AndropogoneÆ is a very large tribe with about thirty genera. It is very well represented in South India and some genera are of very wide distribution.

The spikelets are usually arranged in pairs at each joint, one sessile and the other stalked. The spikelets may all be similar as in Imperata or they may be different as in IschÆmum and Andropogon. There may be only one flower in the spikelet as in Eremochloa and Saccharum or two as in IschÆmum and Apocopis. In the genera Polytoca and Coix the spikelets are unisexual and the male and female spikelets are found in the same inflorescence, the female being below and the male being continuous with it. The spikelet nearly always consists of four glumes, the first or the first and the second being firmer and coriaceous or chartaceous. The flowering glumes are always shorter than the empty glumes, and are hyaline. The fourth glume is often awned or reduced to an awn.

The main rachis of the inflorescence is usually jointed at the base. In addition to this the rachis may be jointed all along its length, so as to become separated into distinct joints when mature as in Rottboellia, Saccharum and Andropogon, or it may be continuous as in Imperata. The pedicels of spikelets and the lower portions of the rachilla of the spikelets may have long hairs.

Sub. Tribe 1. MaydeÆ.

Sub. Tribe 2. SacchareÆ.

Sub. Tribe 3. IschemeÆ.

Sub. Tribe 4. ApludeÆ.

Sub. Tribe 5. RottboellieÆ.

Sub. Tribe 6. Eu-AndropogoneÆ.

16. Coix, L.

These are tall monoecious annual or perennial grasses. The inflorescences are terminal or axillary spiciform racemes. The lowest-spikelet in the raceme is female and this is enclosed in a bract which at length becomes hardened, polished and nut-like and the other spikelets above it are male. The male spikelets are 2- to 3-nate at each node of the rachis, 1 sessile and 1 or 2 pedicelled, lanceolate and 4-glumed. The first and the second glumes are subequal and empty, and the first glume is winged along the inflated margins. The third and the fourth glumes are hyaline, with three stamens or empty. The female spikelet is ovoid acuminate and has four glumes. The first glume is chartaceous and the others are thin and gradually smaller. The grain is orbicular, ventrally furrowed and enclosed by the polished hard bract.

Coix lachryma-jobi, L.

This is a tall monoecious leafy annual (rarely perennial) grass with stout, smooth, polished, freely branching stems rooting at the lower nodes and varying in length from 3 to 5 feet or more.

The leaf-sheath is long, usually smooth but occasionally with scattered tubercle-based hairs. The ligule is a narrow membrane. The nodes are glabrous.

The leaf-blade is long, flat, narrow or broad, acuminate, cordate at base, with a stout midrib and many slender veins on both sides, usually glabrous on both sides though occasionally with scattered hairs, and with spinulosely serrate margins, varying from 4 to 18 inches in length and 1/3 to 2 inches in breadth.

The inflorescence consists of nodding or drooping spiciform racemes, 1 to 1-1/2 inches long, terminating the branches. The racemes consist of many male spikelets with one (rarely two) female spikelets at the base; the rachis is stout above, and the part within the bract enclosing the female spikelet is slender.

The male spikelets are imbricating, 2 or 3 at a node of the rachis, one sessile and one or two pedicelled, dorsally compressed, articulate at the base and persistent, very variable in size, 3/8 to 3/4 inch. There are four glumes in the spikelet. The first glume is oblong-lanceolate, chartaceous, 3/5 inch long, acute, many-nerved, concave with inflexed margins bearing narrow green many-veined wings. The second glume is similar to the first, but thinner and without the wings, 5- to 9- or rarely 11-nerved. The third glume is oblong-lanceolate, hyaline, faintly 3- to 5-nerved, paleate and with three stamens. The fourth glume is similar to the third, paleate with or without stamens.

Fig. 126.—Coix Lachryma-Jobi.

1. Inflorescence; 2. the female spikelet; 3. male spikelets; 4, 5, 6 and 8. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively, of a male spikelet; 7 and 9. palea of the third and the fourth glumes, respectively.]

The female spikelet is enclosed by a closed bract which finally becomes hardened, and there are four glumes in the spikelet. The first and the second glumes are chartaceous. The third and the fourth are hyaline, the former being empty and the latter with an ovary. Lodicules are not present. The ovary is ovoid with very long capillary styles. The grain is orbicular, compressed, channelled at the back and enclosed within the stony, hardened and polished bract.

This grass usually grows in paddy fields. There are two distinct varieties—one a fairly tall one annual and the other a very tall (5 to 10 feet) perennial one. The racemes of the latter are longer and drooping, the male spikelets are in threes and the wings of the first glume are usually broader than in the other form. This species is easily recognized by the polished bract enclosing the female spikelet.

Distribution.—Throughout India.

17. Polytoca, Br.

These are tall monoecious annual or perennial grasses. Inflorescences consist of spiciform racemes with spathaceous bracts; rachis is jointed. Racemes may all be male or with one or two female spikelets at the base. Male spikelets are geminate, one sessile and one pedicelled, 2-flowered or imperfect, and with four glumes, which are subequal. The first glume is membranous, many-nerved, shallowly concave and with a narrow membranous margin. The second glume is narrower, ovate, acute, 5- to 9-nerved. The third glume is membranous, oblong, acute, 3- to 5-nerved, paleate and with three stamens. The fourth glume is very slender, hyaline, linear, paleate with three stamens or empty. Female spikelets are broadly oblong, 1-flowered and with four glumes. The first glume is thick, coriaceous and closely embraces the rachis of the spike by its involute margin and the other glumes are within. The second glume is oblong, many-nerved. The third is narrowly oblong, 3- to 5-nerved, empty. The fourth glume is very narrow, truncate, 3-nerved, paleate. Styles are very long with slender stigmas. Grain is small, fusiform, terete and enclosed in the nut-like polished and hardened first glume.

Polytoca barbata, Stapf.

This is an erect, tall, stout, freely branching, leafy, monoecious perennial grass. The stems are terete, 3 to 6 feet high.

The leaf-sheaths are long, glabrous, or with scattered tubercle-based bristly hairs. The ligule is a narrow membrane. The nodes have a ring of soft long hairs.

The leaf-blades are long, flat, linear, acuminate, with a stout midrib and thickened serrate margins, scabrid above and sometimes with a few tubercle-based hairs, 10 inches to 2 feet long and 1/4 to 3/4 inch broad.

The inflorescence consists of paniculate spike-like racemes terminating the branches and at first enclosed in spathiform bracts, the lower and outer spathiform bracts are one inch or more in length with a long awn at the tip, and the inner proper sheaths are oblong, awned and about 1/2 inch long. The raceme consists of one or more female spikelets at the base and a number of male spikelets above, appearing as if sessile on the top of the female spikelet, but really articulate with the internode below it which is enclosed by the first glume of the female spikelet.

Fig. 127.—Polytoca barbata.
1. Inflorescence; 2, 3, 4 and 5. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively, of the male spikelet; 4a and 5a. palea of the third and the fourth glume, respectively; 6. the first glume of the sessile spikelet; 7. female spikelet; 8, 9 and 10. the second, third and the fourth glume, respectively; 11. palea of the fourth glume; 12. ovary.

The male spikelets are solitary, or binate and then one sessile and one pedicelled, 2-flowered, reaching 3/8 inch in length and consist of four glumes each. The first glume is concave, ovate, acute, pubescent, herbaceous, many-nerved and with a narrow membranous margin on one side only in the pedicelled and solitary spikelets and on both sides in the sessile spikelets. The second glume is narrower, dorsally compressed, ovate, acuminate, 5- to 9-nerved, laterally compressed and with a narrow wing to the keel near the apex in sessile spikelets and dorsally compressed without the keel in the pedicelled and solitary spikelets. The third glume is membranous, oblong, acuminate, 3- to 5-nerved, with three stamens and paleate; the palea is hyaline, broadly linear. The fourth glume is very slender, linear, hyaline, with or without stamens, paleate; palea is flat, narrowly linear. Lodicules are present and they are small. The anthers in the third glume are larger than those in the fourth glume.

The female spikelet is oblong, 1/6 inch long, 1-flowered and with four glumes. The first glume is thickly coriaceous, white, shining, closely embracing the rachis and the other glumes entire at the tip. The second glume is quadrately oblong, many-nerved. The third glume is oblong, narrower than the second, 3- to 5-nerved paleate, empty. The palea of the third glume is narrow, truncate. The fourth glume is narrow, truncate, 3-nerved, paleate; the palea is truncate and wrapped round the ovary. Styles are long and stigmas slender. Lodicules are not present. The grain is fusiform, terete and within the nut-like polished hardened glume.

Distribution.—In damp situations all over India.

18. Imperata, Cyril.

These are erect perennial grasses. The inflorescence is a spike-like panicle, with very short filiform inarticulate branches and rachises. Spikelets are binate, 1-flowered, all alike, both pedicelled, articulate at the base and hidden by the very long silky hairs arising from a small callus and from the glumes. There are four glumes. The first two glumes are membranous, lanceolate, and subequal. The third glume is shorter and smaller, hyaline. The fourth glume is still smaller and hyaline. Stamens are two, rarely one. Lodicules are not found. Styles connate below, with stigmas very long, narrow and exserted at the top of the spikelets. Grain is small and oblong.

Imperata arundinacea, Cyril.

This is an erect perennial grass with creeping, stoloniferous root-stocks, with aerial stems varying from 6 inches to 3 feet.

The leaf-sheath is loose and glabrous. The ligule consists of long soft hairs. The nodes are naked or bearded.

The leaf-blade is linear, flat, tapering from about the middle towards the top, finely acuminate, and also narrowing towards the base into the stout midrib, margins with fine long hairs at the base, 6 to 18 inches by 1/10 to 1/3 inch, scabrous above and smooth beneath.

The panicle is narrow, spike-like, silvery, 3 to 8 inches; branches are short and appressed and the internodes of spikes are short with the tips dilated.

The spikelets are 1/8 to 1/6 inch concealed by long silvery hairs of the callus and the glumes, articulate at the base; callus hairs are about twice as long as the spikelet or longer.

There are four glumes in the spikelet. The first glume is ovate-lanceolate, obtuse, with ciliate tips and long hairs at the back below the middle, rather thickened towards the base, dorsally hairy, 3- to 7-nerved, nerves not reaching the tip. The second glume is as long as the first, with membranous margins and with long hairs at the back, 3- to 7-nerved. The third glume is hyaline, less than half as long as the first and second glumes, oblong, obtuse or irregularly toothed, nerveless or 1-nerved. The fourth glume is slightly shorter and narrower than the third, ovate, acute, obtuse or toothed, ciliate, nerveless or faintly 1-nerved, paleate; palea is about half as long as the glume, quadrate, toothed or retuse, nerveless, glabrous. There are only two stamens with orange anthers. Styles are slender, long, with purple stigmas. Lodicules are absent. Grain is small and oblong.

Fig. 128.—Imperata arundinacea.
1. A spikelet; 2, 3, 4, and 5. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively; 6. palea of the fourth glume; 7. two stamens and the ovary.

This is fairly abundant in moist stiff soils. On account of the underground stolons this grass cannot be eradicated easily.

Distribution.—Throughout India.

19. Saccharum, L.

These are tall perennial grasses. Inflorescence is a much branched open panicle, branches spreading or erect, capillary and fragile. Spikelets are small, 1-flowered, binate, one sessile and the other pedicelled, the sessile spikelet is bisexual and the pedicelled is female and rarely bisexual; sessile spikelets are deciduous with the contiguous joint of the rachis and the pedicel. There are four glumes. The first glume is chartaceous, equal in length to the second, oblong or lanceolate. The second glume is concave. The third glume is hyaline, empty. The fourth glume is very small or absent. Lodicules are present. There are three stamens. Stigmas are laterally exserted. Grain is oblong or sub-globose.

Saccharum spontaneum, L.

This is a tall perennial grass with a creeping root-stock bearing erect stems and occasionally decumbent or prostrate stolons. Stems vary in length from 5 to 20 feet. Branches and axillary buds grow out piercing the sheaths near the nodes.

