tufted and are usually decumbent at base, leaves quite green and somewhat broad in S. coromandelianus; and in S. commutatus, branches are usually not decumbent at base, generally erect from the base and leaves are green glaucous and somewhat narrow. The most striking difference, however, is in the panicle. The branches of the panicle are always stiff and horizontal in S. coromandelianus and the spikelets are appressed to the branches and never spreading or drooping, whereas in S. commutatus the branches are never stiff and horizontal, always obliquely ascending and the spikelets are spreading and drooping. Judging from living plants these two are undoubtedly distinct and so this plant is treated as a distinct species retaining Kunth's name Sporobolus commutatus. Enumeratio Plantarum, Pl. I, 214.

Distribution.—This occurs in Coimbatore, Madras and Bellary Districts; but it is not so common nor so widely distributed as S. coromandelianus, L.



Sporobolus scabrifolius, Bhide.

The plant is a very pretty one, especially when in flower. It is a loosely tufted annual varying in height from 5 to 30 inches. Stems are slender, terete, 6 to 30 inches long, bent at the base, then geniculately ascending and finally becoming erect, glabrous, pale green or purplish.

The leaf-sheath is shorter than the internode, slightly compressed, obscurely keeled, glabrous and striate, margin is thinly ciliate on one side, especially towards the mouth which is bearded. The leaf-sheath embracing the peduncle is longer than the lower sheaths. The ligule is a fringe of close-set hairs on an inconspicuous ridge. The nodes are glabrous.

The leaf-blade is glaucous green, 1 to 5 inches long, 1/8 to 3/8 inch broad, linear-lanceolate or lanceolate, acuminate, flat, rounded or subcordate, and amplexicaul at base, scaberulous throughout, with tubercle-based deciduous hairs on both the surfaces, and bearded at the base above the ligule; the margin is thickened, serrulate, ciliate with bulbous-based deciduous hairs.



The inflorescence is an effuse panicle, 2-1/2 to 7 inches long and 1 to 4-1/2 inches broad, pyramidal or elliptic on a slender peduncle 1 to 7 inches long; rachis is striolate, cylindric, glabrous and partly green and partly purplish. Branches are capillary, 1/2 to 2-1/2 inches long, those in the middle of the panicle are often the longest pale green at first but turning purple later, whorled regularly or irregularly, with often a solitary or twin branches intervening, spreading, horizontal, reflexed, rarely one or two erect, dividing into still finer branchlets below, ending in a few solitary spikelets above, swollen at the base near the place of insertion and naked to a short length, scabrid. The lowest whorl consists of five to ten branches and in others they vary from three to eight; the branchlets are spreading and drooping bearing from two to seven spikelets. There are glandular streaks at the base of the branches above the point of insertion in the naked portion and also on the pedicels of the spikelets.

The spikelets are 1/20 to 1/16 inch long, lanceolate, acuminate, on finely capillary pedicels long or short, pale at first and becoming purplish when old. There are three glumes, the first two being empty. All the glumes are 1-nerved and membranous. The first glume is membranous, about two-thirds of the second, sometimes less, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate slightly scaberulous on the keel. The second glume is a little longer than the third, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, scaberulous on the keel. The third glume is oblong-ovate, glabrous, flower bearing, paleate; the palea is shorter than the glume, 2-nerved, splitting into two between the nerves. Anthers are three, small, pale yellow at first but becoming purple when old, stigmas are pale. Lodicules are two and minute. Grain is rounded, slightly compressed, oblique at the base, nearly as long as broad.

Distribution.—In black cotton soils in Coimbatore and Bellary districts.



33. Gracilea, Koen.

These are small tufted grasses. The inflorescence is a spike bearing unilaterally turbinate clusters of spikelets which are 2-flowered. The spikelets have usually four, and rarely six glumes and very often the rachilla is produced beyond the fourth glume. The first and the second glumes are narrow (the first being the narrowest), rigid, ciliate with long hairs and awned. The third glume is bisexual, chartaceous, broadly ovate, 3-nerved, shortly awned. The fourth glume is similar to the third but smaller and male. The fifth and sixth glumes when present are small and empty. Lodicules are two and small. Grain linear oblong.

KEY TO THE SPECIES.

Stems stout; leaves not filiform; tip of glume III entire 1. G. nutans.

Stems slender, leaves filiform; tip of glume III toothed 2. G. Royleana.

Gracilea nutans, Koen.

This grass is a perennial with stout fibrous roots. Stems are stout, leafy and creeping below, ascending later; naked and slender above, 4 to 10 inches long.

The leaf-sheath is glabrous, shorter than the blade, coriaceous and open above. The ligule is a ridge of hairs.

The leaf-blade is lanceolate, narrowed from the rounded or subcordate base to the acute tip, coriaceous, 3/4 to 1 inch long; margins are ciliate with tubercle-based cilia; the surfaces with or without a few scattered long tubercle-based hairs.

The inflorescence is 1 to 3 inches long, consisting of distant sessile fascicles of four to six spikelets; the rachis of the spike is flexuous; the rachis of the fascicles ends in three subulate empty glumes.



The spikelets are closely appressed and each one has four glumes. The first and the second glumes are empty, 2/5 inch long, rigidly coriaceous, gradually narrowed from a villous base into an erect, scabrid awn, 1-nerved. The second glume has broad hyaline margins towards the base. The third glume is about 1/10 inch, ovate, with a short scabrid awn at the tip, scaberulous at the back just above the middle, 3-nerved, paleate and with both stamens and ovary; palea is narrow, lanceolate, as long as the glume and 2-toothed at the tip. The grain is oblong, brownish. The fourth glume is about half as long as the third glume, with a short, stout, smooth rachilla, ovate-lanceolate, terminated at the tip by two teeth and a short awn, scabrid above the middle at the back, paleate and male; palea is shorter than the glume; the rachilla is produced beyond the fourth glume and terminates in a thickening.

This grass grows in open somewhat dry loamy and laterite soils in the East Coast districts.

Distribution.—Mysore and the Carnatic and Ceylon.

Gracilea Royleana, Hook. f.

This is a slender annual grass. Stems are very slender, densely tufted, geniculately ascending or erect, 3 to 8 inches long.

The leaf-sheath is either covered with scattered tubercle-based hairs or glabrous. The ligule is a hairy ridge. The nodes are glabrous.

The leaf-blade is filiform, linear-lanceolate, acutely pointed, glabrous or nearly so, margins distantly ciliate, 1 to 2 inches long by 1/16 inch or less.

The inflorescence is 1/2 to 3 inches long and consists of fascicles of spikelets; the rachis is trigonous, smooth, and flexuous.



The spikelets consist of four glumes. The first glume is rigidly coriaceous, gradually narrowed from a villous base to an erect scabrid awn, 1-nerved. The second glume is also coriaceous, narrowed to an awn but has broad hyaline margins towards the base. The third glume is ovate-lanceolate, scabrid all over the back and with two teeth, one on each side of the awn, paleate; the palea is 2-toothed at the apex and as long as the glume and contains three stamens and the ovary. The grain is oblong brownish. The fourth glume is stalked, shorter than the third glume, distinctly 3-toothed at the apex, scabrid at the back above the middle, paleate and male; the palea is smaller than the glume and 2-toothed at the apex. The rachilla is produced behind the palea and it ends in two small teeth, one being slightly larger than the other.

