Fig. 190.—Cynodon dactylon.
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.
Theleaf-sheathis somewhat tight, glabrous, membranous at the mouth which is villous. Theliguleis a fine ciliate rim.
Theleaf-bladeis 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.
Theinflorescenceconsists of two to eight smooth, digitate, green or purplish spikes, 1 to 3 inches long;rachisis slender, compressed or angular, scaberulous.
Fig. 191.—Cynodon dactylon.1. A portion of spike, front view; 2. back view of a bit of spike; 3. spikelet; 4. first glume; 5. second glume; 6. third glume; 7. palea of third glume and rachilla; 8. lodicules, ovary and anthers; 9. hairs on the margin and keel of third glume.
Spikeletsare laterally compressed, sessile, imbricate, arranged alternately in two series along one side of the rachis;rachillaproduced 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 threeglumes. Thefirstandsecond glumesare shorter than the third, empty, ovate-lanceolate, acute, membranous with one thick green nerve in the middle, keeled, upper margin and keel scaberulous. Thesecond glumeis usually a little longer than the first, but occasionally also slightly shorter than the first. Thethird glumeis 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,palealinear oblong, a little less than the third glume, obtuse, 2-nerved and with two scabrid keels.Stamensare three with pale purple anthers.Lodiculesare 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.
Fig. 192.—Cynodon intermedius.
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.Nodesare slightly swollen, glabrous, green or purplish.
Theleaf-sheathis smooth, glabrous, slightly compressed, sparsely bearded at the mouth, shorter than the internode, except the one enclosing the peduncle which is usually long. Theliguleis a shortly ciliated rim.
Theleaf-bladeis 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.
Fig. 193.—Cynodon intermedius.1 and 2. Front and back view of a portion of a spike; 3. a spikelet; 4. first glume; 5. second glume; 6. third glume; 7. palea with the rachilla at its back; 8. lodicules, stamens and the ovary; 9. clavellate and pointed hairs of the margins and keel of the third glume (very much enlarged); 10. grain.
Theinflorescenceconsists 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.
Thespikeletsare 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 threeglumes. Thefirstand thesecond glumesare lanceolate acute or acuminate, 1-nerved, keeled, keel obscurely scabrid, very unequal, the first glume being always shorter than the second glume. Thethird glumeis 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;paleais chartaceous, 2-keeled, keels obscurely scaberulous and without hairs. There are threestamenswith somewhat small purple anthers.Ovarywith purple stigmas and two smalllodicules. Grain is oblong reddish brown, with a faint dorsal groove.
This species is closely allied to the cosmopolitan speciesCynodon dactylon, Pers. and to another new speciesCynodon Barberi, Rang. & Tad. described in the "Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society," Volume 24, part IV, page 846, and it is therefore namedCynodon intermedius. (See Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, Volume 26, part I, pages 304 and 305.) This grass differs fromCynodon dactylon, Pers. (1) in not having underground stems and having only stems creeping and rooting along the surface of the ground, (2) in having less rigid leaves, (3) by having longer, slenderer, somewhat drooping spikes and narrower spikelets, (4) by having the first two glumes always unequal, the second being longer, (5) by having clavellate pointed hairs on the margins and keels of the third glume and (6) by having smaller anthers. Compared withCynodon Barberi, this plant is more extensively creeping with longer slender branches and the leaves are usually very much longer, and the third glume is longer than the second.
Distribution.—So far, this was collected at Gokavaram in Gōdāvari district No. 8262, in Chingleput No. 11488, in Tinnevelly district Nos. 13129 and 13259, and at Kallar on the Nilgiris No. 13988.
Fig. 194.—Cynodon Barberi.
This grass is perennial with slender, creeping stems, 12 to 24 inches long, rooting at the nodes and invariably with two or three rarely more branches from each node; flowering branches are slender, erect or ascending, 1 to 6 inches long.
Theleaf-sheathis short, smooth, compressed with scattered long hairs at the mouth. Theliguleis a narrow membrane with the edge cut into narrow lobes.
Theleaf-bladeis flat, linear, acute or subacute, scaberulous, 1/3 to 3-1/2 inches long, 1/8 to 3/16 inch broad.