The leaf-sheath is glabrous, but woolly at the mouth. The ligule is a distinct ovate membrane. The nodes are glabrous.

The leaf-blade is very long, narrow linear, acuminate and narrowing downwards into the stout midrib, coriaceous, glabrous and 1-1/2 to 2 feet by 1/8 to 1/4 inch.

The panicle is lanceolate, 8 to 24 inches, silky and the peduncle just below the panicle is softly silky, branches are whorled, three to five at a level, 2 to 4 inches long, rachis of the branches almost capillary, jointed and fragile, joints with long cilia at the back.

The spikelets are binate, one sessile and another pedicelled, both bisexual and alike, lanceolate, 1/8 to 1/6 inch long, callus is minute and bearded with spreading silky hairs 1/2 inch long.

Fig. 129.—Saccharum spontaneum.
1. Two spikelets; 2, 3, 4 and 5. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively; 6. ovary, stamens and lodicules.

There are four glumes. The first glume is lanceolate, subulate, acuminate, 2-nerved, flattened dorsally, coriaceous at the base and hyaline above it, and with smooth incurved margins. The second glume is about equal to or slightly shorter than the first, lanceolate, acuminate, 1-nerved, keeled with an opaque base; margins and keel are ciliate with fine long hairs. The third glume is hyaline, ovate-lanceolate, nerveless, acute, ciliate. The fourth glume is very slender, ciliate, acuminate, paleate; palea is minute, very variable. Stamens are three. Lodicules are cuneate or quadrate. The grain is very small, oblong.

Distribution.—This occurs all over India along the sides of the river.

20. IschÆmum, L.

The grasses of this genus are either annuals or perennials. The inflorescence consists of spikes, solitary, digitate or fascicled, articulate and fragile; the joints of the floral axis and the pedicels of the pedicelled spikelets are trigonous and hollowed ventrally. Spikelets are binate, one sessile and one pedicelled; the pedicelled spikelets are dissimilar from the sessile and both usually 2-flowered. The sessile spikelets have four glumes. The first glume is coriaceous, oblong or lanceolate, convex more or less, marginally winged above the middle, truncate or two-cuspidate at the apex and awnless. The second glume is as long as the first, coriaceous, concave, acute or obtuse, awned or not. The third glume is hyaline, deeply cleft into two lobes with an awn in the cleft, and 3-nerved, paleate; palea is linear-lanceolate enclosing either stamens and ovary or ovary alone. Lodicules are cuneate or quadrate.

KEY TO SPECIES.

IschÆmum aristatum, L.

This is a perennial grass, with fairly stout, erect or somewhat decumbent, simple or branched, glabrous, leafy stems, 1 to 4 feet high.

The leaf-sheath is loose, glabrous and auricled. The ligule is a distinct membrane, broad or narrow. Nodes are glabrous.

The leaf-blade is linear-lanceolate, flat, acuminate, narrowed towards the base which may be acute, subcordate or rarely even petiolate, glabrous or sparsely hairy above and glaucous beneath, 4 to 10 inches long and 1/4 to 1 inch broad.

The inflorescence consists of one or two, erect, stout or slender, fragile racemes, 1 to 5 inches long.

Fig. 130.—IschÆmum aristatum.
1. A portion of the raceme showing the joints, sessile and pedicelled spikelets; 2, 3, 4 and 6. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively, of the sessile spikelet; 5 and 7. palea of the third and the fourth glumes, respectively; 8. ovary, stamens and lodicules; 9. first glume of the pedicelled spikelet.

The spikelets are 1/6 to 1/3 inch long, the sessile and the pedicelled closely pressed together, glabrous or hairy; the callus of the sessile spikelet broad and thick, with or without hairs. The sessile spikelet is awned and consists of four glumes. The first glume is 1/5 inch long or less, oblong or linear-oblong, cartilaginous below the middle, with two to four (or rarely up to six) marginal nodules on each edge, sometimes these are connected by shallow ridges, thinner above the middle, with green anastomosing veins, tip obtuse or 2-toothed, and margins narrowly incurved. The second glume is chartaceous, lanceolate, acuminate, 1-nerved and with a smooth rounded keel. The third glume is ovate-lanceolate, membranous, 1-nerved, acuminate, male or bisexual with an oblong palea. The fourth glume is cleft to or below the middle into lanceolate acute lobes, with a brownish red awn 1/2 inch or more long at the sinus twisted at the lower portion and straight above, paleate, usually female; palea is linear oblong. The pedicelled spikelet is as long as the sessile, inarticulate on the very thick, short pedicel which is densely or sparsely hairy at the base. The first glume is scimitar-shaped, coriaceous, acute, with a somewhat semi-circular wing. The other glumes are as in sessile spikelets, but the fourth glume has no awn and may have a mucro.

This grass is a variable one. There is much variation in the breadth of the leaves and in the markings and hairiness of the spikelets. The spikelets may be glabrous or hairy and the marking in the first glume of the sessile spikelets varies in the matter of marginal nodules—it may have mere shallow notches or deep well-formed nodules and there may be transverse ridges or they may be absent. This grass is abundant on the West Coast and rare in the East Coast.

Distribution.—Throughout the plains and lower hills of India and Ceylon.

Fig. 131.—IschÆmum aristatum.
A. A portion of the raceme showing the joints; B. a sessile and a pedicelled spikelet. 1, 2, 3 and 6. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively; 4 and 5. palea of the third and the fourth glume; 7. ovary and lodicules; 8. first glume of the pedicelled spikelets.

IschÆmum rugosum, Salisb.

This is an erect annual grass with tufted, leafy, compressed stems varying in length from 10 inches to 2 feet.

The leaf-sheath is glabrous, loose and compressed, with a membranous auricle confluent with the truncate ligule. Nodes usually glabrous but sometimes also puberulous.

The leaf-blade is narrow, linear-lanceolate, flat, base contracted, flaccid, acuminate, rounded at the base, glabrous or sparsely hairy on both the surfaces; the topmost leaf is often reduced to an inflated sheath enclosing the inflorescence partially.

Fig. 132.—IschÆmum rugosum.
1. A part of the raceme showing sessile spikelets with reduced pedicelled spikelets; 2. a sessile spikelet and a well developed pedicelled spikelet; 3. a reduced pedicelled spikelet; 4, 5, 6 and 8. the first, second, third and the fourth glume of the sessile spikelet; 7 and 9. palea of the third and fourth glumes of the sessile spikelet; 10. ovary.

The racemes are usually two, erect, fragile, 1 to 3 inches long with a slight thickening of the peduncle below the inflorescence; the joints are 1/3 to 2/3 as long as the sessile spikelets; trigonous and subclavate, and with long hairs on one side. The spikelets are linear-oblong, glabrous or villous, 1/8 to 1/4 inch long, sessile and stalked spikelets close together; the pedicel of the stalked spikelet is thick about 1/3 or less than the length of the sessile spikelet, ciliate on one side, confluent with the thick callus of the sessile spikelet, which is sparsely bristly. The sessile spikelet consists of four glumes and is awned. The first glume is concave, pale yellow, shining and cartilaginous to about 2/3 its length from the base, and the upper third is membranous, dimidiately ovate; at the back in the cartilaginous portion, there are three to six deep convex smooth ridges running across the glume; the membranous tip is thin and with anastomosing green veins; the margins of this glume are thick, narrowly incurved, ciliolate, and with a narrow wing on the outer margin. The second glume is oblong-lanceolate or lanceolate, coriaceous, acuminate, scaberulous, keeled and laterally compressed and on the keel just below the tip there is a narrow ciliate wing. The third glume is ovate-lanceolate, hyaline, acuminate 1- to 3-veined, male or empty, with a narrow hyaline palea. The fourth glume is shorter than the third, deeply cleft into two lanceolate acute lobes, 3-veined at the base; awn up to about 2/3 inch long; palea is linear lanceolate. Stamens are three and lodicules are small and cuneate.

The pedicelled spikelet is very variable. It is shorter than the sessile, with obscure transverse ridges and may consist of four glumes, but without an awn to the fourth glume; sometimes this spikelet is reduced to a single glume.

The grain is broadly oblong, brownish and compressed.

Distribution.—Throughout India and Ceylon.

Fig. 133.—IschÆmum pilosum.
A and B. Ligules.

IschÆmum pilosum, Hack.

It is a tall, robust, perennial grass with rhizomes producing numerous creeping stolons densely covered with scaly-sheaths. The aerial stems are erect, freely branching at the base, slender, 2 to 3 feet long, glabrous.

The leaf-sheath is glabrous. The ligule is a distinct glabrous membrane, 1/8 inch long, rounded. Nodes are glabrous.

The leaf-blade is linear, finely acuminate, glabrous but bearded at the base, 6 to 12 inches long and 1/8 to 1/3 inch broad.

The inflorescence consists of two to six softly hairy spikes which are yellow or brown 1 to 4 inches long. Joints and pedicels are slender, sparsely ciliate.

Fig. 134.—IschÆmum pilosum.
1. A sessile and a pedicelled spikelet; 2, 3, 4 and 6. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively, of the sessile spikelets; 5. palea of the third glume, 7. palea of the fourth glume; 8. ovary; 9, 10, 11 and 12. first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively, of the pedicelled spikelets; 13. palea of the fourth glume.

The sessile spikelets are narrowly lanceolate, 3/4 inch long, with long hairs at the base. The first glume is dorsally hairy, or glabrous, narrowed from the middle upwards, chartaceous, with incurved margins and six or seven anastomosing nerves. The second glume is longer than the first, laterally compressed, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, chartaceous, glabrous but often with long hairs on the keel towards the upper half, 5-nerved, the lateral nerves anastomosing. The third glume is a little shorter than the second, linear-oblong or lanceolate, paleate; palea is membranous, nerveless, and encloses three stamens. The fourth glume is equal to the third glume in length, membranous, hyaline and divided almost to the middle into two acute lobes with an awn 1/4 to 3/8 inch long, paleate; palea is lanceolate, nerveless and encloses three stamens and the ovary and sometimes only the ovary. The pedicelled spikelets are shorter than the sessile but with a shorter awn. The glumes are similar to those of the sessile spikelet; sometimes these spikelets are imperfect or even reduced to a single glume.

This grass grows well in black cotton soils and sometimes it gets very well established and then it is very difficult to eradicate it. Cattle seem to like this grass.

Distribution.—In black cotton soils all over the presidency, but most abundant in the Ceded districts.

Fig. 135.—IschÆmum ciliare.

IschÆmum ciliare, Retz.

It is a tufted perennial grass, erect or creeping. Stems are erect or ascending, sometimes decumbent at base, and rooting at the nodes, stout or slender, 6 inches to 2 feet long.

The leaf-sheath is compressed, loose, glabrous or hairy. The ligule is a short, ciliate membrane. Nodes are glabrous or hairy.

The leaf-blade is flat, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, narrowed towards the acute or rounded base, glabrous or hairy, 2 to 6 inches long and 1/6 to 1/2 inch wide.

The inflorescence consists of two spikes, 1-1/2 to 2 inches long; joints and pedicels of the pedicelled spikelets equal, hairy at the back and at the angles.

The sessile spikelets are 1/8 to 1/5 inch long, oblong, bearded at the base. The first glume is coriaceous, convex, polished, smooth or pitted, hairy below, flat and veined above the middle, with broad or narrow ciliate equal wings and with margins narrowly inflexed above and broadly so below. The second glume is coriaceous, equal to or longer than the first, lanceolate, acuminate, or shortly awned, 3- to 5-nerved, keel narrowly winged towards the apex, dorsally ciliate or not. The third glume is ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, ciliate towards the apex, 1- to 3-nerved, paleate; the palea has a coriaceous lanceolate centre, with broad hyaline ciliate wings and encloses three stamens. The fourth glume is hyaline, deeply lobed into two oblong obtuse glabrous or ciliate lobes, with an awn twice as long as the spikelet in the cleft, and paleate; palea is lanceolate, acuminate, 2-nerved. Styles and stigmas are short.