This grass is a very slender one and it is closely allied to Gracilea nutans. It differs from G. nutans in being an annual and in having filiform leaves, bicuspidate third glume which is scabrid all over the back and a fourth glume distinctly tricuspidate at the apex. This does not occur so widely as Gracilea nutans.

Distribution.—Bellary and Chingleput districts, the Punjab, Rajputana, Concan and Kanara.



34. Enteropogon, Nees.

Tall slender grasses with very long narrow leaves. Spikelets are 2-flowered, narrow, biseriate, unilateral, imbricate on the rachis of a solitary spike; the rachilla is elongate between the flowering glumes and produced beyond them and terminates in a rudimentary awned glume. There are four glumes. The first two glumes are hyaline, unequal-nerved and persistent. The third and the fourth glumes are chartaceous, narrowly lanceolate, 3-nerved, bicuspidate and awned below the tip; awns are capillary, straight; the callus is bearded and articulate at the base. The third glume bears a bisexual or female flower and the fourth bisexual or male. Lodicules are two. Stamens are three with long anthers. Styles short diverging from the base, with short stigmas laterally exserted.

Enteropogon melicoides, Nees.

This is a tall perennial grass with stout roots. Stems are densely tufted on a short woody root-stock, erect, leafy, 1 to 3 feet long.

Leaf-sheaths are compressed and distichous below, glabrous or sometimes with a few hairs close to the margin. Ligule is a ridge with long hairs.

The leaf-blade is very long 1/6 to 1/4 inch broad, auricled at the base, narrowed into very finely acuminate or capillary tips midrib prominent; scaberulous on both the surfaces and with long hairs on the auricles.

The spikes usually solitary, but occasionally binate, 6 to 10 inches long; rachis is quite smooth and dorsally rounded.



The spikelets are about 1/4 inch long, erecto-patent. There are four glumes. The first glume is lanceolate, 1-nerved, and persistent. The second glume is twice as long as the first, linear-lanceolate, with a very short awn and 2-toothed at the tip, 1-nerved, persistent. The third glume is rigid, lanceolate-linear, 3-nerved, scaberulous all over; paleate and awned; awn is nearly as long as the glume, rigid. The fourth glume is similar to the third glume in all respects but shorter. The rachilla is produced beyond the fourth glume and it terminates in an awned rudimentary glume. The third glume as well as the fourth glume contains a perfect flower and the grain is developed always in the third and mostly in the fourth also. The grain is oblong, brownish, dorsally concave and ventrally raised and convex. The grain in the fourth glume is usually much smaller than that found in the third glume.

This usually grows amidst thickets and occurs all over this Presidency.

Distribution.—Mysore, Burma, Ceylon and Seychelle Islands.



35. Cynodon, Pers.

These are perennial grasses with stems creeping and rooting at the nodes, and producing tufts of barren branches and flowering stems at the nodes. The inflorescence consists of two to six spikes in terminal umbels. The spikelets are small, 1-flowered, laterally compressed, sessile, alternately 2-seriate and imbricate on one side of the rachis. The spikelet has three glumes. The first two glumes are empty, thin, keeled, and acute or mucronate. The third glume is the largest, boat-shaped, 3-nerved, with ciliate keels, palea is 2-keeled, somewhat shorter than the glume. Lodicules are two. The anthers are somewhat large. Grain is oblong, free.

KEY TO THE SPECIES.

Glumes I and II shorter than III.

Underground stems present.

Hairs on the margins and keels of glume III pointed and not clavate. 1. C. dactylon.

Underground stems absent.

Hairs on the margins and keels of glume III clavellate and pointed at the apex. 2. C. intermedius.

Glume I shorter than II but II equal to or longer than III—

Hairs on the margins and keels of glume III clavellate and rounded at the apex. Underground stems absent. 3. C. Barberi.



Cynodon dactylon, Pers.

This is a perennial grass with creeping branches and also with numerous deeply penetrating underground stems covered with white scale-leaves. Stems are prostrate, widely creeping and rooting at the nodes and forming matted tufts with slender, erect or ascending flowering branches, 3 to 12 inches high.

The leaf-sheath is somewhat tight, glabrous, membranous at the mouth which is villous. The ligule is a fine ciliate rim.

The leaf-blade is soft, narrowly linear, finely acute, acuminate or pungent, somewhat glaucous, conspicuously distichous at the base of the stem and, in non-flowering branches, scabrid along the margins.

The inflorescence consists of two to eight smooth, digitate, green or purplish spikes, 1 to 3 inches long; rachis is slender, compressed or angular, scaberulous.



Spikelets are laterally compressed, sessile, imbricate, arranged alternately in two series along one side of the rachis; rachilla produced beyond the first two glumes and hidden at the back of the palea between the two keels, small, slender and blunt when old and with a membranous imperfect glume when young, less than half the length of the spikelet. There are three glumes. The first and second glumes are shorter than the third, empty, ovate-lanceolate, acute, membranous with one thick green nerve in the middle, keeled, upper margin and keel scaberulous. The second glume is usually a little longer than the first, but occasionally also slightly shorter than the first. The third glume is longer than both the first and second glumes, obliquely oblong to ovate, subacute, membranous, boat-shaped, smooth, keeled, 3-nerved, one central along the keel and two marginal, keel scabrid below with stiff pointed hairs above, tip and lower margins scabrid or pilose, palea linear oblong, a little less than the third glume, obtuse, 2-nerved and with two scabrid keels. Stamens are three with pale purple anthers. Lodicules are two. Stigmas are purplish. Grain is oblong, slightly flattened, dorsally rounded, dull reddish-brown.

This is the common Hariali grass. It is also called "Devil's grass."

Distribution.—It is cosmopolitan.



Cynodon intermedius, Rang. & Tad.

This grass is a widely creeping perennial.

The stems are slender, glabrous, creeping superficially and rooting at the nodes, but never rhizomiferous, leafy with slender erect or geniculately ascending flowering branches, and varying in length from 12 to 18 inches. Nodes are slightly swollen, glabrous, green or purplish.

The leaf-sheath is smooth, glabrous, slightly compressed, sparsely bearded at the mouth, shorter than the internode, except the one enclosing the peduncle which is usually long. The ligule is a shortly ciliated rim.

The leaf-blade is linear, flat, finely acuminate, scaberulous above and along the margins, smooth below except in some portions of the midrib, 1/2 to 7 inches in length and 3/16 to 1/4 inch in breadth.



The inflorescence consists of four to eight long, thin, slender, slightly drooping, digitately arranged spikes, 2 to 4 inches long on a long smooth peduncle; the rachis is tumid and pubescent at its base, slender, somewhat compressed and scaberulous.

The spikelets are rather small, narrow, greenish or purplish, 1/15 inch long or less, the rachilla is slender, produced to about half the length of the spikelet behind the palea. There are three glumes. The first and the second glumes are lanceolate acute or acuminate, 1-nerved, keeled, keel obscurely scabrid, very unequal, the first glume being always shorter than the second glume. The third glume is obliquely ovate-oblong, chartaceous, longer than the second glume, obtuse or subacute and 3-nerved; the margins and keel with close set clavellate hairs pointed at the apex; palea is chartaceous, 2-keeled, keels obscurely scaberulous and without hairs. There are three stamens with somewhat small purple anthers. Ovary with purple stigmas and two small lodicules. Grain is oblong reddish brown, with a faint dorsal groove.