Fig. 195.—Cynodon Barberi.1. Front and back view of a portion of spike; 2. a single spikelet; 3. a spikelet with the flower out; 4. the third glume, its palea and the produced rachilla with a minute glume; 5. clavellate hairs; 6. ovary; 7. lodicules; 8. grain.
Theinflorescenceconsists of three to five digitate spikes, 3/4 to 1-1/2 inches long, erect or spreading, pale green or purplish. Thespikeletsare compressed laterally, sessile or obscurely pedicelled, imbricate, alternately biseriate on the ventral side of the rachis, 1-flowered; therachillais produced into a bristle behind the palea, with or without a minute glume. There are threeglumes. Thefirst glumeis lanceolate, acute, shorter than the second, with a keel which is scabrid. Thesecond glumeis lanceolate, acuminate, equal to or a little longer than the third glume with a scabrid keel. Thethird glumeis obliquely oblong to ovate, subacute, truncate or 2-toothed, boat-shaped, sub-chartaceous, 3-nerved, paleate and distinctly keeled; the keel and the margins of the glume are densely covered with distinctly clavellate hairs;paleais firmly membranous, equal to or slightly smaller than the glume, linear-oblong, 2-keeled, densely hairy with clavellate hairs along the keels, and 2-nerved. There are twolodiculesand threestamens. Theovaryis ovoid with two style branches. Grain is free within the glume, oblong, smooth, transparent, and the embryo is about one-third the length of the grain.
This species is closely allied toCynodon dactylon, Pers., but differs from it in the following respects:—The absence of stoloniferous underground branches, leaves short and not finely pointed; spikes not exceeding five; thesecond glumeis always equal to or longer than thethird glume; presence of clavellate hairs on the keels and margins of the third glume and on the keels of the palea.
Distribution.—So far collected in Coimbatore, Salem, Tinnevelly, Chingleput and Gōdāvari districts.
These are annual or perennial grasses. Spikes are solitary or many in terminal umbels or short racemes, erect or spreading. Spikelets are unilateral, sessile, crowded, biseriate on a slender rachis with four to six glumes and 1 to 3-flowered; the rachilla is produced and disarticulating above the empty glumes. The first two glumes are unequal, narrow, keeled, membranous, 1-nerved, persistent, acute, mucronate and the second glume awned shortly. Floral glumes narrow or broad, acute, obtuse or minutely 2-toothed and awned, paleate; sterile glumes are small, without palea. There are two lodicules and anthers are rather small. Grain is narrow and free.
KEY TO THE SPECIES.
Spikelets 1-flowered.Perennial.Rachilla produced beyond the flowering glumes and bearing awns with rudimentary glumes.Spikes 4 to 10, long, whorled; spikelets narrow fusiform; glume III oblong lanceolate.1. C. incompleta.Rachilla produced beyond the flowering glume and bearing 1 to 3 reduced glumes.Spikes free at the base, digitate.Spikes 6 to 9; spikelets 2-awned; glume III ovate, bearded with long hairs above the middle.3. C. virgata.Spikes 4 to 20; spikelets 3-awned; glume III broadly ovate, densely bearded dorsally and on the margins above the middle.4. C. barbata.Spikes connate at the base, erect and not spreading.Spikes 2 to 6; spikelets narrow 4-awned, glume III ovate-lanceolate, bearded only on the margins and not at the back.6. C. montana.Annual.Spike solitary, spikelets broadly cuneiform, 3-awned, glume III broadly cuneate, upper margins naked and keel villous.2. C. tenella.Spikelets 1- to 3-flowered.Perennial.Spikes 5-9, spikelets broadly cuneate 3 to 5-awned, glume III bearded all through the margin and dorsally.5. C. Bournei.
This is a perennial grass. Stems are procumbent when growing in open places, but erect if growing amidst bushes, often branched, ending in long naked peduncles, varying in length from 1-1/2 to 4 feet. In some cases prostrate stems produce roots at the nodes.
Theleaf-sheathsare long, glabrous, the mouth being generally hairy. Theliguleconsists of long hairs.Nodesare glabrous.
Theleaf-bladesare linear, flat, finely acuminate and narrowed into very long points at the apex; glabrous or slightly hairy at the base and contracted, 4 to 10 inches long and 1/6 to 1/4 inch broad.
Theinflorescenceconsists of two to five rarely six, very slender spikes, 3 to 8 inches long, forming a terminal whorl. The rachis is fine and scabrid.