Fig. 136.—IschÆmum ciliare.
1. Spikelets; 2, 3, 4 and 6. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively, of the sessile spikelet; 5 and 7. palea of the third and the fourth glumes, respectively; 8. lodicules, stamens and the ovary; 9 and 10. the first and the second glumes of the pedicelled spikelet.

The pedicelled spikelets resemble the sessile ones in the structure of their glumes and palea.

This grass is very variable in its habit and in the structure of its spikelets. It grows mostly in wet situations, such as the bunds of paddy fields and tanks. Cattle eat the grass eagerly.

Distribution.—All over India and Ceylon.

IschÆmum laxum, L.

This is a perennial grass with numerous stiff, thick and wiry roots.

Stems are erect, slender, rising in tufts from a short root-stock, glabrous, leafy towards the base, varying in length from 2 to 3 feet.

The leaf-sheaths are shorter than the internodes usually glabrous, but occasionally with scattered hairs. At the mouth tufts of hairs are present or not. The ligule is a ridge of silky hairs. The nodes are glabrous.

The leaf-blades are erect, flat, slightly glaucous, linear, narrowed to long capillary tips, 5 to 12 inches long and 1/10 to 1/6 inch broad, with prominent nerves and scabrid margins.

The inflorescence is a solitary spike, 2 to 5 inches long, erect and fragile; the joints and pedicels are compressed, somewhat 2-angled, ciliate with long hairs, and about half as long as the spikelets.

Fig. 137.—IschÆmum laxum.
1. A sessile and a pedicelled spikelet; 2. first glume of a sessile spikelet; 3. second glume of a sessile spikelet; 4 and 5. third and fourth glumes of sessile spikelets; 4a and 5a. are palea of third and fourth glumes; 6. ovary; 7, 8, 9 and 10. glumes of pedicelled spikelets; 9a and 10a. palea of third and fourth glumes.

The spikelets are in pairs, one-sessile and one-pedicelled. The sessile spikelets are pale-green, linear-oblong, acuminate with a shortly bearded callus, 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch long. There are four glumes in a spikelet. The first glume is chartaceous, oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, 2-toothed with the teeth ending in two short awns, densely ciliated at the apex on one side, conspicuously 6- (rarely) 7-nerved, the two lateral being very strong and running into the apical teeth and the intermediate four nerves being shorter and not running up to the apex, and on the dorsal surface there is a depression, where it is membranous and the nerves on its sides sometimes anastomosing at the upper third of the glume. The second glume is shorter than the first, chartaceous to a certain extent, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, concave, terminating in a fine scabrid awn, 1/2 inch long, with margins ciliate from above the middle to the apex, and with a narrow ciliated wing on the keel at the apex running up to the base of the awn, 3-nerved. The third glume is lanceolate, acuminate, hyaline, nerveless, ciliate, with a linear obtuse palea enclosing three stamens and two lodicules. The fourth glume is hyaline, membranous, deeply split at the apex into two prominent lobes and with an awn in the depression 1/2 inch long, the palea is linear oblong and contains either the ovary alone or both the stamens and the ovary.

The pedicelled spikelets are also as long as the sessile, more conspicuous than the sessile and consist of four glumes, but are not awned. The first glume is lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, chartaceous, with seven strong nerves, very prominent at the back and the mid nerve being most conspicuous, with scabrid keels and closely finely ciliated and folded margins, finely biaristate at the apex. The second glume is lanceolate, finely acuminate, sub-chartaceous, with the margins ciliate from about two-third its length from the apex, 3-nerved, the mid nerve alone being prominent. The third glume is hyaline, nerveless, lanceolate, ciliate in the margin, paleate with 3 stamens or empty. The fourth glume is shorter than the third, hyaline, narrow lanceolate, not awned, ciliate or not at the margin, paleate and with three stamens and two lodicules.

This grass produces a large amount of leaves in good soils and it is liked very much by cattle. It is capable of standing a long spell of dry weather, and is valuable in this respect because it can be depended upon when other grasses fail. It is worth conserving with other grasses. It grows both in rich and poor soils, in open places and also in thickets.

Distribution.—Throughout India and Ceylon.

21. Eremochloa, Buse.

These are tufted perennial grasses with rigid equitant leaves at the base. The inflorescence consists of a solitary, glabrous, and compressed spike, with a somewhat fragile rachis; the joints are compressed, hollow and clavate. The spikelets are solitary, usually 2-flowered (rarely 1-flowered), secund, closely imbricating, sessile with a short, pedicelled, reduced upper spikelet, and deciduous with the joint. There are four glumes. The first glume is oblong or ovate, flat, smooth, coriaceous, pectinately margined with upcurved spines. The second glume is oblong-lanceolate, acute and 3-nerved. The third glume is hyaline, obtuse, paleate and male. The fourth glume is smaller, hyaline, oblong, obtuse, 1-nerved, paleate, bisexual or female. Lodicules are truncate and slightly oblique. Stamens are three with long anthers. Styles are two with feathery stigmas. The grain is oval, plano-convex.

Eremochloa muricata, Hack.

This is a perennial tufted grass with a woody creeping root-stock. Stems are erect or ascending, slender, strongly compressed, lower parts completely covered by rigid equitant leaves, 6 to 18 inches long or more.

The leaf-sheath is broad, flat, much compressed, glabrous and keeled. The ligule is a short membrane. Nodes are glabrous.

The leaf-blade is linear, glabrous on both sides, 2 to 6 inches long and 3/16 to 1/4 inch broad, with a rounded tip and two unequal lobes.

The spike is solitary, up to 6 inches (or more) in length, joints of the rachis 1/3 to 1/2 the length of the spikelets. Spikelets are solitary, sessile, compressed, secund. The sessile spikelets are 3/16 to 1/6 inch, and consist of four spikelets. The first glume is oblong-lanceolate, dorsally slightly convex, smooth, coriaceous, 7- to 9-nerved, and with pectinate margins consisting of long, spreading, upcurved spines and at the top with subquadrate wings on each side reaching beyond the acute tip. The second glume is chartaceous, oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, usually 5-nerved (and occasionally 3-nerved), the mid-nerve keeled with a narrow wing from below the middle to the base and with hyaline margins. The third glume is oblong-obovate, hyaline, thin, paleate with three yellow anthers and two oblong-cuneate lodicules; palea is narrow, oblong, obtuse. The fourth glume is thin, hyaline, oblong-lanceolate, obtuse, paleate, and bisexual; palea lanceolate, narrow, two-toothed at the apex, with deep purple anthers and stigmas of the same colour. The lodicules are obliquely truncate. Ovary has a reddish spot between the style branches and just at the apex in the fresh state in the bud and in the open flower.

Fig. 138.—Eremochloa muricata.
A. Sessile spikelet; B. sessile and a pedicelled spikelet; 1, 2, 3 and 4. the first, second, third and the fourth glume of the sessile spikelet; 3a and 4a. palea of the third and fourth glumes of the sessile spikelet; 5. ovary, anthers and lodicules.

The pedicelled spikelet is reduced to an inflated body, as long as the sessile spikelet. It is pointed towards both ends, green with anastomosing veins on the outside and membranous, white and nerveless on the other side. The part of the pedicelled spikelet corresponding to the spikelet looks as if the margins of the first and second glumes are confluent all round.

Distribution.—South India and Ceylon.

22. Apocopis, Nees.

These are annual or perennial grasses with slender stems. The spikes are compressed, 2- to 3-nate, or solitary at the ends of slender branches, with a rachis not jointed; joints are short, slender and villous. Spikelets are closely imbricating in two series, sessile, solitary, the upper reduced to a small pedicel 1- to 2-flowered, the lowest few on the spike, imperfect, male or neuter. There are four glumes. The first glume is large, broadly obovate or obcordate, cuneate, villous with brown hairs, 7- to 9-nerved. The second glume is as long as the first, but narrower, thinner, oblong to ovate, spikelet truncate and 3-nerved. The third glume is hyaline, narrow, paleate, male or empty. The fourth glume is hyaline, linear, entire or 2-fid, awned, bisexual with a very short palea. Lodicules are absent. Stamens are two or three with linear anthers. Styles are short and stigmas slender and exserted. The grain is small, oblong and narrow.

Fig. 139.—Apocopis Wightii.

Apocopis Wightii, Nees ex Steud.

This is a low and densely tufted or tall erect annual grass. Stems are leafy, branching freely, 3 to 8 inches long.

The leaf-sheath is loose, usually hairy, rarely also glabrous and hairy at the mouth. The ligule is a small lacerate membrane.

The leaf-blade is linear-lanceolate, acuminate, hairy on both sides and with tubercle-based hairs, rarely glabrous, 3/4 to 3 inches by 1/12 to 1/8 inch.

The inflorescence consists of two racemes, closely appressed together on a very slender peduncle; the joints are shorter than the spikelets and with long brown hairs.

The spikelets are oblong, 1/8 to 1/5 inch long, the callus is short, hairy with long brown hairs. The first glume is cuneately obovate or obcordate, yellowish with red brown tips or dark brown with yellow tips, chartaceous below, membranous, hyaline and ciliate at the truncate, emarginate or retuse apex, 7- to 9-nerved, the nerves abruptly ceasing towards the apex. The second glume is as long as the first, broadly oblong, sides sharply folded inwards, 3-nerved, rarely nerveless, with long hairs at the back towards the base and with short cilia at the apex. The third glume is as long as the first, hyaline, thin, linear-oblong, nerveless, ciliate at the apex, paleate, usually with two stamens or empty; palea as long as the glume, hyaline and nerveless. The fourth glume is slightly longer than the other glumes or equal, very narrowly oblong or linear, membranous, awned and paleate; awn is 2 to 6 times the length of the glume, 7/8 to 1-1/4 inch long; palea is hyaline, thin, nerveless, convolute, broadly oblong to almost quadrate oblong, apex with very short cilia. Grain is minute and oblong.

Fig. 140.—Apocopis Wightii.
1. Spike; 2. a spikelet; 3, 4, 5 and 7. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively; 6 and 8. palea of the third and the fourth glume; 9. ovary.

This grass varies very much in its spikelets. In one form they are smaller and hairy and in the other they are larger and glabrous except for a few stray hairs here and there. The former one is more widely distributed and the latter seems to be confined to certain localities in the south of the Presidency.

Distribution.—Throughout the Deccan Peninsula, Behar, Central India, Burma and Ceylon.

23. Lophopogon, Hack.

These are small densely tufted perennial grasses, with very narrow leaves. The spikes are very short at the ends of very fine branches, solitary, binate or fascicled, with very fragile rachis; joints are very short, slender with cupular tips. The spikelets are binate one sessile and the other shortly pedicelled, with the callus villous. There are four glumes. The first glume (of both the sessile and the pedicelled spikelets) is oblong, truncate, irregularly 3- to 4-toothed, 5- to 7-nerved and dorsally convex. The second glume is narrow lanceolate, longer than the first, 3- to 5-nerved, hispidly villous dorsally below the middle and on the sides, aristate or awned. The third glume is oblong lanceolate, hyaline, acute or aristate, 1-nerved, male or neuter, with a linear palea. The fourth glume is hyaline, as long as the third, entire or 2-fid and awned in the pedicelled and not awned in sessile spikelets, paleate with female or bisexual flowers. Lodicules are not present. Stamens are two. Stigmas are long.

Lophopogon tridentatus, Hack.

This is a small annual grass with slender, tufted, erect stems varying in height from 4 to 12 inches.

Leaf-sheaths are glabrous or with scattered hairs. The ligule is a fringe of close-set long hairs. Nodes are covered with long hairs below, but nodes nearer the inflorescence are glabrous.

Leaf-blades are very finely linear, acuminate, rigid, erect, glabrous below, with long hairs on the upper surface to about quarter the length of the blade and densely hairy near the mouth, and varying in length from 2 to 6 inches.

The inflorescence consists of usually two closely appressed spikes, though appearing as one, 1/2 to 3/4 inch long, pilose with ferrugineous hairs; the peduncle is capillary and enclosed by the upper leaf-sheath.