This species is closely allied to the cosmopolitan species Cynodon dactylon, Pers. and to another new species Cynodon Barberi, Rang. & Tad. described in the "Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society," Volume 24, part IV, page 846, and it is therefore named Cynodon intermedius. (See Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, Volume 26, part I, pages 304 and 305.) This grass differs from Cynodon dactylon, Pers. (1) in not having underground stems and having only stems creeping and rooting along the surface of the ground, (2) in having less rigid leaves, (3) by having longer, slenderer, somewhat drooping spikes and narrower spikelets, (4) by having the first two glumes always unequal, the second being longer, (5) by having clavellate pointed hairs on the margins and keels of the third glume and (6) by having smaller anthers. Compared with Cynodon Barberi, this plant is more extensively creeping with longer slender branches and the leaves are usually very much longer, and the third glume is longer than the second.

Distribution.—So far, this was collected at Gokavaram in Godavari district No. 8262, in Chingleput No. 11488, in Tinnevelly district Nos. 13129 and 13259, and at Kallar on the Nilgiris No. 13988.



Cynodon Barberi, Rang. & Tad.

This grass is perennial with slender, creeping stems, 12 to 24 inches long, rooting at the nodes and invariably with two or three rarely more branches from each node; flowering branches are slender, erect or ascending, 1 to 6 inches long.

The leaf-sheath is short, smooth, compressed with scattered long hairs at the mouth. The ligule is a narrow membrane with the edge cut into narrow lobes.

The leaf-blade is flat, linear, acute or subacute, scaberulous, 1/3 to 3-1/2 inches long, 1/8 to 3/16 inch broad.



The inflorescence consists of three to five digitate spikes, 3/4 to 1-1/2 inches long, erect or spreading, pale green or purplish. The spikelets are compressed laterally, sessile or obscurely pedicelled, imbricate, alternately biseriate on the ventral side of the rachis, 1-flowered; the rachilla is produced into a bristle behind the palea, with or without a minute glume. There are three glumes. The first glume is lanceolate, acute, shorter than the second, with a keel which is scabrid. The second glume is lanceolate, acuminate, equal to or a little longer than the third glume with a scabrid keel. The third glume is obliquely oblong to ovate, subacute, truncate or 2-toothed, boat-shaped, sub-chartaceous, 3-nerved, paleate and distinctly keeled; the keel and the margins of the glume are densely covered with distinctly clavellate hairs; palea is firmly membranous, equal to or slightly smaller than the glume, linear-oblong, 2-keeled, densely hairy with clavellate hairs along the keels, and 2-nerved. There are two lodicules and three stamens. The ovary is ovoid with two style branches. Grain is free within the glume, oblong, smooth, transparent, and the embryo is about one-third the length of the grain.

This species is closely allied to Cynodon dactylon, Pers., but differs from it in the following respects:—The absence of stoloniferous underground branches, leaves short and not finely pointed; spikes not exceeding five; the second glume is always equal to or longer than the third glume; presence of clavellate hairs on the keels and margins of the third glume and on the keels of the palea.

Distribution.—So far collected in Coimbatore, Salem, Tinnevelly, Chingleput and Godavari districts.



36. Chloris, Sw.

These are annual or perennial grasses. Spikes are solitary or many in terminal umbels or short racemes, erect or spreading. Spikelets are unilateral, sessile, crowded, biseriate on a slender rachis with four to six glumes and 1 to 3-flowered; the rachilla is produced and disarticulating above the empty glumes. The first two glumes are unequal, narrow, keeled, membranous, 1-nerved, persistent, acute, mucronate and the second glume awned shortly. Floral glumes narrow or broad, acute, obtuse or minutely 2-toothed and awned, paleate; sterile glumes are small, without palea. There are two lodicules and anthers are rather small. Grain is narrow and free.

KEY TO THE SPECIES.

Spikelets 1-flowered.

Perennial.

Rachilla produced beyond the flowering glumes and bearing awns with rudimentary glumes.

Spikes 4 to 10, long, whorled; spikelets narrow fusiform; glume III oblong lanceolate. 1. C. incompleta.

Rachilla produced beyond the flowering glume and bearing 1 to 3 reduced glumes.

Spikes free at the base, digitate.

Spikes 6 to 9; spikelets 2-awned; glume III ovate, bearded with long hairs above the middle. 3. C. virgata.

Spikes 4 to 20; spikelets 3-awned; glume III broadly ovate, densely bearded dorsally and on the margins above the middle. 4. C. barbata.

Spikes connate at the base, erect and not spreading.

Spikes 2 to 6; spikelets narrow 4-awned, glume III ovate-lanceolate, bearded only on the margins and not at the back. 6. C. montana.

Annual.

Spike solitary, spikelets broadly cuneiform, 3-awned, glume III broadly cuneate, upper margins naked and keel villous. 2. C. tenella.

Spikelets 1- to 3-flowered.

Perennial.

Spikes 5-9, spikelets broadly cuneate 3 to 5-awned, glume III bearded all through the margin and dorsally. 5. C. Bournei.

Chloris incompleta, Roth.

This is a perennial grass. Stems are procumbent when growing in open places, but erect if growing amidst bushes, often branched, ending in long naked peduncles, varying in length from 1-1/2 to 4 feet. In some cases prostrate stems produce roots at the nodes.

The leaf-sheaths are long, glabrous, the mouth being generally hairy. The ligule consists of long hairs. Nodes are glabrous.

The leaf-blades are linear, flat, finely acuminate and narrowed into very long points at the apex; glabrous or slightly hairy at the base and contracted, 4 to 10 inches long and 1/6 to 1/4 inch broad.

The inflorescence consists of two to five rarely six, very slender spikes, 3 to 8 inches long, forming a terminal whorl. The rachis is fine and scabrid.



Spikelets are narrowly lanceolate, closely appressed and imbricate, 1/6 inch long excluding the awn and very variable. There are four glumes in the spikelet. The first glume is very small linear-lanceolate, acute, about 1/10 inch or less. The second glume is lanceolate, membranous, three times the length of the first glume, 2-toothed at the apex and the mid-nerve produced into a very short awn. The third glume is oblong-lanceolate as long as the second glume or longer, 2-toothed at the apex, awned, the awn being about 3/8 inch long; the callus is bearded at the base. The palea is as long as the glume, 2-toothed or not at the apex. The fourth glume is very minute, awned and is borne by a rachilla produced to half the length of the third glume.

This grass is fairly common and grows in all situations and in all sorts of soils.

Distribution.—This occurs all over the Presidency in the plains.

Chloris tenella, Roxb.

This grass is a very slender annual with weak stems, branched from the base, 10 to 18 inches long.

The leaf-sheath is glabrous, compressed and keeled. The ligule is a truncate membrane. The nodes are glabrous.

The leaf-blade is linear to linear-lanceolate, flaccid, finely acuminate with the margin more or less ciliate towards the base, 3 to 8 inches long and 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide.