Fig. 196.—Chloris incompleta.1. A portion of the rachis with two spikelets; 2. the third glume and its palea with the rudimentary fourth glume; 3 and 4. the first and the second glumes; 5 and 6. the third glume and its palea; 7. the ovary, anthers and lodicules.
Spikeletsare narrowly lanceolate, closely appressed and imbricate, 1/6 inch long excluding the awn and very variable. There are fourglumesin the spikelet. Thefirst glumeis very small linear-lanceolate, acute, about 1/10 inch or less. Thesecond glumeis lanceolate, membranous, three times the length of the first glume, 2-toothed at the apex and the mid-nerve produced into a very short awn. Thethird glumeis oblong-lanceolate as long as the second glume or longer, 2-toothed at the apex, awned, the awn being about 3/8 inch long; the callus is bearded at the base. The palea is as long as the glume, 2-toothed or not at the apex. Thefourth glumeis very minute, awned and is borne by a rachilla produced to half the length of the third glume.
This grass is fairly common and grows in all situations and in all sorts of soils.
Distribution.—This occurs all over the Presidency in the plains.
This grass is a very slender annual with weak stems, branched from the base, 10 to 18 inches long.
Theleaf-sheathis glabrous, compressed and keeled. Theliguleis a truncate membrane. Thenodesare glabrous.
Theleaf-bladeis linear to linear-lanceolate, flaccid, finely acuminate with the margin more or less ciliate towards the base, 3 to 8 inches long and 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide.
Thespikesare solitary, erect. 1 to 2-1/2 inches long.
Fig. 197.—Chloris tenella.1. A portion of the spike; 2. a spikelet; 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. the glumes in regular order beginning with the first; 5a, 6a, 7a, 8a and 9b. are the palea of the third, fourth, fifth, sixth and the seventh glumes, respectively; 5b. grain.
Thespikeletsare large about 1/4 inch long cuneate and bifarious. There are usually five to sixglumes(and rarely up to eight). Thefirst glumeis ovate-lanceolate, acute and hyaline, 1-nerved. Thesecond glumeis a little longer and broader than the first glume, 1-nerved and this mid-nerve produced into a very short awn. Thethird glumeis as long as the second or longer, coriaceous, obovate and truncate at the top, 3-nerved and the marginal nerves distant from the margin, keel and the lateral nerves villous to about three-fourths their length, scabrid at the apex close to the truncate margin, paleate;paleais elliptic, with ciliate margins, callus is densely villous. Thefourth glumeis nearly half or a little more than half of the third glume, narrower, paleate;paleais elliptic. The succeeding glumesfifthto theeighthare similar to the fourth in shape but they get smaller and smaller and the last glume is epaleate. The third glume is usually grain bearing, but rarely the fourth also may contain a grain, the remaining glumes being sterile. Grain is oblong, lenticular, brownish.
This grass is widely spread in the Ceded districts and appears to be a good fodder grass.
Distribution.—Southern India, Rajputana, Scind and Khandeish.
This grass seems to be a perennial. The stems are somewhat flattened, erect, tufted, leafy at the base and occasionally with creeping stems rooting at the lower nodes varying in length from 10 to 21 inches.
Theleaf-sheathsare glabrous, compressed, upper sheaths somewhat inflated; mouth of the sheath is bearded with long hairs in the leaves of young branches and quite glabrous when old and in flower-bearing branches, margins are thin and membranous. The ligule is a thin narrow membranous ridge.
Theleaf-bladesare rather narrow, linear, flat, acute, glabrous when old, and with scattered long hairs in the leaves of young branches, varying in length from 2 to 9 and sometimes even 15 inches and in breadth about 1/8 inch or less.
Fig. 198.—Chloris virgata.1. Spikelet; 2 and 3, the first and second glumes; 4 and 5. the third glume and its palea; 6. lodicules, stamens and the ovary; 7. the fourth glume; 8. grain.
Theinflorescenceconsists of from four to nine spikes digitately arranged on a long peduncle and the leaf-sheath enclosing the inflorescence is somewhat large and inflated. Spikes are 1 to 1-1/2 inches long with fine, angular rachis, scaberulous in the edges.