Fig. 141.—Lophopogon tridentatus.
1. Awnless lower spikelet; 2. a lower sessile and an upper pedicelled spikelet; 3. the first glume of an awnless lower spikelet; 4. the first glume of a lower spikelet that is awned; 5. the first, glume of the upper or pedicelled spikelets; 6, 7 and 9. the second, third and the fourth glume, respectively, of the upper pedicelled spikelets; 8 and 10. palea of the third and the fourth glumes; 11. ovary and anthers.

The spikelets are densely imbricate, binate at each joint, the upper being shortly pedicelled and the lower sessile or subsessile. The lower spikelets are 1/5 inch long with a tuft of brownish hairs at the tip of the callus. The lower spikelets at the very base of the inflorescence are awnless and contain only two male flowers, whereas those above in the inflorescence are awned and contain one male flower and one hermaphrodite or female flower.

There are four glumes in the spikelet. The first glume in the awnless spikelets is coriaceous, oblong, cuneate, very sparsely hairy or glabrous, shorter than the second glume, 7-nerved, 5-toothed at the apex, two teeth being broader and shorter and three sharper and longer. The second glume is longer than the first, 1/5 inch long, sub-chartaceous, lanceolate, 3-nerved, 2-fid at the tip and awned or aristate, margin hyaline and with long brownish hairs on the marginal nerves. The third glume is hyaline, a little shorter than the second, lanceolate-linear, tip bifid or irregularly toothed, paleate with two stamens or rarely empty; the palea is linear, about as long as the glume, tip irregularly toothed. The fourth glume is hyaline, as long as the third glume, 2-fid at the tip, awnless with a very minute arista in the cleft or not, paleate with two stamens; palea narrow and hyaline. The first glume of the lower spikelets above is somewhat narrower, 5- or 3-toothed with long hairs at the margins and with tufts of hairs at the back about the middle. The pedicelled or upper spikelets also have four glumes and bear one male flower and one bisexual flower. The first glume is shorter than the second glume, narrow, oblong, cuneate, 3-toothed with marginal hairs and tufts of hairs at about the middle at the back, 7-nerved all nerves running straight. The second glume is longer than the first, 1/5 inch long, sub-chartaceous, lanceolate, 2-fid at the tip, awned with hyaline margins, 3- to 7-nerved, marginal nerves with long brown hairs, and also with two tufts of hairs at about the middle or without it. The third glume is hyaline, nerveless, linear-lanceolate, shorter than the second glume, tip irregularly toothed or unequally bifid, paleate with two stamens; palea is linear about as long as the glume. The fourth glume is hyaline, about 1/6 inch long, lanceolate, 2-fid at the tip, awned in the cleft, lobes are hairy; awn is 3/4 inch long, paleate, usually bisexual, rarely female; palea is two-thirds of the glume in height, broadly ovate or quadrate, lobulate at the apex. Styles are very long, purple, anthers long, yellow. Grain narrow ellipsoidal or cylindric as long as the palea.

This grass is found in Chingleput, Nellore and Chittoor districts in open waste places in loamy soils.

Distribution.—The Konkan, Kanara and Central Provinces.

24. Apluda, L.

These are tall leafy slender perennial grasses, with branching stems erect or geniculately ascending from a creeping or decumbent base. The inflorescence is a leafy panicle of many small spikes enclosed in spathiform bracts. Spikes are of one linear joint gibbously bulbous at the base, and jointed on the peduncle at the base of the spathe by a minute curved pedicel. Spikelets are three, a sessile, 2-flowered bisexual one in front, and two pedicelled ones behind, one of which is imperfect and reduced to a glume and the other perfect male or rarely bisexual. The two pedicels are flat, prolonged from one side of the rounded rachis, oblong linear, truncate with a few long hairs along the margin. Sessile spikelets have four glumes. The first glume is chartaceous, linear oblong, many-nerved, shortly bifid at the apex, longer than the other glumes. The second glume is thinner, dorsally gibbous, keeled, 5- to 9-nerved, beaked and minutely bifid. The third glume is hyaline, oblong, acute, 3-nerved, paleate and male. The fourth glume is hyaline, deeply bifid, awned in the sinus, bisexual with a minute palea. The pedicelled spikelet has also four glumes. The first and the second glumes are nearly equal, rather chartaceous. linear-oblong, acute or acuminate, many-nerved. The third glume is hyaline, oblong-lanceolate, 3-nerved, paleate and male. The fourth glume is hyaline, bifid, paleate, 1-nerved, female or bisexual. Lodicules are two. Stamens are three. Grain is oblong.

Apluda varia, Hack.

This is a tall leafy perennial grass with wiry roots. Stems are densely tufted, branched, geniculately ascending, erect or the branches scandent, solid, smooth and polished, 1 to 7 feet.

The leaf-sheath is glabrous or slightly hairy, the upper ones being shorter and dilated into spathes with subulate tips. The ligule is a short stiff slightly lacerate membrane.

The leaf-blade is linear-lanceolate, finely acuminate, base narrowed into a petiole, scaberulous on both the surfaces.

The inflorescence consists of simple spikes, each in a spathiform bract, and forming clusters terminating the stem and the branches. The spikes have their bases rounded and swollen and each spike consists of a sessile bisexual spikelet and two flat linear, truncate, parallel pedicels, one terminated by a spikelet, and the other by a solitary minute glume. Spathes are 1/8 to 1/3 inch long, sessile or pedicellate, green, cymbiform, with subulate tips.

Fig. 142.—Apluda varia.
A. A cluster of spikes containing five spikes with their spathes; B and C. spikes.

The sessile as well as the pedicelled spikelets have four glumes. The sessile spikelets are 1/8 to 1/5 inch long. The first glume is spreading or erect, chartaceous, many-nerved, two-toothed at the apex and with narrow hyaline margins from about the middle to the apex. The second glume is compressed, dorsally gibbous, keeled, 7-nerved. The third glume is hyaline, oblong-lanceolate, 3-nerved, paleate with three stamens; palea is narrow. The fourth glume is shorter than the third, deeply 2-fid and awned in the cleft, bisexual or female, 3- to 5-nerved below the cleft, the lateral nerves arching and meeting the mid-nerve just at the cleft, with a small ovate palea. There are two lodicules. The pedicelled spikelets are dorsally compressed. The first glume is lanceolate, oblong, subacute, many-nerved, coriaceous and glabrous. The second glume is as long as the first, many-nerved, lanceolate-oblong, coriaceous and glabrous. The third glume is hyaline, shorter than the second, 3-nerved, paleate and with three stamens. The fourth glume is shorter than or equal to the third, hyaline, 1-nerved rarely with two short lateral nerves, female or imperfect. Lodicules are two.

A very common grass occurring in the plains and lower hills, all over the Presidency and grows well in all kinds of soil.

Distribution.—All over India.

Fig. 143.—Apluda varia.
1, 2, 3 and 4. The first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively, of the sessile spikelet; 3a and 4a. are the palea of the third and the fourth glume, respectively; 5. stamens, ovary and lodicules; 6, 7, 8 and 10. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively, of the pedicelled spikelet; 9 and 11. palea of the third and the fourth glumes.

25. Rottboellia, Linn. f.

These are tall, annual or perennial grasses, with leafy stems and narrow leaves. The spikes are few or many, solitary or panicled, with a jointed usually fragile rachis; the joints are rounded or compressed, hollowed on one side and excavated at the tip. The spikelets are usually binate, one-sessile closing or sunk in the cavity of the joint and the other pedicelled, smaller than the sessile or rudimentary with the pedicel usually adnate to the joints and equal to or shorter than it. The sessile spikelets are bisexual, 1- to 2-flowered, equal to or shorter than the joint and four-glumed. The first glume is coriaceous dorsally flattened, obtuse, margins narrowly incurved. The second glume is thinner than the first, broadly ovate, acute and gibbously convex. The third glume is hyaline, ovate, acute, male or neuter, with a membranous palea. The fourth glume is hyaline, bisexual, broadly ovate, acute with a hyaline, ovate-lanceolate palea. There are three stamens with linear anthers. There are two cuneate lodicules. Styles are two with laterally exserted stigmas. The grain is broadly oblong. The pedicelled spikelets are smaller than the sessile, male or neuter, with four glumes. The first glume is herbaceous, many-nerved, ovate-acute, minutely bifid at the apex. The second, third and the fourth are more or less similar to those of the sessile spikelet.

KEY TO THE SPECIES.

Rottboellia Myurus, Benth.

This is a tufted perennial with creeping stems which branch freely into ascending compressed branches, 10 inches to 2 feet high.

The leaf-sheath is quite glabrous and compressed. The ligule is a short ciliate membrane. Nodes are glabrous.

The leaf-blade is flat, linear, acute, glabrous, 2 to 6 inches long.

The inflorescence consists of a solitary terminal or axillary raceme 1 to 2 inches long; joints are shorter than the spikelets, excavate on one side and with a pore which is hidden by the sessile spikelet. The sessile spikelet consists of four glumes. The first glume is somewhat fiddle-shaped, dilated above the middle into an orbicular wing, and towards the base into two auricles joined by a transverse ridge, scaberulous, 5-nerved. The second glume is somewhat membranous, ovate, acute and 3-nerved. The third glume is hyaline, thin, oblong, obtuse and nerveless. The fourth glume is lanceolate, nerveless and without a palea, bisexual. There are two cuneate lodicules. The pedicelled spikelets also have four glumes and the pedicels usually free, but also sometimes adnate. The first glume is oblong, obtuse, winged on one side only, 5-nerved. The second glume is boat-shaped, chartaceous, 3-nerved crested with a semi-circular wing at the apex. The third glume is hyaline, broadly oblong, obtuse, 3-nerved with a lanceolate hyaline palea. The fourth glume is oblong, obtuse, male.

Fig. 144.—Rottboellia Myurus.

1. A portion of the raceme showing front view; 2. a portion of the raceme showing the back view; 3. a sessile and a pedicelled spikelet showing the front side; 4. the same showing the back side; 5, 6, 7 and 8. the first, second, third and the fourth glume of the sessile spikelet, respectively; 9 ovary and lodicules; 10, 11, 12 and 14. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively, of the pedicelled spikelet; 13 and 15. palea of the third and fourth glumes of the sessile spikelet.

This is very common in dry somewhat sandy places in the East Coast districts.

Distribution.—Common in Deccan peninsula.

Rottboellia exaltata, L.f.

This grass is usually annual and rarely perennial. Stems are stout, erect, hispid, branching from the base, varying in height from 3 to 10 feet.

The leaf-sheaths are loose, hispid with tubercle-based hairs, or glabrous, with mouth contracted. The ligule is short and ciliate.

The leaf-blade is linear-lanceolate, setaceously-acuminate with a stout midrib prominent beneath, hispid or scabrid above, smooth or sometimes scaberulous and glaucous beneath, spinulosely scabrid at the margin, 5 to 24 inches by 1/4 to 1 inch.

Fig. 145.—Rottboellia exaltata.
1 and 2. A portion of the spike, back and front view; 3, 4, 5 and 7. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively, of the sessile spikelet; 6 and 8. palea of the third and the fourth glumes of the sessile spikelet; 9. ovary; 10, 11, 12 and 14. the first, second, third and the fourth glume of the pedicelled spikelet; 13 and 15. palea of the third and the fourth glume of the pedicelled spikelet.

The racemes are stout, cylindrical below and very narrow and with imperfect spikelets above, joints are smooth and rounded dorsally. The sessile spikelets are as long as the joint or slightly shorter and has four glumes. The first glume is ovate-oblong, thickly coriaceous, smooth at the back with a truncate base and a transverse ridge at the base inside, many-nerved, with very narrow inflexed margins and very narrow wings at the top, the apex is obtuse or emarginate. The second glume is equal to the first glume in height, chartaceous, gibbously convex, broadly ovate, acute, 9- to 11-nerved, and with a short wing to the keel at the apex. The third glume is oblong or elliptic-oblong, rigid with a hyaline centre and coriaceous at the sides, 3-nerved, paleate and with three stamens; palea is as long as the glume, coriaceous with inflexed hyaline margins. Lodicules are cuneate, with toothed edge. The fourth glume is a little shorter than the third, ovate from a broad base, hyaline and acute, 1-nerved, paleate and usually with an ovary and two lodicules: palea is hyaline, as long as the glume. but narrower, nerveless. Lodicules are quadrate; grain somewhat large oblong and compressed. The pedicelled spikelets are usually imperfect.