The spikes are solitary, erect. 1 to 2-1/2 inches long.



The spikelets are large about 1/4 inch long cuneate and bifarious. There are usually five to six glumes (and rarely up to eight). The first glume is ovate-lanceolate, acute and hyaline, 1-nerved. The second glume is a little longer and broader than the first glume, 1-nerved and this mid-nerve produced into a very short awn. The third glume is as long as the second or longer, coriaceous, obovate and truncate at the top, 3-nerved and the marginal nerves distant from the margin, keel and the lateral nerves villous to about three-fourths their length, scabrid at the apex close to the truncate margin, paleate; palea is elliptic, with ciliate margins, callus is densely villous. The fourth glume is nearly half or a little more than half of the third glume, narrower, paleate; palea is elliptic. The succeeding glumes fifth to the eighth are similar to the fourth in shape but they get smaller and smaller and the last glume is epaleate. The third glume is usually grain bearing, but rarely the fourth also may contain a grain, the remaining glumes being sterile. Grain is oblong, lenticular, brownish.

This grass is widely spread in the Ceded districts and appears to be a good fodder grass.

Distribution.—Southern India, Rajputana, Scind and Khandeish.

Chloris virgata, Sw.

This grass seems to be a perennial. The stems are somewhat flattened, erect, tufted, leafy at the base and occasionally with creeping stems rooting at the lower nodes varying in length from 10 to 21 inches.

The leaf-sheaths are glabrous, compressed, upper sheaths somewhat inflated; mouth of the sheath is bearded with long hairs in the leaves of young branches and quite glabrous when old and in flower-bearing branches, margins are thin and membranous. The ligule is a thin narrow membranous ridge.

The leaf-blades are rather narrow, linear, flat, acute, glabrous when old, and with scattered long hairs in the leaves of young branches, varying in length from 2 to 9 and sometimes even 15 inches and in breadth about 1/8 inch or less.



The inflorescence consists of from four to nine spikes digitately arranged on a long peduncle and the leaf-sheath enclosing the inflorescence is somewhat large and inflated. Spikes are 1 to 1-1/2 inches long with fine, angular rachis, scaberulous in the edges.

Spikelets are about 1/10 inch, 2-awned, shortly stalked and consist of only four glumes. The first glume is small lanceolate, glabrous, with the keel scaberulous, 1-nerved. The second glume is about one and a half times the first, oblong-lanceolate, 2-fid at the apex, glabrous, but the keel scaberulous and nerve produced between the lobes into a short scaberulous awn. The third glume is oblong-ovate, lanceolate, 2-fid at the apex, and awned in the sinus, awn being about 1/4 inch long bearded at the base, the margins are slightly ciliate up to about the middle and then closely ciliate with long hairs almost to the tip, but not to the tip; on the two sides of the dorsal nerve there are two shallow grooves one on each side, with short scattered appressed hairs; the palea is narrow oblanceolate, minutely 2-fid at the tip, with margins folded inward and embracing the stamens, ovary and the lodicules. Grain is narrow, trigonous, oblong, translucent and shining. The fourth glume is borne by a short rachilla which is about 1/3 the length of the third glume or less, shorter than the third, cuneiform, empty and awned.

This grass grows well and produces a fair amount of foliage.

Distribution.—This is not very common. So far collected only from Hosur in Salem district and Bellary district although its distribution is said to be Central and Southern India. It was found growing abundantly on old walls of houses in Poona city in 1920 and 1921.



Chloris barbata, Sw.

This is a very common perennial grass.

Stems are stout, tufted, geniculately ascending and erect when in flower, and some creeping and rooting at the nodes; leafy at the base and branching upwards, 1 to 3 feet; the lower internodes are 2 to 3 inches long and the upper still longer, glabrous.

The leaf-sheaths are glabrous, compressed laterally, open at the base and closed above, with a few scattered long hairs at the mouth, the margins thinly membranous. The ligule is a very narrow membrane. The nodes are glabrous mostly bearing tufts of leaves with compressed equitant sheaths.

The leaf-blade is narrow linear, flat or folded, acuminate, with long hairs on the margin towards the base, varying in length from 2 to 18 inches.



The inflorescence consists of five to fourteen or fifteen sessile, digitately arranged spikes, varying in length from 1-1/2 to 3 inches, on a slender peduncle; the rachis is slender minutely hairy swollen at the base.

The spikelets are green or purplish, 3-awned, unilaterally biseriate on the outside of the rachis, 1/10 inch excluding the awn; the rachilla is bearded at the base, but is shorter than the third glume and bears two barren glumes. There are five glumes. The first and the second glumes are lanceolate, acute, membranous, pale and 1-nerved, but the first glume is shorter than the second. The third glume is broadly elliptic or ovate, concave, awned, 3-nerved, with margins densely bearded above the middle and sparsely bearded dorsally on both the sides of the mid-nerve; the palea is oblanceolate, as long as the glume, folded inside along the margins and outside along the middle, enclosing three stamens and ovary. The fourth glume is cuneiform, 3-nerved, awned, shortly ciliate above the middle, empty. The fifth glume is awned, 3-nerved, glabrous, and globose.

This grass is very widely distributed and it grows in all kinds of soils. Cattle eat it when young, but avoid it when the inflorescence is mature.

Distribution.—Throughout the plains in India, Burma and Ceylon.



Chloris Bournei, Rang. & Tad.

This grass appears to be perennial. The stems are somewhat stout, tufted, erect or ascending geniculately from a creeping and rooting base, varying in length from 1 to 3 feet and with internodes to 6 inches becoming longer upwards.

The leaf-sheaths are equal to or longer than the internodes at the base, but shorter above, glabrous, compressed, distichous, bearded towards the mouth and with membranous margins. The ligule is a narrow membranous ridge. Nodes are thickened, deeply purple ringed, glabrous and the lower nodes always with a fan-like tuft of flattened leaf-sheaths and leaves.

The leaf-blades are linear, finely acuminate, slightly broadened and rounded at the base, keeled, the upper surface scaberulous and with a few scattered long hairs especially towards the base, smooth or slightly scaberulous below, 1 to 9 inches by 1/12 to 1/4 inch.

The inflorescence consists of digitately arranged spikes 1-1/2 to 4 inches long on a peduncle which is sometimes 15 inches long. Spikes are stout, purple-tinged, three to seven and even nine in some specimens, shortly stalked, the base of the stalk being slightly swollen and villous at the base, the rachis is slender, somewhat villous towards the base.