Spikeletsare about 1/10 inch, 2-awned, shortly stalked and consist of only fourglumes. Thefirst glumeis small lanceolate, glabrous, with the keel scaberulous, 1-nerved. Thesecond glumeis about one and a half times the first, oblong-lanceolate, 2-fid at the apex, glabrous, but the keel scaberulous and nerve produced between the lobes into a short scaberulous awn. Thethird glumeis oblong-ovate, lanceolate, 2-fid at the apex, and awned in the sinus, awn being about 1/4 inch long bearded at the base, the margins are slightly ciliate up to about the middle and then closely ciliate with long hairs almost to the tip, but not to the tip; on the two sides of the dorsal nerve there are two shallow grooves one oneach side, with short scattered appressed hairs; the palea is narrow oblanceolate, minutely 2-fid at the tip, with margins folded inward and embracing thestamens,ovaryand thelodicules. Grain is narrow, trigonous, oblong, translucent and shining. Thefourth glumeis borne by a short rachilla which is about 1/3 the length of the third glume or less, shorter than the third, cuneiform, empty and awned.
This grass grows well and produces a fair amount of foliage.
Distribution.—This is not very common. So far collected only from Hosur in Salem district and Bellary district although its distribution is said to be Central and Southern India. It was found growing abundantly on old walls of houses in Poona city in 1920 and 1921.
Fig. 199.—Chloris barbata (perennial plant).
Fig. 200.—Chloris barbata.
This is a very common perennial grass.
Stems are stout, tufted, geniculately ascending and erect when in flower, and some creeping and rooting at the nodes; leafy at the base and branching upwards, 1 to 3 feet; the lower internodes are 2 to 3 inches long and the upper still longer, glabrous.
Theleaf-sheathsare glabrous, compressed laterally, open at the base and closed above, with a few scattered long hairs at the mouth, the margins thinly membranous. Theliguleis a very narrow membrane. Thenodesare glabrous mostly bearing tufts of leaves with compressed equitant sheaths.
Theleaf-bladeis narrow linear, flat or folded, acuminate, with long hairs on the margin towards the base, varying in length from 2 to 18 inches.
Fig. 201.—Chloris barbata.1 to 5. the first, second, third, fourth and the fifth glume of a spikelet; 3a and 3b. the third glume and its palea; 3c. ovary, stamens and lodicules; 4a and 5a. the fourth and fifth glumes; 6. grain.
Theinflorescenceconsists of five to fourteen or fifteen sessile, digitately arranged spikes, varying in length from 1-1/2 to 3 inches, on a slender peduncle; the rachis is slender minutely hairy swollen at the base.
Thespikeletsare green or purplish, 3-awned, unilaterally biseriate on the outside of the rachis, 1/10 inch excluding the awn; therachillais bearded at the base, but is shorter than the third glume and bears two barren glumes. There are fiveglumes. Thefirstand thesecond glumesare lanceolate, acute, membranous, pale and 1-nerved, but the first glume is shorter than the second. Thethird glumeis broadly elliptic or ovate, concave, awned, 3-nerved, with margins densely bearded above the middle and sparsely bearded dorsally on both the sides of the mid-nerve; thepaleais oblanceolate, as long as the glume, folded inside along the margins and outside along the middle, enclosing threestamensandovary. Thefourth glumeis cuneiform, 3-nerved, awned, shortly ciliate above the middle, empty. Thefifth glumeis awned, 3-nerved, glabrous, and globose.
This grass is very widely distributed and it grows in all kinds of soils. Cattle eat it when young, but avoid it when the inflorescence is mature.
Distribution.—Throughout the plains in India, Burma and Ceylon.
Fig. 202.—Chloris Bournei.1. Full plant; 2. leaf showing ligule.
This grass appears to be perennial. The stems are somewhat stout, tufted, erect or ascending geniculately from a creeping and rooting base, varying in length from 1 to 3 feet and with internodes to 6 inches becoming longer upwards.
Theleaf-sheathsare equal to or longer than the internodes at the base, but shorter above, glabrous, compressed, distichous, bearded towards the mouth and with membranous margins. Theliguleis a narrow membranous ridge.Nodesare thickened, deeply purple ringed, glabrous and the lower nodes always with a fan-like tuft of flattened leaf-sheaths and leaves.