This grass occurs all over the Presidency in cultivated dry fields.

Distribution.—Throughout the lower hills and plains of India and in Australia and Africa.

26. Mnesithea, Kunth.

These are erect slender perennial grasses with narrow leaves. The spikes are solitary and slender, with a fragile, articulated rachis; the joints are terete, ribbed, all but a few upper with two equal and similar sessile spikelets, sunk in sub-opposite oblong cavities, separated by a hyaline septum, and with sometimes a minute glume representing a third spikelet (the pedicelled) on the upper margin of the joint. The sessile spikelets are one-flowered, nearly as long as the internode. There are four glumes in the spikelet. The first glume closing the mouth of the cavity in the joint is obliquely oblong, obtuse, smooth with narrowly incurved margins. The second and the third glumes are as long as the first, obtuse and hyaline. The third glume is empty, paleate or not. The fourth glume is rather small, oblong, obtuse, bisexual and palea shorter than the glume. The lodicules are not present. The stamens are three. Ovary is very small with stigmas not exserted. The grain is narrowly oblong compressed. The pedicelled spikelets are confined to the upper 1-flowered joints of the spike and their pedicels are confluent with the walls of the joints and their margins are marked by two ribs. The first glume is very minute and the other glumes are absent.

Mnesithea lÆvis, Kunth.

This is an erect slender perennial grass with smooth simple or branched stems varying in height from 2 to 4 feet.

The leaf-sheath is terete, tight, glabrous. The ligule is a short toothed membrane. Nodes are glabrous.

The leaf-blade is flat, linear from a narrow base, glabrous or base hairy; apices of upper leaves acuminate, and those of the lower obtuse, with finely serrate margins and a midrib prominent below, 6 to 12 inches long and 1/10 to 1/6 inch wide.

Racemes are short, exserted from the uppermost sheath, erect, 4 to 8 inches long; joints are 1/5 inch long, contracted in the middle, with two equal and similar spikelets, sunk in the opposite oblong cavities separated by a thin hyaline septum and sometimes with a minute glume of the third spikelet on the upper margin of the joint.

Fig. 146.—Mnesithea lÆvis.
1 and 2. Portions of a spike; 3, 4, 5 and 6. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively; 7. palea of the fourth glume; 8. ovary; 9 and 10. a part of the spike at the terminal portion.

The sessile spikelets are 1-flowered, as long as the joint and varying in length from 1/7 to 1/5 inch and have four glumes. The first glume is obliquely oblong, coriaceous, smooth, obtuse, margins narrowly incurved, truncate and pitted at the base, 5- to 7-nerved. The second glume is as long as the first hyaline, oblong and obtuse. The third glume is like the second but thinner and slightly broader, paleate or not, empty. The fourth glume is rather smaller than the third, oblong, obtuse, bisexual and paleate; the palea is shorter than the glume. Lodicules are not present.

This grass is usually found in dry fields all over the presidency but it is nowhere abundant.

Distribution.—Throughout India and Ceylon.

27. Manisuris, Sw.

These are erect leafy much branched annual grasses. Leaves are amplexicaul and cordate at the base. The inflorescence consists of small, terete, axillary and terminal spikes with peduncles often confluent in a leafy spiciform panicle; the rachis is fragile with short broad joints, deeply excavate opposite the sessile spikelets and the tips with two pits. Spikelets are in dissimilar pairs, one globose, sessile and bisexual and the other ovate, pedicelled, neuter with the pedicels adnate to, or closely appressed to the joint of the rachis. The sessile spikelet has four glumes. The first glume is globose, hard, coarsely pitted, with an oblong ventral opening opposite the cavity in the joint of the rachis. The second glume is chartaceous, minute, oblong, 1-nerved immersed in the cavity of the first glume and closing the opening. The third and the fourth glumes are hyaline and minute. The lodicules are broadly cuneate. Anthers are minute. The styles are free and stigmas are short exserted from the opening in the first glume. Grain is sub-globose.

Manisuris granularis, L.f.

This is a freely branching annual with stems leafy to the top and varying in length from 1 to 2-1/2 feet.

The leaf-sheath is inflated, covered with scattered tubercle-based hairs. The ligule is a short membrane with ciliate margin. Nodes are with long hairs.

The leaf-blade is linear, cordate and amplexicaul at base, acute, flat, flaccid, with scattered tubercle-based hairs on both the surfaces, 4 to 10 inches by 1/4 to 1/2 inch.

The spikes are solitary, axillary and terminal and 1/4 to 1 inch, the peduncles of the spikes are often confluent in a leafy spathiform panicle; the rachis is fragile with short joints deeply excavate on one side.

Fig. 147.—Manisuris granularis.
1 and 2. The front and back view of a bit of a spike; 3, 4, 5 and 6. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively, of the sessile spikelet; 7. ovary anthers and lodicules; 8, 9, 10 and 12. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively, of the pedicelled spikelet; 11 and 13. palea of the third and fourth glumes.

The spikelets are 1- to 2-flowered in dissimilar pairs, one globose, sessile and bisexual and the other ovate, pedicelled, neuter; the pedicel is adnate to the joint of the rachis.

The sessile spikelet has four glumes. The first glume is hard, globose, foveolate, with an oblong opening, faintly nerved. The second glume is chartaceous, immersed in the cavity of the joint, and filling the opening. The third glume is small hyaline and empty. The fourth glume is hyaline, small and paleate. The grain is sub-globose. Lodicules are broadly cuneate.

The pedicelled spikelets also have four glumes. The first glume is ovate, sub-chartaceous, winged on one side with a broad hyaline ciliate wing, 5- to 7-veined. The second glume is cymbiform, compressed laterally, with a dorsal hyaline ciliate wing to the keel, 5- to 7-veined. The third glume is hyaline, membranous, oblong, 2-nerved and paleate or not, and with or without stamens. The fourth glume is similar to the third, but slightly smaller, paleate and with three stamens.

This grass occurs in open loamy soils and in cultivated dry fields.

Distribution.—Throughout India and Ceylon and also in most of the tropical countries.

28. Andropogon, L.

The grasses of this genus are either perennial or annual and vary very much in habit. The inflorescence consists of solitary, binate, digitate, or panicled racemes. The rachis is usually jointed and fragile. Spikelets are binate, a sessile female or bisexual and a pedicelled male or neuter. The sessile spikelet is 1-flowered and has usually four glumes. The first glume is coriaceous or chartaceous, dorsally compressed, with incurved margins, usually 2-keeled. The second glume is as long as the first, thinner, with a median keel, laterally compressed, awned or not. The third glume is hyaline, empty, nerveless and without a palea. The fourth glume is hyaline, narrow or broad, 2-fid and awned, or reduced to an awn more or less dilated at the base, paleate or not. There are two lodicules and three stamens. Stigmas are feathery. Grain is free. The pedicelled spikelets are usually smaller than the sessile and have three or four glumes and are awnless.

KEY TO THE SPECIES.

Fig. 148.—Andropogon foveolatus.

Andropogon foveolatus, Del.

The stems are slender at first, slightly decumbent at the base and then erect, covered at base with silkily villous sheaths, branches freely above before flowering, the lower portion of stems alone being leafy.

The leaf-sheath is somewhat scaberulous, partly green and partly purplish, always shorter than the internode. The ligule is short, truncate, hyaline and ciliate. Nodes are tumid and purplish with a ring of hairs.

The leaf-blade is linear, narrow, sometimes even filiform, acuminate slightly cordate at the base, scabrid throughout with a few scattered long bulbous-based hairs near the base to a distance of less than 1/2 inch about it and varies from 2 to 4 inches in length.

Fig. 149.—Andropogon foveolatus.
1 and 2. Sessile and pedicelled spikelets; 3, 4, 5 and 6. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively, of the sessile spikelet; 7. lodicules, anthers and ovary; 8, 9 and 10. the two glumes and the palea of the pedicelled spikelet.

The spikes are solitary, 1 to 1-3/4 inch long exserted far above the small spathiform leaf-sheaths, peduncles are capillary and scaberulous, pedicels and joints are somewhat flattened, and have along both the narrow margins long, white, ascending hairs; callus is short with a ring of short white hairs.

There are two kinds of spikelets, sessile and pedicelled, and both are oblong-lanceolate and equal. The sessile spikelet consists of four glumes. The first glume is lanceolate, flat and smooth, keels scabrid with usually a deep dorsal pit, 4-nerved. The second glume is lanceolate, acute, as long as the first, 3-nerved. The third glume is small, membranous, linear-lanceolate, nerveless. The fourth glume is the dilated base of the awn, awn is about 3/4 inch twisted to half its length, scabrid, the lower twisted part dark and the upper pale. There are three stamens and two lodicules. Ovary has two feathery stigmas. The pedicelled spikelets have only two glumes and contain three stamens. The first glume is oblong-lanceolate, 5-nerved, pitted above the middle, with recurved margins and scabrid keels and nerves. The second glume is lanceolate, membranous, hairy at the top, 3-nerved with margins infolded; palea is oblanceolate, thinly membranous, nerveless and ciliated at the top; there are three stamens and two lodicules.

This is a fairly common grass occurring all over the Presidency much liked by cattle and yields plenty of foliage if properly looked after. It grows on all kinds of soils, even laterite.

Distribution.—Throughout India.

Fig. 150.—Andropogon pumilus.

Andropogon pumilus, Roxb.

It is a tufted annual with numerous radiating branches, growing on all directions, bent below and erect above; they vary in length from 6 inches to 18 inches, but sometimes when growing under favourable conditions attain the length of 2-1/2 feet. The stem is slender, green, or pale reddish in the exposed portions and pale in parts covered by sheaths slightly flattened, smooth.

The leaf-sheaths are smooth, compressed, distinctly keeled. The ligule is a short, truncate, white, glabrous membrane. The nodes are glabrous.

The leaf-blade is linear, finely acuminate, glabrous, but sometimes somewhat scabrid along the nerves and with scattered long delicate hairs above especially when young, varying in length from 1 to 7 inches and 1/10 to 1/8 inch in breadth.

The inflorescence consists of paired spikes with very slender peduncles arising from flattened, glabrous, acuminate spathes, varying in length from 1/2 to 1-1/4 inches. The spikes are spreading and one of them always slightly longer than the other, reddish or pale green, 1/2 to 1 inch long; the rachis consists of five to eight flat joints broadened at the top and ending in a cup, densely ciliate on both the margins, but hairs on one margin are shorter than those on the other. Each joint bears a sessile and a pedicelled spikelet.

Fig. 151.—Andropogon pumilus.
1. A portion of the spike to show the arrangement of the spikelets; 1. the first glume of the sessile spikelet; 2. second glume of the sessile spikelet; 3 and 4. third and fourth glumes of the sessile spikelet; 5. anthers, lodicules and the ovary; A, B and C. the three glumes of the pedicelled spikelets.

The sessile spikelet is about 3/16 inch with an awn 7/16 inch long. There are four glumes in the spikelet. The first glume is narrow, linear, membranous, grooved, finely bicuspidate at the apex, with incurved margins and two nerves ending in tubercles below. The second glume is a little longer than the first, narrow, lanceolate, boat-shaped, thinly coriaceous with membranous margins, 1-nerved and shortly awned. The third glume is about 2/3 of the second glume in length, and shorter than the first glume, linear-lanceolate, hyaline, nerveless or sometimes very obscurely 2-nerved. The fourth glume is narrow linear, hyaline with two very fine lobes at the apex with an awn between, 7/16 inch long. Palea is hyaline and very small. Stamens are three, ovary with two long reddish feathery stigmas. Lodicules small and cuneate. Grain is long and narrow.

The pedicelled spikelets have only three glumes, and are slightly shorter than the sessile ones, pedicel is similar to the joint. The first glume is ovate-lanceolate, thinly coriaceous, distinctly many-nerved, acuminate, margins infolded and membranous. The second glume is ovate-lanceolate, membranous, glabrous and 3-nerved. The third glume is short, oblong-lanceolate, nerveless or faintly 2-nerved. There are three stamens.