The spikelets are about 1/8 inch excluding the awn, very shortly pedicelled, biseriate, unilateral, disarticulating above the first two glumes which are persistent, purplish or pale, 1- to 3-flowered, usually 3- to 4-awned and sometimes 5-awned; awns are purplish 3/16 to 5/16 inch long, finely scabrid. There are five or seven glumes in a spikelet. The first glume is hyaline, purplish or pale, about 1/10 inch long, lanceolate, sub-acuminate, 1-nerved with a scaberulous keel. The second glume is hyaline, about one and half times as long as the first, oblong elliptic, minutely 2-lobed at the apex, with a minute mucro between, 1-nerved with a scabrid keel. The third glume is as long as the second, awned, pale or purple, ovate or obovate, narrowed at the base and clasping the rachilla at its base, apex shortly 2-fid with a purple dorsal awn, 3-nerved paleate; the two marginal nerves are densely bearded with long white or purple tinged hairs from near the base to almost the apex and the mid-nerve also similarly bearded with long hairs on both sides, and the base with a tuft of long hairs; the palea is as long as the glume, coriaceous obovately-cuneate, obtuse, minutely bifid, purple-tipped, with folded hyaline margins, 2-keeled; keels shortly ciliate. Stamens three with yellow or purple anthers, ovary with two feathery stigmas and two lodicules. Grain is oblong shining light reddish brown, narrowed at both ends and somewhat trigonous. The remaining glumes fourth to seventh are borne by the rachilla, thinly chartaceous, broadly obcordate or obovate, gradually diminishing in size, purple-tinged, 3- to 5-nerved, scaberulous. The fourth and fifth glumes are empty and epaleate when the spikelets are five glumed. If there are six glumes, the fourth bears stamens and the ovary, the fifth and sixth glumes are empty, and in spikelets of seven glumes, the third, fourth, and the fifth glumes are flower-bearing and contain grains, and the remaining two glumes are empty.

This species is a tall robust one resembling Chloris barbata in its inflorescence, but with larger spikelets—as large as those of Chloris tenella. No doubt it is closely allied to Chloris barbata, but differs from it by having larger spikelets that are 3- to 5-awned and 1- to 3-flowered, and the nerves being bearded throughout their length with long hairs.

Specimens of this grass were sent to Kew and Calcutta herbariums for identification and they were named C. montana, with which I could not agree.

So again I sent these specimens along with specimens of what I considered C. montana to Dr. Stapf at Kew through Mr. Gamble and Dr. Stapf wrote about these thus:—"We have not been able to match it with any of the described species of Chloris and Mr. Ranga Acharya will be fully justified in describing it as a new species. We have had it apart from Wight's specimen from the following collections:—(1) Sattur, November 19, 1795, sub-Andropogon barbata, Var.? Herb Rottler. (2) Ahmednagar-Miss Shattock (U.S. Dept. Agri.—received 1914). (3)Tornagallu, Bellary district, 11th August 1901 (Ex herb Ranga Acharya in Herb, Bourne No. 3594)."

Distribution.—This grass was found growing in abundance in the fields Nos. 13, 37 and 62 of the Agricultural College and in the grounds around the Forest College, Coimbatore, and was also collected in Hagari and Samalkota.

This grass grows well and is likely to prove useful, as cattle seem to like it.



Chloris montana, Roxb.

This is a perennial grass usually met with on dry soils. The stems are erect, tufted, geniculately ascending from a creeping base rooting at the nodes, quite glabrous, varying in length from 4 inches to 4 feet.

The leaf-sheaths are shorter than the internodes, flat, compressed, glabrous, with a few hairs or not at the mouth and with membranous margins; the uppermost sheath is spathiform enclosing the inflorescence when young. The ligule consists of only a thin ridge of short hairs densely arranged. Nodes are glabrous and dark-ringed, and with fan-like spreading equitant leaf-sheaths and leaves more especially when rooting.

The leaf-blades are narrow linear, finely acuminate, rounded at the base, glabrous throughout, folded flat inwards, 1/2 to 8 inches long, 1/16 to 1/8 inch broad.

The inflorescence consists of three to six (very rarely up to nine) spikes, 1 to 3 inches long, connate at the base, erect and never spreading, the peduncle is slender, long, glabrous and copiously pubescent just below the base of the connate spikes; rachis is angular, slender and scabrid.



The spikelets are about 1/8 inch excluding the awns, shortly pedicelled, unilateral, biseriate, thin and slender, 1-flowered, pale or purple tinged, disarticulating above the two lower empty glumes, which persist on the rachis, generally 4-awned, very rarely 3 or 5; awns are pale or purple, 1/8 to 5/16 inch; pedicel is short, angular, scaberulous with a few pilose hairs; rachilla is produced but is shorter than the flowering glume. There are usually six glumes in a spikelet and very rarely five or seven glumes; of these the first two glumes are hyaline, empty, awnless; the third is flower-bearing and the rest empty, thinly coriaceous and awned. The first glume is white or lightly purplish, small, about 1/16 inch long, lanceolate, finely acuminate, 1-nerved, and with scabrid keel. The second glume is twice the first glume in length, oblong-lanceolate, finely acuminate, 1-nerved. The third glume is broadly oblong, chartaceous, 3-nerved, bearded with long hairs along the margins from a little above the base, and with a tuft of hairs at the base and an awn at the apex; the palea is oblong, a little smaller than the glume, folded along the margins. There are three stamens with pale yellow anthers. The styles are white with purple stigmas. Lodicules are narrowly cuneate. The fourth and the fifth glumes are small, epaleate, empty, oblong, cuneate, 3-nerved, awned. The sixth glume is very small, cuneate, awned.

Distribution.—In the districts forming the Coromandel Coast and also Gangetic plains and Ceylon.



37. Eleusine, Gaertn.

These are annual or perennial grasses. Leaves are long or short. The spikelets are sessile, 3 to 12 flowered, 2 to 3-seriate, secund, laterally compressed and forming digitate whorled or capitate spikes, not joined at the base; rachilla continuous between the flowering glumes. The glumes in a spikelet are few to many, keeled. The first two glumes are subequal or unequal, persistent; the first glume is 1-nerved and the second glume is 1- to 7-nerved. The flowering glumes are 3-nerved, paleate; palea is complicate; keels are strong, scabrid or ciliate. Lodicules are two, cuneate. Anthers are short. Styles distinct and short. Grain is free, rugose, and the pericarp is hyaline and loose.

KEY TO THE SPECIES.

Spikelets pointing upward at an acute angle with the rachis of the spike.

Spikes 1 to 5 inches long, digitate, erect. 1. E. indica.

Spikes 1/6 to 1/4 inch or a little more, capitate, spreading. 2. E. brevifolia.

Spikelets spreading at right angles with the rachis of the spike, spreading or erect. 3. E. aegyptiaca.

Eleusine indica, Gaertn.

This is a tufted annual grass with short, erect, somewhat compressed, glabrous stems, 1 to 2 feet high.

The leaf-sheaths are compressed, distichous, ciliate. The ligule is a ridge of hairs.

The leaf-blades are narrow-linear, as long as the stem, glabrous or with a few scattered hairs near the mouth, acuminate, base not contracted, 12 to 20 inches long and 1/8 to 1/6 inch broad.

The spikes are elongate, digitate, 2 to 7, 2 to 5 inches long, all in a terminal whorl and sometimes with one or two lower down, and with the axils glandular and hairy; the rachis is slender and dorsally flattened.



The spikelets are variable in size, 1/12 to 1/6 inch, 3 to 5, rarely 6-flowered, quite glabrous, biseriate, pointing upward at an acute angle with the rachis. All the glumes are more or less membranous. The first glume is small, oblong-ovate or oblong, 1-nerved with a scabrid keel. The second glume is twice the size of the first, ovate-oblong, 3-nerved, rarely 3- to 7-nerved, glabrous, shortly mucronate at the acute apex. The third glume and the succeeding flowering glumes are larger than the second, ovate-oblong, subacute, 3-nerved and paleate; palea is shorter than the glume, glabrous. Stamens are three. Lodicules are small and cuneate. The grain is oblong, obtusely trigonous, broadly and shallowly grooved dorsally with concentric minute tubercled ridges covered with a loose pericarp.