Theleaf-bladesare linear, finely acuminate, slightly broadened and rounded at the base, keeled, the upper surface scaberulous and with a few scattered long hairs especially towards the base, smooth or slightly scaberulous below, 1 to 9 inches by 1/12 to 1/4 inch.
Theinflorescenceconsists of digitately arranged spikes 1-1/2 to 4 inches long on a peduncle which is sometimes 15 inches long.Spikesare stout, purple-tinged, three to seven and even nine in some specimens, shortly stalked, the base of the stalk being slightly swollen and villous at the base, the rachis is slender, somewhat villous towards the base.
Fig. 203.—Chloris Bournei.1 to 5. The glumes in order; 3a and 3b. the third glume and its palea; 3c. flower; 4a and 4b. the fourth glume and its palea; 5a. fifth glume; 6. a spikelet with four awned glumes; 7. grain.
Thespikeletsare about 1/8 inch excluding the awn, very shortly pedicelled, biseriate, unilateral, disarticulating above the first two glumes which are persistent, purplish or pale, 1- to 3-flowered, usually 3- to 4-awned and sometimes 5-awned;awnsare purplish 3/16 to 5/16 inch long, finely scabrid. There are five or sevenglumesin a spikelet. Thefirst glumeis hyaline, purplish or pale, about 1/10 inch long, lanceolate, sub-acuminate, 1-nerved with a scaberulouskeel. Thesecond glumeis hyaline, about one and half times as long as the first, oblong elliptic, minutely 2-lobed at the apex, with a minute mucro between, 1-nerved with a scabrid keel. Thethird glumeis as long as the second, awned, pale or purple, ovate or obovate, narrowed at the base and clasping the rachilla at its base, apex shortly 2-fid with a purple dorsal awn, 3-nerved paleate; the two marginal nerves are densely bearded with long white or purple tinged hairs from near the base to almost the apex and the mid-nerve also similarly bearded with long hairs on both sides, and the base with a tuft of long hairs; the palea is as long as the glume, coriaceous obovately-cuneate, obtuse, minutely bifid, purple-tipped, with folded hyaline margins, 2-keeled; keels shortly ciliate.Stamensthree with yellow or purple anthers,ovarywith two featherystigmasand twolodicules. Grain is oblong shining light reddish brown, narrowed at both ends and somewhat trigonous. The remaining glumesfourthtoseventhare borne by the rachilla, thinly chartaceous, broadly obcordate or obovate, gradually diminishing in size, purple-tinged, 3- to 5-nerved, scaberulous. The fourth and fifth glumes are empty and epaleate when the spikelets are five glumed. If there are six glumes, thefourthbears stamens and the ovary, thefifthandsixth glumesare empty, and in spikelets of seven glumes, the third, fourth, and the fifth glumes are flower-bearing and contain grains, and the remaining two glumes are empty.
This species is a tall robust one resemblingChloris barbatain its inflorescence, but with larger spikelets—as large as those ofChloris tenella. No doubt it is closely allied toChloris barbata, but differs from it by having larger spikelets that are 3- to 5-awned and 1- to 3-flowered, and the nerves being bearded throughout their length with long hairs.
Specimens of this grass were sent to Kew and Calcutta herbariums for identification and they were namedC. montana, with which I could not agree.
So again I sent these specimens along with specimens of what I consideredC. montanato Dr. Stapf at Kew through Mr. Gamble and Dr. Stapf wrote about these thus:—"We have not been able to match it with any of the described species ofChlorisand Mr. Ranga Acharya will be fully justified in describing it as a new species. We have had it apart from Wight's specimen from the following collections:—(1) Sattur, November 19, 1795, sub-Andropogon barbata, Var.? Herb Rottler. (2) Ahmednagar-Miss Shattock (U.S. Dept. Agri.—received 1914). (3)Tornagallu, Bellary district, 11th August 1901 (Ex herb Ranga Acharya in Herb, Bourne No. 3594)."
Distribution.—This grass was found growing in abundance in the fields Nos. 13, 37 and 62 of the Agricultural College and in the grounds around the Forest College, Coimbatore, and was also collected in Hagari and Samalkota.
This grass grows well and is likely to prove useful, as cattle seem to like it.
Fig. 204.—Chloris montana.
This is a perennial grass usually met with on dry soils. The stems are erect, tufted, geniculately ascending from a creeping base rooting at the nodes, quite glabrous, varying in length from 4 inches to 4 feet.
