Chapter 10

Series II--Poaceæ.

TRIBES V AND VI--AGROSTIDEÆ AND CHLORIDEÆ.

The tribe =Agrostideæ= is a very small one. It is represented in South India only by a few genera. The spikelets are usually 1-flowered and the rachilla is jointed at the base just above the empty glumes and it is not produced beyond the flowering glume. There are only three glumes in the spikelet.

Sub. Tribe 1. =Stipeæ=.--The spikelets are narrow and long, panicles and the flowering glumes are rigid or hard, and awned.

The third glume is narrow, long, awn 3-fid 31. Aristida.

Sub. Tribe 2. =Euagrosteæ=.--The spikelets are very small, in open or contracted panicles.

The third glume is thin and membranous, awnless. 32. Sporobolus.

=Chlorideæ= is also a small tribe with about ten genera, most of them being very common in Southern India. The spikelets are unilaterally biseriate on the rachis which is not jointed at the base. There are one or more flowers in the spikelet, all or only the lowest being bisexual. The rachilla is jointed just above the empty glumes and it is produced or not beyond the flowering glumes. The inflorescence consists of spikes, or spiciform racemes, solitary or digitate, and in some it is paniculate.

Rachilla produced beyond the flowering glume.

Spikes usually solitary.

Spikelets 1- to 2-flowered, pedicelled and in deciduous clusters, awned. 33. Gracilea.

Spikelets 1- to 2-flowered, not clustered awned. 34. Enteropogon.

Spikes or spiciform racemes digitate or whorled.

Spikelets 1-flowered and with three glumes, awnless. 35. Cynodon.

Rachilla not produced beyond the flowering glumes.

Spikelets 2- or more-flowered, glumes five or more, awned, upper flowers imperfect. 36. Chloris.

Spikelets 3- to 6-flowered, densely crowded, awnless. 37. Eleusine.

Spikes or spiciform spikes racemed, spikelets 2- to 3-flowered, 4- to 5-glumed, awned. 38. Dinebra.

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

31. Aristida, _L._

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

KEY TO THE SPECIES.

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

Annual.

Glumes I and II not awned.

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

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

Perennial.

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

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

Awn with a long column, tripartite at the top.

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

=Aristida Adscenscionis, _L._=

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

The _leaf-sheath_ is glabrous, thinly striate. The _ligule_ is a row of fine short hairs. _Nodes_ are glabrous.

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

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

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

Grain is long and linear.

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

_Distribution._--Occurs all over the Presidency in the plains and the low hills.

=Aristida setacea, _Retz._=

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

The _leaf-sheath_ is glabrous, cylindrical. The _ligule_ is a row of short hairs. The _nodes_ are glabrous.

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

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

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

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

_Distribution._--All over India.

=Aristida Hystrix, _Linn. f._=

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

The _leaf-sheath_ is glabrous and cylindric. The _ligule_ is a ridge of close-set hairs. _Nodes_ are glabrous.

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

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

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

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

_Distribution._--Deccan Peninsula and Ceylon.

=Aristida mutabilis, _Trin. & Rup._=

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

The _leaf-sheath_ is glabrous, with membranous margins and long hairs at the mouth. The _ligule_ is a row of short dense hairs.

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

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

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

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

_Distribution._--Southern India, the Punjab and Rajputana, also in Arabia and tropical Africa.

=Aristida funiculata, _Trin. & Rup._=

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

The _leaf-sheath_ is glabrous and cylindrical. The _ligule_ is a short membrane ciliate at the margin, or a close set fringe of hairs.

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

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

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

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

_Distribution._--From the Punjab to Concan and Madras Presidency, Arabia, Baluchistan and Tropical Africa.

32. Sporobolus, _Br._

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

KEY TO THE SPECIES.

Glumes I and II both shorter than III.

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

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

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

Panicle open and effuse.

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

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

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

=Sporobolus diander, _Beauv._=

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

The _leaf-sheath_ is glabrous and smooth, ribbed, the lower short and the upper very long. _Nodes_ are glabrous. The _ligule_ consists of a fringe of minute hairs.

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

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

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

_Distribution._--Throughout India and Burma.

=Sporobolus tremulus, _Kunth._=

A small tufted perennial grass.

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

The _leaf-sheath_ is glabrous, finely striate, shorter than the internode. The _ligule_ is a very short ciliated membrane.

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

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

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

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

_Distribution._--Plains throughout India and Ceylon.

=Sporobolus coromandelianus, _L._=

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

_Distribution._--Throughout the plains of India and Ceylon. Also in Afghanistan and South Africa.

=Sporobolus commutatus, _Kunth._=

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

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

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

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

The _spikelets_ are about 1/16 inch long, ovate-lanceolate, acute or acuminate dark or pale green, sometimes purplish, solitary or two to four on long slender pedicels, drooping, never appressed, and with glandular streaks. There are three _glumes_. The _first glume_ is minute, hyaline, ovate, obtuse or acute, nerveless. The _second glume_ is five or six times as long as the first, ovate lanceolate, 1-nerved, acuminate. The _third glume_ is equal to or a little shorter than the second, ovate-lanceolate, acute, 1-nerved paleate; _palea_ is equal to the third glume, 2-nerved splitting into two halves between the nerves. _Anthers_ are three and purple in colour. _Stigmas_ are white and feathery. Grain as in _S. coromandelianus_.

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

_Distribution._--This occurs in Coimbatore, Madras and Bellary Districts; but it is not so common nor so widely distributed as S. coromandelianus, _L._

=Sporobolus scabrifolius, _Bhide._=

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

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

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

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

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

_Distribution._--In black cotton soils in Coimbatore and Bellary districts.

33. Gracilea, _Koen._

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

KEY TO THE SPECIES.

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

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

=Gracilea nutans, _Koen._=

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

The _leaf-sheath_ is glabrous, shorter than the blade, coriaceous and open above. The _ligule_ is a ridge of hairs.

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

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

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

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

_Distribution._--Mysore and the Carnatic and Ceylon.

=Gracilea Royleana, _Hook. f._=

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

The _leaf-sheath_ is either covered with scattered tubercle-based hairs or glabrous. The _ligule_ is a hairy ridge. The _nodes_ are glabrous.

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

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

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

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

_Distribution._--Bellary and Chingleput districts, the Punjab, Rajputana, Concan and Kanara.

34. Enteropogon, _Nees._

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

=Enteropogon melicoides, _Nees._=

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

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

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

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

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

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

_Distribution._--Mysore, Burma, Ceylon and Seychelle Islands.

35. Cynodon, _Pers._

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

KEY TO THE SPECIES.

Glumes I and II shorter than III.

Underground stems present.

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

Underground stems absent.

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

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

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

=Cynodon dactylon, _Pers._=

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

The _leaf-sheath_ is somewhat tight, glabrous, membranous at the mouth which is villous. The _ligule_ is a fine ciliate rim.

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

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

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

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

_Distribution._--It is cosmopolitan.

=Cynodon intermedius, _Rang. & Tad._=

This grass is a widely creeping perennial.

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

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

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

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

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

This species is closely allied to the cosmopolitan species _Cynodon dactylon_, Pers. and to another new species _Cynodon Barberi_, Rang. & Tad. described in the "Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society,"