This grass is fairly common in somewhat wet places in the plains and low hills.

Distribution.—Throughout India and Ceylon.

Eleusine brevifolia, Br.

This is an annual grass. Stems are creeping and spreading from the root, and ascending from a decumbent base, generally slender and small, but sometimes large and proliferously branched, leafy, 3 to 7 inches long.

The leaf-sheath is compressed and glabrous. The ligule is a very short membrane, ciliate at the margin or obsolete.

The leaf-blade is linear, acute, with a subcordate or rounded base 1/2 to 2 inches long and 1/8 to 1/6 inch broad.

The spikes are usually many, sessile and crowded in globose heads, varying in diameter from 1/3 to 2/3 inch.



Spikelets are sessile, biseriate, ovate-oblong, 1/8 to 1/6 inch long, 4- to 10-flowered. The first two glumes are membranous, ovate-oblong, glabrous, acuminate and shortly awned, the first glume is shorter than the second, 1- to 3-nerved, the second glume is longer than the first, 3- to 5-nerved, and the nerves are very close to the middle one in the keel. The third and the succeeding glumes are ovate, cuspidately acuminate, 3-nerved, nerves villous below the middle and paleate; palea is oblong, lanceolate, truncate and minutely 2-toothed, keels villous below the middle. Anthers are small. Lodicules are also small and cuneate. Styles are long and slender. Grain is orbicular to ovate, concavo-convex, red-brown, and transversely rugose.

This grass is usually found in somewhat damp situations all over the Presidency, though somewhat local in its distribution.

Distribution.—Sandy shores of the Coromandel and Carnatic coasts.



Eleusine aegyptiaca, Desf.

This grass is an annual with erect or creeping branches. Stems are erect or prostrate, compressed, smooth, spreading and rooting at the nodes, 6 to 18 inches long. Nodes are thickened and sometimes proliferous.

The leaf-sheath is compressed and glabrous. The ligule is short and membranous.

The leaf-blade is linear, tapering to a fine point, flat, glaucous, glabrous or hairy, 1 to 6 inches long and 1/12 to 1/6 inch, wide.



Spikes are digitate, 2 to 6, 1/2 to 1-1/2 inches long. Spikelets are flat, densely crowded on one side of the floral axis, spreading at right angles, 3- to 5-flowered, glumes five to seven. The first glume is ovate acute. The second glume is equal to the first or slightly longer, broadly ovate, awned. The flowering glumes are ovate, mucronate or awned, paleate; palea is shorter than the glume, ovate-oblong, obtuse or 2-fid. Anthers are small. Grain is reddish, rugose and sub-globose.

This is a very common grass occurring as a weed in cultivated fields and in open places. It is a well-known fodder grass.

Distribution.—Throughout the plains in India and Ceylon.



38. Dinebra, Jacq.

These are leafy annual grasses. The inflorescence is a narrow pyramidal raceme of slender, spreading or deflexed spikes. Spikelets are small, biseriate and crowded on one side of the spike and not jointed at the base; rachilla is slender, jointed and produced beyond the flowering glumes and bearing an imperfect glume. There are four to five glumes. The first two glumes are the longest, lanceolate, 1-nerved, keeled and awned. The second glume is slightly longer than the first. The third and the fourth glumes are very small, hyaline, broadly ovate, 1-nerved. Lodicules are present. Stamens are three and anthers didymous and small. Grain is narrowly ovoid and trigonous.



Dinebra arabica, Jacq.

This grass is an annual with stems erect or with a geniculate base, tufted, slender or stout; some of the lower nodes of the geniculate part of the stems bear roots; the internodes are green or purple tinged and glabrous.

The leaf-sheath is thin, somewhat loose, usually glabrous, rarely sparsely hairy. The ligule is a short membrane irregularly cut at the top. The nodes are glabrous.

The leaf-blade is linear, very finely acuminate, rough on both the surfaces, thinly and very sparsely hairy; the base of the blade is contracted and purple tinged towards the margin, midrib is prominent with three or four main veins on each side; the margins are very finely, closely serrate.



The inflorescence is a long erect narrow pyramidal panicle varying in length from 2 to 16 inches; the lower branches sometimes bear several spikes and attain 6 inches in length; the peduncles are short or long, purple tinged and the main rachis is smooth except at the top, angular and grooved. The spikes are numerous, greenish or purple tinged, slender, erect or spreading or sometimes deflexed, opposite, alternate or in fascicles of two to four varying in length from 1/4 to 2-1/2 inches; the rachis of the spike is trigonous, flattened out ventrally and with a ridge on the ventral side and the margins are scabrid.

The spikelets are few to many in a spike, alternate, closely imbricating, sessile, about 1/6 inch long including the awns, usually three flowered, rarely less or four flowered; the rachilla is very slender, jointed at the base, produced and jointed between the flowering glumes.

There are usually five glumes in a spikelet and in some four or six. The first and the second glumes are lanceolate narrowed into short stiff awns, equal or the second a little longer, hyaline glabrous, strongly keeled about 1/6 inch long or a little less. The succeeding glumes third, fourth and fifth are very much shorter than the first two glumes, about 1/10 inch or less, ovate-oblong, subacute, white, membranous with a strong greenish nerve along the keel and two short ones close to the margin, paleate; palea is shorter than the glume, membranous, oblong-obtuse, minutely 2-toothed, 2-nerved and 2-keeled. Stamens are three with small anthers. Stigmas are white when young and purple when mature. Lodicules are very minute. The grain is pale, brownish yellow, ellipsoidal-oblong, subacute, trigonous, rough and never smooth, with a shallow groove on the dorsal side; the embryo is about one-third the length of the grain.

This grass grows abundantly in cultivated dry fields all over the Presidency. The spikes when mature become very rough and give an acid taste. Cattle greedily eat this grass when young, but when old and in full flower some cattle do not like it so much.

Distribution.—Throughout the Presidency in the plains. Also occurs in Afghanistan and westward to Senegal.



39. Leptochloa, Beauv.

These are tall slender annual grasses. Spikelets are very small, compressed, 1- to 6-flowered, sessile or shortly pedicelled, alternate and unilateral on the branches of a panicle; the rachilla is produced between the flowering glumes, jointed at the base. There are 3 to 8 glumes. The first two glumes are unequal, oblong or lanceolate, 1-nerved. The third and the succeeding ones are broadly ovate, 3-nerved, paleate. Lodicules are two. Stamens are three. Grain is sub-globose, oblong or trigonous, closely invested by the glume and its palea.

Leptochloa chinensis, Nees.

This is a tall annual grass. Stems are erect or geniculately ascending from a creeping root-stock, varying in length from 2 to 4 feet.

The leaf-sheath is smooth, loose, the lower often broad and open. The ligule is a short hyaline lacerated membrane.

The leaf-blade is narrowly linear, finely acuminate, somewhat coriaceous, glabrous, 6 to 18 inches long and 1/6 to 1/4 inch broad.