Theleaf-sheathsare shorter than the internodes, flat, compressed, glabrous, with a few hairs or not at the mouth and with membranous margins; the uppermost sheath is spathiform enclosing the inflorescence when young. Theliguleconsists of only a thin ridge of short hairs densely arranged.Nodesare glabrous and dark-ringed, and with fan-like spreading equitant leaf-sheaths and leaves more especially when rooting.
Theleaf-bladesare narrow linear, finely acuminate, rounded at the base, glabrous throughout, folded flat inwards, 1/2 to 8 inches long, 1/16 to 1/8 inch broad.
Theinflorescenceconsists of three to six (very rarely up to nine) spikes, 1 to 3 inches long, connate at the base, erect and never spreading, the peduncle is slender, long, glabrous and copiously pubescent just below the base of the connate spikes;rachisis angular, slender and scabrid.
Fig. 205.—Chloris montana.1. A portion of the spike; 2. a spikelet; 3 and 4. first and second glumes; 5 and 5a. third glume and its palea; 6, 7, 8 and 9. fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh glumes; 10. lodicules, ovary and stamens; 11. grain.
Thespikeletsare about 1/8 inch excluding the awns, shortly pedicelled, unilateral, biseriate, thin and slender, 1-flowered, pale or purple tinged, disarticulating above the two lower empty glumes, which persist on the rachis, generally 4-awned, very rarely 3 or 5;awnsare pale or purple, 1/8 to 5/16 inch; pedicel is short, angular, scaberulous with a few pilose hairs;rachillais produced but is shorter than the flowering glume. There are usually sixglumesin a spikelet and very rarely five or seven glumes; of these the first twoglumesare hyaline, empty, awnless; the third is flower-bearing and the rest empty, thinly coriaceous and awned. Thefirst glumeis white or lightly purplish, small, about 1/16 inch long, lanceolate,finely acuminate, 1-nerved, and with scabrid keel. Thesecond glumeis twice the first glume in length, oblong-lanceolate, finely acuminate, 1-nerved. Thethird glumeis broadly oblong, chartaceous, 3-nerved, bearded with long hairs along the margins from a little above the base, and with a tuft of hairs at the base and an awn at the apex; the palea is oblong, a little smaller than the glume, folded along the margins. There are threestamenswith pale yellow anthers. Thestylesare white with purplestigmas.Lodiculesare narrowly cuneate. Thefourthand thefifth glumesare small, epaleate, empty, oblong, cuneate, 3-nerved, awned. Thesixth glumeis very small, cuneate, awned.
Distribution.—In the districts forming the Coromandel Coast and also Gangetic plains and Ceylon.
These are annual or perennial grasses. Leaves are long or short. The spikelets are sessile, 3 to 12 flowered, 2 to 3-seriate, secund, laterally compressed and forming digitate whorled or capitate spikes, not joined at the base; rachilla continuous between the flowering glumes. The glumes in a spikelet are few to many, keeled. The first two glumes are subequal or unequal, persistent; the first glume is 1-nerved and the second glume is 1- to 7-nerved. The flowering glumes are 3-nerved, paleate; palea is complicate; keels are strong, scabrid or ciliate. Lodicules are two, cuneate. Anthers are short. Styles distinct and short. Grain is free, rugose, and the pericarp is hyaline and loose.
KEY TO THE SPECIES.
Spikelets pointing upward at an acute angle with the rachis of the spike.Spikes 1 to 5 inches long, digitate, erect.1. E. indica.Spikes 1/6 to 1/4 inch or a little more, capitate, spreading.2. E. brevifolia.Spikelets spreading at right angles with the rachis of the spike, spreading or erect.3. E. ægyptiaca.
This is a tufted annual grass with short, erect, somewhat compressed, glabrous stems, 1 to 2 feet high.
Theleaf-sheathsare compressed, distichous, ciliate. Theliguleis a ridge of hairs.
Theleaf-bladesare narrow-linear, as long as the stem, glabrous or with a few scattered hairs near the mouth, acuminate, base not contracted, 12 to 20 inches long and 1/8 to 1/6 inch broad.
Thespikesare elongate, digitate, 2 to 7, 2 to 5 inches long, all in a terminal whorl and sometimes with one or two lower down, and with the axils glandular and hairy; therachisis slender and dorsally flattened.