This grass is variable in its size. In dry soils such as laterite soils, it is a very small plant not exceeding 9 or 10 inches across its spread. But in good soil and under favourable conditions the plant measures across 5 or 6 feet. Cattle eat the grass before it flowers and do not relish it so much when in flower.

A common grass flourishing all over the Presidency.

Distribution.—Occurs in drier parts throughout India.

Fig. 152.—Andropogon pertusus.

Andropogon pertusus, Willd.

This grass is perennial. Stems are tufted, very slender, widely creeping on all sides, purplish, but the flowering branches are erect or ascending from a geniculate base, leafy at base, the nodes of the creeping branches rooting and bearing tufts of branches which finally become independent plants at each node, the creeping branches vary in length from 1 to 3 feet and the erect ones from 10 to 18 inches or more.

The leaf-sheaths are terete or somewhat compressed, glabrous, sometimes ciliated near the node and shorter than the internode. The ligule is a truncate membrane, slightly ciliate or not. Nodes are bearded.

The leaf-blades in the prostrate branches are crowded, short linear-lanceolate, finely acuminate, soft, shortly hairy along the nerves, sparsely ciliate near the rounded base, varying in length from 1 to 2 inches and in breadth 1/8 to 1/4 inch; but on the flowering branches the leaves are longer, sometimes as long as twelve inches with bigger sheaths.

Fig. 153.—Andropogon pertusus.
1. A portion of a spike; 2. a pair of spikelets; a. sessile and b. pedicelled; a-1. first glume; a-2. second glume; a-3. third glume; a-4. fourth glume and awn; a-5. ovary and stamens; a-6. grain; b-1. first glume of pedicelled spikelet front and back; b-2. second glume front and back; b-3. third glume.

The inflorescence consists of three to nine, slender, flexuous, erect, purplish spikes, 1 to 2 inches long, alternately arranged on a thin, long, slender, smooth peduncle of about six inches; rachis is slender and the joints and pedicels are densely silky with long hairs.

The spikelets are in pairs, one sessile and one-pedicelled, both are equal, purplish or pale. The sessile spikelet consists of four glumes and contains a complete flower and the callus is short and bearded with long hairs. The first glume is coriaceous, oblong-lanceolate, acute, truncate or emarginate, slightly hairy, or glabrous with a deep pit above the middle (sometimes with two or three pits also) 7- to 9-nerved with a few long hairs below the middle and with margins infolded and shortly ciliate. The second glume is lanceolate-acuminate and finely pointed at the tip and the point projecting slightly beyond the first glume, 3-nerved or 3- to 5-nerved, membranous, slightly hairy or glabrous, obscurely keeled. The third glume is thin, membranous, shorter than the second glume, linear-oblong, subobtuse or acute at the tip and nerveless. The fourth glume is the base of the awn and the awn is not twisted, bent at about the middle, 1/2 to 2/3 inch long; there is no palea. Anthers are three and yellow; stigmas purple. The grain is oblong-obovate, slightly transparent.

The pedicelled spikelets are slightly narrower than the sessile, generally not pitted (though pitted in some plants), and not awned, and each one consists of three glumes only; the pedicel is more than half as long as the sessile spikelets. The first glume is slightly hairy, oblong-lanceolate, acute or obtuse, ciliate at the margins, 7- to 9-, or 13-nerved, generally without pits, but occasionally with one, two or three pits; the keels are ciliolate throughout the length. The second glume is membranous, ovate-lanceolate, acute, with incurved margins, 5-nerved. The third glume is hyaline, linear-oblong, glabrous and thinly ciliate at the tip or not with or without stamens.

This is an excellent fodder grass and it grows quickly and stands cutting very well. Cattle eat this grass very well.

Distribution.—This grass is found all over India in the plains or lower elevations of hills.

Andropogon squarrosus, L.f.

(Vetiveria zizanioides.)

This is a densely tufted perennial grass with branching root-stocks and spongy aromatic roots.

The stems are leafy, with equitant, hard, leaf-sheaths at the base, smooth and polished, solid, 2 to 3-1/2 feet high.

The leaf-sheaths are smooth, coriaceous, glabrous, keeled and compressed. The ligule is a very short membrane.

Leaf-blades are narrowly linear, erect, strongly keeled and flat, acuminate, glabrous both above and below, very much narrower than the sheath at the base, 1 to 2 feet by 1/3 to 3/4 inch.

The panicle is conical, erect with branches, fascicled, varying in length from 4 to 12 inches. The spikes consist of both sessile and pedicelled spikelets, that are either grey, green, or purplish.

Fig 154.—Andropogon squarrosus. 1. A portion of a branch; 2. a sessile and a pedicelled spikelet; 3, 4, 5 and 6. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively, of the sessile spikelet; 7. palea of the fourth glume; 8. lodicules, stamens and the ovary; 9, 10, 11 and 12. glumes of the pedicelled spikelet; 13. palea of the fourth glume.

The sessile spikelets are about 1/6 inch long, lanceolate and with a shortly bearded callus. The first glume is ovate-oblong, thickly coriaceous, obscurely 2- to 4-nerved (occasionally 5- to 7-nerved), acute, dorsally flat, with incurved margins and with two rows of tubercle-based minute prickles or mere excrescences at the sides. The second glume is as long as the first, oblong, coriaceous, keeled, with hyaline and ciliolate margins, 1-nerved (sometimes 3-nerved, marginal faint), and with minute prickles on the keel. The third glume is broadly oblong, hyaline, nerveless or rarely with two obscure veins ciliolate at the margins and acute or acuminate. The fourth glume is shorter than the third, linear-oblong, mucronate or very shortly awned at the apex, paleate; palea about two-thirds the length of the glume, lanceolate. Lodicules are two, quadrate and conspicuous though small. Styles and stigmas short. Stamens are three with yellow anthers. Stigmas are purple.

The pedicelled spikelets are similar to the sessile ones, but are slightly smaller and the prickles are less prominent. The fourth glume has no mucro or awn and has three stamens.

This grass is fairly abundant in moist situations, in the margins of tanks and in tankbeds in the Coromandel districts, but in other inland districts it is not so common. In some places it seems to be cultivated. This is the khus-khus grass.

Distribution.—Throughout the plains and lower hills of India, Burma and Ceylon, also said to occur in Java and Tropical Africa.

Andropogon asper, Heyne.

(Chrysopogon asper, Heyne.)

This is a tufted perennial grass. Stems are stout below with distichous leaves and very slender above, 2 to 3-1/2 feet long.

The leaf-sheaths are distichous and towards the base of the stem are 1/2 inch broad, compressed, keeled and with scattered tubercle-based hairs. The ligule is a short membrane fringed with close set hairs.

Fig. 155.—Andropogon asper.
Leafy shoot, a bit of the stem with leaf-sheaths and a bit of the leaf.

The leaf-blades are broad, distinctly linear, acute or acuminate, coriaceous, glabrous or softly hairy on both the surfaces, with a slender midrib which bears short stiff tubercle-based hairs all along, and margins with similar hairs, but a few leaves towards the base are longer, and varying in length from 12 to 18 inches and in breadth from 1/2 to 3/4 inch.

The panicle is somewhat narrow, 7 to 8 inches long, branches are very slender, whorled, usually with only one spike consisting of a sessile and two pedicelled spikelets.

The sessile spikelets are 1/4 inch long, laterally compressed, with a long callus villous all round, and bisexual. The first glume is coriaceous, linear-oblong, strongly compressed above and with a few stiff short bristles beneath the tip. The second glume is linear, oblong, coriaceous, with an awn as long as itself or shorter, keeled and with short stiff bristles on the keel and on the sides above the middle. The third glume is hyaline, narrow, obtuse, shorter than the second, 2-nerved, ciliate. The fourth glume is the linear, hyaline, 3-nerved base of the awn; the awn is 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 inches and bent at about the middle.

The pedicelled spikelets are about 1/3 inch, narrowly lanceolate, male or neuter and with short rusty hairs on both the margins of the pedicel and a semi-circular tip. The first glume is thin, 2-toothed or not at the tip, awned, awn being as long as itself or longer, 7-nerved, ciliate at the sides from base to tip; the nerves are either equidistant or the lateral nerves nearer the margin. The second glume is lanceolate-acuminate, not awned, 3-nerved, margins hyaline, and ciliolate. The third glume is hyaline, linear-oblong, 2-nerved, ciliolate. The fourth glume is linear or linear-lanceolate, hyaline, nerveless or 1-nerved.

Fig. 156.—Andropogon asper.
1. Spike; 2, 3, 4 and 5. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively, of the sessile spikelet; 6. the ovary, lodicules and stamens; 7, 8, 9 and 10. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively, of the pedicelled spikelet; 11. callus of the spike.

This grass grows abundantly on the sides of the Kambakkam Drug, Chingleput district, and in Penchalkonda, Nellore district, and seems to be an endemic species. It is usually confined to the hill sides and not found in the plains. This grass is very closely allied to Andropogon Wightianus and it differs from it only in the general habit of the plant and in having bristles on the leaf-sheaths. On the whole this is a coarser and larger plant than A. Wightianus.

Distribution.—Kambakkam Drug in the Chingleput district and Penchalkonda in Nellore district.

Andropogon Wightianus, Steud.

(Chrysopogon Wightianus, Nees.)

This is a perennial. Stems are erect or ascending from a creeping root-stock, varying in height from 2 to 3 feet.

The leaf-sheath is flattened, softly hairy or glabrous, often ciliated near the mouth. The ligule is a fringe of very short hairs.

The leaf-blade is narrowly or rarely broadly linear, obtuse or acute and abruptly mucronate, or narrowly drawn into a point glabrous or pubescent, margins shortly ciliate.

The panicle is narrow, 3 to 6 inches long, peduncle smooth below but thinly pubescent above, lower branches long, few in a whorl; rachis is very slender, angular, glabrous or hairy. The spikes are solitary and each one consists of one sessile and two pedicelled spikelets. The callus is long and densely bearded with brown hairs.

Fig. 157.—Andropogon Wightianus.
1. A spike; 2, 3, 4 and 5. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively, of the sessile spikelet; 6. lodicules, stamens and the ovary; 7, 8, 9 and 10. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively, of the pedicelled spikelet.

Sessile spikelets are bisexual, sub-cylindric about 1/4 inch long. There are four glumes. The first glume is chartaceous, laterally compressed, obscurely 4-nerved, glabrous below, hispid near the apex, minutely 2-toothed or not at the apex, not awned or rarely with a short awn. The second glume is chartaceous, distinctly awned, the awn being as long as the glume or longer, hispid above and at the sides also. The third glume is hyaline, linear-oblong, 2-nerved ciliate. The fourth glume is narrow with hyaline margins, with an awn 2 to 3 inches long; awn is hispid below, twisted and geniculate at and less hairy above the middle. Stamens are three. Styles are two and feathery. Lodicules are very small.

Pedicelled spikelets are male or neuter, flattened, hairy, rarely glabrous. The pedicels are half as long or slightly longer than the sessile spikelet, truncate or semi-circular at the top, and with brown villous hairs along the margin. There are four glumes. The first glume is about 3/8 inch, ciliate, along the inflexed margin, 7-nerved, awned; awn equal to or longer than the glume. The second glume is as long as the first, shortly awned or acuminate, 3-nerved, ciliate. The third glume is hyaline, oblong, 2-nerved, sparsely ciliate. The fourth glume is narrow, ciliate, nerveless or rarely 1-nerved, erose or bifid at the top. Anthers three or more.

This grass grows on the plains as well as on the hills. It is very closely allied to Andropogon asper, Heyne, and it is very difficult to distinguish them. Andropogon Wightianus is somewhat smaller compared with Andropogon asper, and the tubercle-based bristles on the leaf-sheaths, so characteristic of A. asper, is absent.

Distribution.—Madras, Chingleput district, Kodaikanal and the Nilgiris.

Andropogon monticola, Schult.

(Chrysopogon monticola.)

This is a perennial grass.