The inflorescence is a contracted panicle, 6 to 18 inches long with spreading or suberect, alternate or opposite spikes which are capillary and vary from 2 to 4 inches in length.



The spikelets are small, shortly stalked, 4- to 8-flowered, 1/10 to 1/6 inch with the rachilla produced between the flowering glumes. The first glume is small, oblong, obtuse or apiculate. The second glume is similar to the first but twice as long as the first glume. The third glume and the succeeding flowering glumes are ovate-oblong, obtuse or apiculate, with sub-marginal lateral veins; palea are broadly oblong with silkily ciliate keels. Anthers are usually very small. Grain is oblong, obtusely trigonous, or concavo-convex, red-brown and rugulose on the ventral side.

This grass is very common amidst paddy in wet lands and in wet situations.

Distribution.—Throughout India and Ceylon in wet places. Also in China, Japan and Australia.



CHAPTER X.

TRIBES VII AND VIII—FESTUCACEAE AND HORDEAE.

Festucaceae is of minor importance as it is not well represented in the South India. Only about half a dozen genera occur and most of them on the hills. The spikelets are usually 2- or more-flowered, pedicelled and in panicles, open or contracted. The rachilla is produced beyond the flowering glumes and articulate at the base just above the empty glumes.

Inflorescence a raceme, spikelets 2- to 3-flowered, turbinate; glumes single-awned. 40. Pommereulla.

Inflorescence paniculate, spikelets few or many-flowered, glumes many-nerved and many-awned. 41. Pappophorum.

Inflorescence various, spikelets 2- to many-flowered, flowering glumes 1- to 3-nerved entire, empty glumes shorter than the lowest flowering glume, grain very minute. 42. Eragrostis.

Hordeae is also a minor tribe and is represented by only one genus in South India.

The spikelets are one-or more-flowered, sessile, 1- or 2-seriate on the rachis, and somewhat sunk in cavities; the rachilla is jointed at the base and is produced beyond the flowering glumes, glumes awned or not.

Spikelets 1- to 3-flowered, first glume very minute or wanting, second as long as the hyaline, third spike compressed, solitary. 43. Oropetium.



40. Pommereulla, Linn. f.

This is a short, stout, creeping perennial grass. Spikelets are 2- to 3-flowered, distichously racemed, narrowly turbinate, villous. Glumes are 5 to 7 in a spikelet. The first two glumes are narrow, membranous, persistent, the first glume being 1-nerved and shorter than the second which is 3- to 5-nerved. The third and the fourth glumes embracing the fifth and the sixth are empty, flabelliform, 4-lobed, and dorsally shortly awned. The fifth, sixth and the seventh are cuneate, obovate and 3-lobed, palea ovate, acute, and pubescent. Lodicules are two and membranous. Stamens are two to three with small anthers. Grain is oblong, compressed and free.



Pommereulla Cornucopiae, Linn. f.

This is a short, stout perennial grass with stems rooting at the nodes; branches are flat, short, densely leafy, 2 to 6 inches long.

The leaf-sheaths are smooth, equitant with thinly membranous margins. The ligule is a ciliated ridge.

The leaf-blade is flat, linear, distichous, coriaceous, rounded at the tip, margins sparsely ciliate, 1 to 2-1/2 inches long.

The inflorescence is a terminal raceme, 1/2 to 2 inches long, half hidden by the uppermost leaf-sheath, the peduncle is flattened and 1 to 2-1/2 inches long; rachis is also flattened with a tuft of long silky hairs at the base.



The spikelets are shortly pedicelled or sessile, dorsally compressed, cuneiform, about 1/3 inch, glistening, villous, not articulate at the base, 2- to 3-flowered, rachilla is narrowed downwards, resembling a callus and villous, jointed at the acute base above the empty glumes, and crowned with broad obconic empty awned glumes. The spikelets have usually seven, rarely eight glumes. The first and the second glumes are narrow, membranous, glistening, empty and persistent and the others are coriaceous with membranous margins. The first glume is linear or linear-lanceolate, acuminate, 1-nerved, scaberulous along the nerve. The second glume is longer than the first, oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, narrowed towards the base, inserted much above the first glume and embracing the rachilla, 3-nerved, scaberulous along the mid-nerve at the base only. The third and fourth glumes are half-amplexicaul, empty, epaleate, flabelliform, 4-lobed, 7-nerved, shortly awned at the back, villous; the side lobes are acuminate or aristate and the central lobes are shortly awned. The fifth, sixth and seventh glumes are obovate-cuneate, 7- to 9-nerved, paleate, flower-bearing and 3-lobed, the side lobes are acuminate and the central lobe is bifid and dorsally awned; palea is ovate-acute, 2-nerved and ciliolate. The eighth glume, if present, is neuter and imperfect, 3-lobed and shortly awned. Lodicules are minute. Stamens are two or three with small anthers. Grain is oblong, compressed, reddish brown.

This grass generally grows in gravelly and somewhat alkaline soils. So far this has been noticed and collected in Chingleput and Nellore districts.

Distribution.—Mysore and the Carnatic, and Ceylon.



41. Pappophorum, Nees.

This is a perennial grass. Spikelets are contracted spiciform panicles, 1- to 3-flowered, rachilla is jointed at the base. There are 5 to 7 glumes in the spikelet. The first and the second glumes are membranous, keeled 3- to many-nerved, persistent. The third and the fourth glumes are much shorter (excluding the awns) than the first two, coriaceous, orbicular, concave, obscurely many-nerved, cleft into nine or more equal or alternately longer long-ciliate erect awns. The fourth and the subsequent glumes are imperfect and they get gradually smaller and smaller, the last glume being represented only by a rudimentary glume with three awns. Lodicules are dolabriform and two. Stamens are three. Styles are free. Grain is obovoid or oblong, free.



Pappophorum elegans, Nees.

This grass is perennial with wiry roots. Stems are erect ascending from a swollen woody base, thinly hairy and rarely glabrous, pale green and sometimes with red blotches, wiry, varying in length from 1 to 3 feet.

The leaf-sheath is thinly pubescent, some hairs being minutely gland-tipped.

The leaf-blade is narrow, linear-lanceolate, sharply acuminate, covered both above and below with hairs, many of which being minutely gland-tipped, convolute when young. The ligule is a ridge of hairs. Nodes are pubescent.

The inflorescence is a panicle with short branches, 1 to 3 inches long, rachis is pubescent; peduncle is 2 to 4 inches long, pubescent. The spikelets are pale green, sometimes purple tinged and appearing white when mature, softly pubescent, about 1/4 inch long including the awn; the rachilla is produced and disarticulates above the two lower glumes.



There are 6 or 7 glumes in the spikelet. The first glume is lanceolate, acute, softly hairy, usually 9-nerved, or varying from 7 to 12 (some nerves do not reach the apex), about 1/4 inch long. The second glume is similar to the first but a little longer and both the glumes have broad hyaline margins. The third glume is broadly orbicular, concave, sub-chartaceous, 9-nerved, densely villous and with a tuft of hairs at the base where it joins the rachilla, cleft into 9 awn-like lobes, bisexual and paleate; the awns are alternately long and short, subulate, plumose in the lower half and scabrid above, the palea is oblong-ovate, sub-chartaceous, with two pubescent keels, bifid at the apex, and with 3 purple anthers. The ovary is ovoid or ovoid-oblong, with two white stigmas. Lodicules are two, small cuneate or quadrate. Grain ovoid or ovoid-oblong. The fourth glume is similar to the third glume but smaller, paleate with rudimentary anthers and two fleshy lodicules. The fifth, sixth and seventh glumes are imperfect and gradually decreasing in size, and with awns varying in number from 5 to 8, 3 to 5, and 1 to 3, respectively, minutely paleate or not.