The stems are usually slender, densely tufted, erect, simple, or branched, leafy especially at the base, varying in height from 1 to 3 feet.

The leaf-sheaths are sparsely hairy or glabrous, the lower somewhat compressed and the upper terete. The ligule is a short, ciliated membrane. The nodes are glabrous.

The leaf-blade is narrow, linear, acute, rigid, flat, glaucous, smooth or scaberulous, with margins scabrid and ciliated with tubercle-based hairs especially towards the base, and varying in length from 2 to 15 inches.

The inflorescence is an open panicle, ovate or oblong, varying in length from 2 to 5 inches; the rachis is slender, smooth or scaberulous, the branches are capillary, whorled and spreading, tip oblique, bearded and bearing a single sessile and two pedicellate spikelets.

Fig. 158.—Andropogon monticola.
1. Sessile and pedicellate spikelets; 2, 3, 4 and 5. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively, of the sessile spikelet; 6. anthers, ovary and lodicules; A-1, A-2, A-3 and A-4. the glumes of the pedicelled spikelet; A-5. lodicules of the pedicelled spikelet.

The sessile spikelets are bisexual, about 1/4 inch or less, with a long callus bearded on one side with long rusty hairs. There are four glumes in the spikelet. The first glume is chartaceous, linear, complicate, 2-toothed at the tip and with short bristles towards the apex, 4-veined. The second glume is chartaceous, ovate-lanceolate, much broader than the first, ciliate with long rufous bristles on the keel, shortly toothed at the apex with an awn about 1/3 of an inch and with broadly hyaline margins. The third glume is hyaline, narrow-oblong, ciliate and obtuse. The fourth glume is narrow, oblong, hyaline with an awn nearly an inch long. There are three stamens and two lodicules. The stigmas are long and feathery.

The pedicelled spikelets are as long as the sessile and the pedicels are flattened and with long rufous hairs on both the margins. There are four glumes. The first glume is lanceolate, acute and awned between two teeth, 7-nerved and scaberulous. The second glume is lanceolate, acuminate, with thinly ciliate hyaline margins, 3-nerved. The third glume is shorter than the second, narrow, hyaline, ciliate at the margins, 2-nerved. The fourth glume also is small, hyaline, ciliate, and 1-nerved. There are three stamens and two lodicules.

This grass is found growing all over the Presidency on the plains and even on low hills. It grows into a tall plant in rich soils and remains stunted in poor, dry and rocky soils. Cattle eat this grass.

Distribution.—Throughout India and Ceylon and in Africa.

Andropogon caricosus, L.

This is a perennial grass more or less tufted in habit and closely allied to Andropogon annulatus, Forsk.

Stems are erect or decumbent below or ascending from a creeping base, rooting at the nodes, smooth, glabrous and much branched, varying in height, from 1 to 2 feet; branches are short, slender and sometimes even capillary, with nodes bearded or not in branches ending in solitary spikes, and completely glabrous when they end in binate spikes.

The leaf-sheaths are glabrous, rather compressed, striate, shorter than the internodes. Ligule is membranous, short, very finely ciliolate or not.

The leaf-blade is linear, finely acuminate, sparsely hairy, sometimes with tubercle-based hairs, becoming glabrous when old with scaberulous margins 2 to 8 inches by 1/10 to 1/6 inch, base rounded mostly with a few long hairs.

Fig. 159.—Andropogon caricosus.
1 and 2. Front and back view of a bit of spike; 3. a sessile and a pedicelled spikelet; 4, 5 and 6. the first, second and the third glume, respectively, of the sessile spikelet; 7. awn representing the fourth glume; 8. stamens, lodicules and the ovary; 9. the first glume of the pedicelled spikelet.

The spikes are either binate or solitary varying in length from 1 to 2 inches, joints and pedicels about 1/3 as long as the sessile spikelets, slightly angular or flat, ciliate along one side with white hairs; peduncle is slender, pale or purple, pubescent or glabrous just below the spike.

The spikelets are about 1/8 inch, imbricate, a sessile and a stalked one from the top of each joint, greenish or purple. The sessile spikelet contains a bisexual flower and consists of four glumes. The callus is short, and shortly hairy below. The first glume is somewhat chartaceous, obovate-oblong, obtuse or truncate, 7- to 11-nerved, margin slightly folded, keel shortly rigidly ciliate towards the apex, and thinly ciliate below, dorsal surfaces sparsely hairy below the middle. The second glume is chartaceous, ovate-lanceolate, acute, equal to or slightly longer than the first glume but narrower, 3-nerved, margin infolded, thinly shortly ciliate, dorsally glabrous, shining. The third glume is hyaline, ovate-oblong, acute, nerveless, margins sparsely ciliate or not. The fourth glume is the base of the awn, 3/4 to 1 inch, scaberulous. Stamens are three with yellow or purple tinged anthers, ovary oblong with two feathery stigmas. Lodicules are two, cuneate.

The pedicelled spikelets are either male or neuter and consist of four glumes. The first glume is chartaceous, obovate-oblong, obtuse, many-nerved (thirteen or more), thinly ciliate with long hairs and with a few rigid short hairs towards the apex; margins are slightly infolded, dorsally sparsely hairy without. The second glume is membranous, ovate-lanceolate, acute, 3-nerved (occasionally 4-nerved), margins are thinly ciliate and infolded. The third glume is hyaline, nerveless and ciliate. The fourth glume is hyaline, nerveless, linear and oblong, glabrous, small, the apex is narrowed and deeply bifid. There are three stamens and two lodicules.

This is a common grass flourishing on the bunds of paddy fields and in sheltered places where there is sufficient moisture in the soil. But this is less common than A. annulatus, Forsk. In black cotton soil at Bantanahal in Bellary district it grows to a height of 4 or 5 feet.

Distribution.—Plains and low hills throughout India and Ceylon.

Fig. 160.—Andropogon annulatus.
1. Full plant; 2. base of the leaf and ligule.

Andropogon annulatus, Forsk.

This is a densely tufted perennial grass.

The main stem is underground, rhizomiferous, and covered with scale leaves; branches are many arising in tufts, leafy, procumbent at base and afterwards geniculately ascending and ending in inflorescence, occasionally rooting at the nodes and varying in length from 2 to 3 feet. The internodes vary from 1-1/2 to 4 inches, pale or purplish, slightly flattened, smooth and glabrous.

The leaf-sheath is terete, glabrous, shining, green or purplish, closed, with margins where separate ciliated and profusely so at the tip especially the outer or both. The ligule is membranous truncate, glabrous, about 1/16 inch in height. Nodes are purple and softly villous.

Fig. 161.—Andropogon annulatus.
1. Front and back views of a portion of the spike; 2. a sessile and a pedicelled spikelet; 3, 4, 5 and 6. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively, of the sessile spikelet; 7. the ovary, stamens and lodicules; 8, 9 and 10. the glumes of the pedicelled spikelet.

The leaf-blade is linear-lanceolate, acuminate, scabrid, sparsely hairy, becoming glabrous except at the base and with tubercle-based hairs on the upper surface.

The spikes vary in number from two to nine, erect or slightly spreading, subdigitately fascicled, pale when young and pinkish or brown when old, varying in length from 1 to 2-1/2 inches. The stalk of the whole inflorescence is long, slender, smooth and glabrous. The peduncle of the spikes is from 1/8 to 1/6 of an inch long, thin, slender, glabrous with swollen bases and with a ring of hairs at the node. Joints of the rachis and the pedicels are slightly flattened, ciliated along the narrow edges; the pedicels of the stalked spikelets are half as long as the sessile spikelets. The spikelets are one sessile and one pedicelled and imbricating on the rachis.

The sessile spikelet is as long as the stalked or a little less, with a thick callus, shortly bearded at the base or sometimes glabrous and consists of four glumes. The first glume is elliptic-oblong or oblong, obtuse or truncate, irregularly 2- or 3-toothed, 5- to 9-nerved, sparsely villous with long hairs and margins slightly infolded. The second glume is smaller than the first glume, acute, membranous, 3-nerved and keeled, the margins are ciliate and infolded. The third glume is hyaline, linear, acute, or obtuse, nerveless sparsely hairy at the tip, very much shorter than the second glume. The fourth glume is an awn with a linear hyaline base, erect, about an inch long. Stamens are three, ovary is oblong with two feathery, dark purple stigmas. Lodicules are two, cuneate.

The pedicelled spikelets are male and consist of only three glumes. The first glume is elliptic, oblong, irregularly obtuse, about 11-nerved, margins slightly infolded with long pilose hairs throughout, more along the margin. The second glume is a little smaller, 3-nerved, sparsely hairy only along the marginal nerves, folded inwards, and slightly keeled. The third glume is shorter than the second, hyaline, nerveless, narrow-lanceolate, acute; stamens are three, with green anthers, purple-dotted. Lodicules are two, broad and cuneate.

This grass is found flourishing all over India and grows in cultivated fields and gardens and likes sheltered places. This yields a considerable amount of fodder and stands cutting well.

Distribution. Throughout India in the hills and the plains.

Fig. 162.—Andropogon contortus.

Andropogon contortus, L.

(Heteropogon contortus, Beauv.)

This is a tufted perennial.

The stems are erect or slightly decumbent below, slender, rather compressed towards the base, leafy at the base, simple or branched, densely tufted and varying in length from 1 to 3 or 4 feet.

Fig. 163.—Andropogon contortus.
1. Lower pair of sessile and pedicelled spikelets; 2. upper pair of sessile and pedicelled spikelets; 3, 4, 5 and 6. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively, of pedicelled spikelets; 7, 8, 9 and 10. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively, of the sessile spikelet; 11. ovary.

The leaf-sheath is smooth or sparsely hairy, compressed and shortly auricled or not at the mouth. The ligule is short, truncate and ciliolate.

The leaf-blades are linear, acute or abruptly acuminate, flat, rigid, sparingly ciliate above, with tubercle-based hairs towards the base, scaberulous throughout, and 2 to 12 inches long or more, 1/10 to 1/5 inch broad.

The inflorescence consists of a solitary spike with closely imbricating spikelets.

The spikelets are all on one side, and the lower two to six pairs of pedicelled and sessile spikelets are all males. The sessile spikelets are all female and awned, except the few lower which are male and awnless, 1/4 inch long. The callus is long, acute, bearded with reddish-brown hairs. There are four glumes in the spikelet. The first glume is narrow, linear-oblong, truncate or rounded, somewhat brown, many-nerved, hispid, with incurved margins and membranous tip. The second glume is linear, obtuse, coriaceous, dark-brown, hispidulous, 3-nerved with incurved margins. The third glume is oblong, hyaline, thin, nerveless, short and truncate. The fourth glume is reduced to an awn, 3 inches or more in length. The ovary is linear with two long stigmas.

The pedicelled spikelets are somewhat longer than the sessile 1/3 to 1/2 inch, with very short pedicels. The first glume is lanceolate, obliquely twisted, hispid at the back with long bulbous-based hairs, margins more or less unequally winged. The second glume is oblong lanceolate, acuminate, 5-nerved, thinly ciliate with hyaline margins. The third glume is oblong, hyaline, 1-nerved and ciliate. The fourth glume is obovate-oblong or oblong, hyaline, ciliate, nerveless. There are three stamens.

This grass though coarse forms very good hay if cut before it flowers. The only objection against this grass is the presence of the troublesome awns which get twisted together like the strands of a rope. This is the spear grass of the Anglo-Indians. It grows all over the Presidency and is a troublesome weed when in flower.

Distribution.—All over the Presidency and India. Common in all tropical countries.

Andropogon Schoenanthus, L. Var. cÆsius.

(Cymbopogon cÆsius, Stapf.)

This is a perennial grass with stout or slender, erect stems rising from a woody base, leafy upward, simple or branched.

The leaf-sheath is smooth and glabrous. The ligule is an oblong-ovate membrane. Nodes are glabrous.

The leaf-blade is long, narrow or broad, narrowly linear-lanceolate, finely acuminate, glaucous especially beneath, thinly coriaceous, glabrous on both the surfaces, base rounded or cordate and amplexicaul, 6 to 10 inches by 1/6 to 1/3 inch.

The panicle is elongate, leafy, narrow, dense or interrupted, compound or decompound, 1 to 2 feet long; bracts are lanceolate, spathiform, finely acuminate, glabrous, varying in length from 1 to 1-1/2 inches, and with hyaline margins; the proper bracts are as long as the spikes or longer.

Fig. 164.—Andropogon Schoenanthus.
1. A sessile and two pedicelled spikelets; 2, 3, 4 and 5. the first, second, third and fourth glume of the sessile spikelet, respectively; 6. ovary; 7, 8 and 9. the glumes of the pedicelled spikelets in order.

The spikes are unequal, 1/2 to 2/3 inch long, one 3- to 4-jointed and the other 4- to 6-jointed; the joints and pedicels are narrowly clavate, half as long as the sessile spikelets, tips dilated and toothed, margins villously ciliate, with long hairs.

The spikelets are binate, one sessile and the other pedicelled.

The sessile spikelets in the upper part of the spike are bisexual, lanceolate, 1/6 inch long and those in the lower part of the spike are shorter, obtuse, male. The callus is short and bearded. There are four glumes. The first glume is ovate or obovate-oblong, dorsally flat or nearly so, with a deep narrow-longitudinal median furrow usually below the middle and answering to a ridge on the ventral face, obtuse or 2-toothed at the apex, margined above the middle, with a hyaline, narrow, finely denticulate wing, 2-nerved or nerveless. The second glume is lanceolate, cymbiform, acute or acuminate, 3-nerved, margins hyaline, ciliate, as long as the first chartaceous and the keel with a serrulate wing above the middle. The third glume is linear oblong, hyaline, obtuse, ciliate, nerveless. The fourth glume is the narrowly winged 2-lobed base of the awn, lobes are lanceolate erect and palea of the fourth glume is minute. Lodicules are cuneate. Stamens are three.

The pedicelled spikelets are oblong-lanceolate, acute or obtuse, glabrous and male. There are three glumes. The first glume is glabrous or rarely puberulous, margins incurved, obtuse, 9- to 11-nerved. The second glume is ovate, acute, 3-nerved. The third glume is oblong or linear-oblong, hyaline, apex rounded, ciliate and faintly 2-nerved.

This grass grows all over the Presidency in open dry situations and is very widely distributed.

Distribution.—Throughout India—westward to tropical Africa.

29. Anthistiria, L. f.

(Themeda, Forsk.)

These are tall grasses, annual or perennial. Leaves are usually long and narrow. The inflorescence consists of racemes or panicles of fascicled spikes in the axils of spathiform bracts. The spikelets vary in number from six to eleven in a cluster, the four lowest being male or neuter, and forming an involucre with whorled or superposed pairs round either 1-sessile bisexual spikelet with two pedicelled spikelets or two superposed bisexual, the lower with one pedicelled, the upper with two.

The involucral spikelets are male or neuter, the largest, and consist of three glumes. The first glume is oblong, lanceolate, dorsally flattened, many-nerved, margins narrowly incurved and keels narrowly winged. The second glume is membranous, lanceolate, acute, 3-nerved, with ciliate margins. The third glume is hyaline, smaller than the second, 1-nerved or this glume may be absent, stamens have large anthers. The pedicelled spikelets are similar to the involucral in every respect but smaller, male or neuter, but the first glume is not winged on the keels. The bisexual (or female) spikelets are smaller than the involucrant spikelets, linear-oblong, subterete, obtuse with a rigidly bearded callus. There are four glumes in the spikelet. The first glume is terete, or dorsally compressed or channelled, coriaceous and at length hardened, margins incurved, dark brown to almost black when old. The second glume is as long as the first, linear, dorsally chartaceous, with broadly incurved membranous margins, 3-nerved. The third glume is very small, hyaline, 1-nerved, epaleate. The fourth glume is the flattened base of the awn, epaleate. The lodicules are two, cuneate. Anthers are rather small. Styles are laterally or terminally exserted. Grain is narrow, obovoid, biconvex, with two grooves on the anterior side and with a long embryo.

Anthistiria tremula, Nees.

This is an annual or perennial. Stems are stout or slender, erect or ascending from a creeping root-stock, simple or branched, 1 to 4 feet.

The leaf-sheath is smooth, compressed. The ligule is a narrow membrane.

The leaf-blade is linear-lanceolate, rigid, erect, acuminate with a setaceous tip, nearly smooth, varying in length from 6 to 20 inches and in breadth from 1/6 to 2/3 inch.

The inflorescence is an elongate panicle, 1 to 2 feet long, consisting of rather distant fascicles of spikes and bracts on capillary, flexuous peduncles; the spikes are sub-flabelliform or sub-globose, 1/2 to 1-1/2 inches broad, sometimes reduced to a few spikelets and bracts; the outer bracts are longer than the fascicles, 1 to 1-1/2 inches long, glabrous or hairy with ordinary or tubercle-based hairs; proper bracts are lanceolate, acute, compressed, glabrous or hairy with membranous margins.

Fig. 165.—Anthistiria tremula.
1. Fascicles of three spikes with the outer bracts and proper bracts; 2. a spike without its proper bract; 3. the pedicelled and the bisexual spikelets without the involucral spikelets; 4, the first glume of the involucral spikelet with one wing only; 4a. the first glume of the involucral spikelet with wings to both the keels; 5 and 6. the second and the third glume of the involucral spikelet; 7, 8 and 9. the glumes of the bisexual spikelet; 10, 11, 12 and 13. glumes of the bisexual spikelet; 14. ovary.

The involucral spikelets are the longest, in contiguous superposed pairs, about 1/2 inch long, and the rachis of the spike is produced beyond these spikelets. There are three glumes. The first glume is linear-lanceolate, acute, covered with long, often tubercle-based hairs, many-nerved, margins narrowly incurved, and with narrow wings, on both the keels in one of each of the pairs of spikelets and on one keel only in the other of each of these pairs. The second glume is oblong-lanceolate, acute, margins thin and membranous, inflexed, ciliate above the middle, 3-nerved. The third glume is as long as the second, hyaline, very narrowly linear, 1-nerved. Stamens are three and the lodicules are cuneate.

The pedicelled spikelets are usually smaller than the involucral spikelets and similar to them. The first glume is winged on one side in the lowest spikelet and without wings in the others.

The bisexual or (female) spikelets are linear-oblong, obtuse, and the callus with reddish hairs. The first glume is scabrid, deeply channelled at the back, nerveless, narrowly truncate at the tip, and hispid near the apex. The second glume is as long as the first, linear, hyaline, 3-nerved, chartaceous at the back with the sides membranous and incurved. The third glume is small, hyaline, 1-nerved and epaleate. The fourth glume is the narrowed base of the awn which is 1/2 inch long.

This grass is very common in marshes and in wet low-lying places on the hills and occurs also in the plains in Malabar and South Kanara.

Distribution.—The Deccan Peninsula, from the Konkan and Central Provinces southward, and Ceylon.

30. Iseilema, Hack.

These grasses are either annual or perennial, with slender freely branching stems. The inflorescence is a panicle consisting of groups of dissimilar spikelets with compressed, boat-shaped spathes on peduncles. Spikelets are of two kinds, sessile and pedicelled. Each peduncle bears 4-pedicelled male or neuter spikelets in a regular whorl forming an involucel around 1 or 2 sessile bisexual spikelets and 2- or 3-pedicelled male spikelets. Involucral spikelets have 3 or 2 glumes, the first two glumes are somewhat similar, the first 3- to 5-nerved and the second 3-nerved, the third glume is one nerved and hyaline. Lodicules are cuneate and retuse. Anthers yellow dotted or tinged violet. Pedicelled spikelets inside the involucral similar to those of the involucral. Sessile spikelets are bisexual or sometimes female, 4-glumed and awned.

KEY TO THE SPECIES.

Fig. 166.—Iseilema laxum.

Iseilema laxum, Hack.

It is a tufted perennial grass with a stout, short, creeping root-stock. Stems are slender, branched, ascending, 6 to 24 inches long.

The leaf-sheaths are somewhat loose, glabrous. The ligule is a shortly ciliate membrane.

The leaf-blade is linear, obtuse, glabrous and ciliate near the base, 2 to 6 inches long. The leaf-blades in the upper portions of the branches are smaller.

Fig. 167.—Iseilema laxum.
1. A cluster of spikelets with spathes. 2. a cluster consisting of the involucral spikelets and three inner spikelets; 3. the inner spikelets consisting of one sessile female or bisexual and 2-pedicelled male spikelets; 4, 5 and 6. the first, second and the third glume, respectively, of the involucral spikelet.

The inflorescence is a narrow long panicle bearing clusters of spikelets with spathes on slender peduncles, the outer spathes are narrow-lanceolate, glabrous or with a few hairs near the margin, 1/4 to 1 inch long; inner spathes are lanceolate, smaller with membranous margins. Each cluster consists of an involucel of 4 pedicelled spikelets forming a true whorl around 2 pedicelled and 1 sessile spikelets or 3 pedicelled and 2 sessile spikelets. The involucral spikelets are male, oblong-lanceolate, acute, with short flattened pedicels, bearded at the base, and have three glumes. The first glume is oblong-lanceolate, acute, 5- to 7-nerved and ciliate. The second glume is oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, equal or slightly shorter than the first, glabrous, 3-nerved and with infolded margins. The third glume is hyaline, linear, short, irregularly toothed at the apex. The inner pedicelled spikelets are similar to the involucral spikelets, but the third glume is very narrow, linear. The sessile spikelets are female, rarely bisexual, narrowly lanceolate, 1/5 inch long, glabrous and have four glumes. The first glume is lanceolate, chartaceous, truncate or 2-fid at the apex, faintly 5-nerved, with a few long hairs or glabrous, and with margins scaberulous towards the tip to about one-third the length of the glume. The second glume is lanceolate, acuminate, glabrous, sub-chartaceous, 3-nerved. The third glume is hyaline, nerveless, apex irregularly cut, short; sometimes this glume is wanting. The fourth glume is a very slender awn of about 1/2 inch.

Fig. 168.—Iseilema laxum.
1. Inner spikelets consisting of 2-pedicelled male and two female or bisexual spikelets; 2, 3, 4 and 5. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively, of the sessile spikelets; 6. ovary; 7, 8 and 9. the first, second and the third glume, respectively, of the inner pedicelled spikelet.

This is a widely spread common grass growing in somewhat moist situations. This is the well-known Chengali gaddi of the Telugu districts.

Distribution.—All over Madras and Bombay presidencies.

Fig. 169.—Iseilema anthephoroides.

Iseilema anthephoroides, Hack.

This is a perennial grass closely resembling Iseilema laxum in its habit, but shorter, stouter and branching more freely. The leaf is similar to that of I. laxum in all its parts.

Fig. 170.—Iseilema anthephoroides.
1. A cluster of spikelets with spathes; 2. the involucral and the inner spikelets; 3. the inner spikelets; 4 and 5. the glumes of the involucral spikelets; 6, 7, 8 and 9. the four glumes, respectively, of the sessile spikelet; 10. ovary; 11 and 12. glumes of the inner pedicelled spikelets.

The pedicelled spikelets of the involucel have firmer harder, shorter and broader pedicels, thickly bearded and consist of two glumes only. The first glume is very strongly 5-nerved, coriaceous, oblong-lanceolate; with scaberulous infolded margins, with long cilia. The second glume is lanceolate, thin, 3-nerved, glabrous. The inner pedicelled spikelets are similar to the pedicelled spikelets of the involucel. The sessile spikelet has four glumes. The first glume is elliptic-lanceolate, apex drawn into a long narrow strip ending in two teeth or truncate, sparsely ciliate at the margins about the middle, faintly 3-nerved. The second glume is shorter than the first, lanceolate, drawn out into an acuminate point at the apex, hairy at the back. The third glume is hyaline, short, oblong, apex broad and irregularly toothed, nerveless. The fourth glume is an awn.

This is very common in the Deccan districts and grows on all kinds of soils. This is a good fodder grass.

Distribution.—Very common in the Ceded districts and Nellore.