This grass grows well in black cotton and rich loamy soils and is a hardy one. Cattle seem to eat this grass.

Distribution.—Fairly common in the plains in the Deccan districts and in the Coromandel coast districts.



42. Eragrostis, Beauv.

These are slender, glabrous, annual or perennial grasses. Stems are usually erect or geniculately ascending, very rarely prostrate. Leaves are narrow. Inflorescences are open or contracted panicles, rarely spikes. Spikelets are usually strongly laterally compressed, 2, to many-flowered and not articulate at the base; rachilla is tough and persistent, jointed above the empty glumes and in some also between the flowering glumes, not produced beyond the last glume. Glumes are many, broad, obtuse, acute or mucronate, never awned, dorsally rounded and keeled; the first and the second glumes are much shorter than the spikelet, equal or unequal, empty, persistent or separately deciduous, 1-nerved or the second 3-nerved, usually membranous. Flowering glumes are imbricating, at length deciduous from the rachilla, 3-nerved, all bisexual or the uppermost and rarely the lowest imperfect, ovate to lanceolate, membranous to chartaceous, usually glabrous, the lateral nerves short not reaching the mid nerve; palea are broad, membranous, deciduous with its glume or persistent on the rachilla with two ciliate smooth or scabrid keels. Stamens are three rarely two. Ovary is glabrous with two styles ending in plumose stigmas. Grain is minute, globose, obgloboid or obovoid, free in the glume and the palea.

KEY TO THE SPECIES.

A. Spikelets panicled.

B. Rachilla of spikelets more or less jointed and breaking up from above downwards.

Panicle more or less contracted and margin of flowering glumes not ciliate.

Spikelets 1/20 to 1/6 inch long; grain obovoid; stamens 2; panicle narrow interrupted, 6 to 18 inches long 1. E. interrupta.

BB. Rachilla of spikelets tough, persistent; flowering glumes falling away from base upwards.

C. Spikelets pedicellate.

Spikelets flat, ovate-elliptic or oblong, lateral nerves of flowering glumes very prominent and straight, almost percurrent; palea deciduous with their glumes 2. E. amabilis.

Spikelets less compressed, linear or linear-oblong; lateral nerves less prominent; not fascicled, long pedicellate and divaricate when ripe.

Leaf margins without glands. Spikelets versatile, narrow, linear 1 inch or more long, branches of panicle solitary 3. E. tremula.

Leaf margins glandular.

First glume 1-nerved and second glume 3-nerved 4. E. major.

First glume and second glume 1-nerved 5. E. Willdenoviana.

Spikelets small, 1/4 inch or less, branches of panicle whorled 6. E. pilosa.

CC. Spikelets sessile and jointed on the very short densely crowded branchlets of a tall, narrow raceme like panicle, deciduous, acute, much compressed, imbricate and secund 7. E. cynosuroides.

AA. Spikelets in a long terminal spike. Spikelets distichously spreading, secund, keels of palea winged 8. E. bifaria.

Eragrostis interrupta, Beauv.

(Var. Koenigii, Stapf.)

This is a tall grass, annual or perennial, with erect stems 1 to 3 feet or more.

The leaf-sheath is glabrous and close. The ligule is a short, fimbriate membrane. Nodes are glabrous.

The leaf-blade is narrow, flat, acuminate, glabrous on both sides, 3 to 10 inches long.

The panicle is erect, narrow, contracted, with branches in pseudo-whorls and varying in length from 6 to 18 inches, branches are slender, filiform, two or more arising from the same level, 1 to 3 inches long.

The spikelets are small, pedicellate, smooth, usually 6 to 14-flowered, pale but often tinged with red, the rachilla is jointed between the flowering glumes, and breaks away from above downwards. The empty glumes are very small, subequal, ovate-oblong, hyaline, obtuse and 1-nerved. Floral glumes also are small but slightly longer than the empty ones, ovate-oblong, obtuse and paleate, palea is linear-oblong with smooth or scabrid keels. Stamens are two with small anthers. Grain is obovoid.



This grass is a very variable plant and has a few varieties. The one described above is Var. Koenigii Stapf., and this is the one that occurs very widely. The other two varieties which occur very rarely are (1) diarrhena Stapf. and (2) tenuissima Stapf. The former is a tall plant with very narrow panicle and spikelets and the latter either tall or short and with a panicle bearing very slender divaricate branches.

This grass usually occurs in clayey soils especially on the bunds and in the paddy fields.

Distribution.—Throughout India, Burma and Ceylon. Also in tropical Asia and Africa.

Eragrostis amabilis, W. & A.

This is an annual tufted grass with slender, glabrous, erect or geniculately ascending stems, 6 to 18 inches, leafy chiefly at the base.

The leaf-sheath is glabrous and smooth. The ligule is absent or very obscure.

The leaf-blade is lanceolate-linear or linear, narrowed from a broad subcordate base to an acute tip, smooth and flat.

The panicle is ovoid-oblong or oblong, open or contracted, sparingly branched; branches are filiform, solitary, ramifying from near the base; rachis and nodes are glabrous.



The spikelets are ovate-oblong or linear-oblong, pale or purplish 1/6 to 1/2 inch, up to 50-flowered, rachilla is tough with very short internodes. The glumes are very closely and distichously imbricating (and hence spikelets are pretty); the empty glumes are subequal, ovate-lanceolate, acute or cuspidately acuminate, 1-nerved, 1/25 to 1/16 inch long. Flowering glumes are broadly ovate or suborbicular, mucronulate, punctulate, with the lateral nerves equidistant from the margins and the median nerve, and produced far up towards the median nerve; palea is broad, shorter than its glume, deciduous with it, and with winged and scabrid keels. Stamens are three. Grain is obovoid-ellipsoid, smooth, laterally compressed, reddish-brown.

This grass is abundant in wet places on the hills and fairly common in the plains though not abundant.

Distribution.—Throughout India and Ceylon.



Eragrostis tremula, Hochst.

This is an elegant annual grass. Stems are tufted erect or sometimes geniculately ascending, branching freely, 6 inches to 3 feet.

The leaf-sheath is smooth, glabrous, shorter than the internodes, becoming purplish when dry. The ligule is a ridge of short hairs.

The leaf-blade is linear-lanceolate, tapering to a fine point, rigid, glabrous or sparsely hairy, but with prominent white hairs near the mouth of the sheath at the base, 1 to 10 inches long and 1/12 to 3/16 inch broad, the base is rounded and the margin eglandular and very finely serrate.

The inflorescence is a large, effuse, nodding, pyramidal or oblong panicle, much branched, the peduncle being as long as the rest of the plant; branches are slender, solitary, suberect, drooping, rather angled, scaberulous, 3 to 7 inches long with very fine capillary branchlets; all the axils of the branches and branchlets have long white hairs.