Fig. 206.—Eleusine indica.1. A portion of the spike; 2. a spikelet; 3. flowering glumes and their palea with the rachis; 4 and 5. the first two glumes; 6 and 7. flowering glume and its palea; 8. the ovary, stamens and the lodicules; 9 and 10. grain.
Thespikeletsare variable in size, 1/12 to 1/6 inch, 3 to 5, rarely 6-flowered, quite glabrous, biseriate, pointing upward at an acute angle with the rachis. All the glumes are more or less membranous. Thefirst glumeis small, oblong-ovate or oblong, 1-nerved with a scabrid keel. Thesecond glumeis twice the size of the first, ovate-oblong, 3-nerved, rarely 3- to 7-nerved, glabrous, shortly mucronate at the acute apex. Thethird glumeand the succeeding flowering glumes are larger than the second, ovate-oblong, subacute, 3-nerved and paleate;paleais shorter than the glume, glabrous.Stamensare three.Lodiculesare small and cuneate. The grain is oblong, obtusely trigonous, broadly and shallowly grooved dorsally with concentric minute tubercled ridges covered with a loose pericarp.
This grass is fairly common in somewhat wet places in the plains and low hills.
Distribution.—Throughout India and Ceylon.
This is an annual grass. Stems are creeping and spreading from the root, and ascending from a decumbent base, generally slender and small, but sometimes large and proliferously branched, leafy, 3 to 7 inches long.
Theleaf-sheathis compressed and glabrous. Theliguleis a very short membrane, ciliate at the margin or obsolete.
Theleaf-bladeis linear, acute, with a subcordate or rounded base 1/2 to 2 inches long and 1/8 to 1/6 inch broad.
Thespikesare usually many, sessile and crowded in globose heads, varying in diameter from 1/3 to 2/3 inch.
Fig. 207.—Eleusine brevifolia.1. A spikelet; 2 and 3. the first and the second glumes; 4 and 5. the third glume and its palea 6. lodicules, ovary and stamens.
Spikeletsare sessile, biseriate, ovate-oblong, 1/8 to 1/6 inch long, 4- to 10-flowered. Thefirst two glumesare membranous, ovate-oblong, glabrous, acuminate and shortly awned, thefirst glumeis shorter than the second, 1- to 3-nerved, thesecond glumeis longer than the first, 3- to 5-nerved, and the nerves are very close to the middle one in the keel. Thethirdand the succeedingglumesare ovate, cuspidately acuminate, 3-nerved, nerves villous below the middle and paleate;paleais oblong, lanceolate, truncate and minutely 2-toothed, keels villous below the middle.Anthersare small.Lodiculesare also small and cuneate.Stylesare long and slender. Grain is orbicular to ovate, concavo-convex, red-brown, and transversely rugose.
This grass is usually found in somewhat damp situations all over the Presidency, though somewhat local in its distribution.
Distribution.—Sandy shores of the Coromandel and Carnatic coasts.
Fig. 208.—Eleusine ægyptiaca.
This grass is an annual with erect or creeping branches. Stems are erect or prostrate, compressed, smooth, spreading and rooting at the nodes, 6 to 18 inches long. Nodes are thickened and sometimes proliferous.
Theleaf-sheathis compressed and glabrous. Theliguleis short and membranous.
Theleaf-bladeis linear, tapering to a fine point, flat, glaucous, glabrous or hairy, 1 to 6 inches long and 1/12 to 1/6 inch, wide.
Fig. 209.—Eleusine ægyptiaca.1. Front and back views of a portion of spike; 2. a spikelet; 3 and 4. the first and the second glumes; 5 and 6. flowering glume and its palea; 7. ovary and anthers.
Spikesare digitate, 2 to 6, 1/2 to 1-1/2 inches long.Spikeletsare flat, densely crowded on one side of the floral axis, spreading at right angles, 3- to 5-flowered,glumesfive to seven. Thefirst glumeis ovate acute. Thesecond glumeis equal to the first or slightly longer, broadly ovate, awned. The floweringglumesare ovate, mucronate or awned, paleate;paleais shorter than the glume, ovate-oblong, obtuse or 2-fid.Anthersare small. Grain is reddish, rugose and sub-globose.
This is a very common grass occurring as a weed in cultivated fields and in open places. It is a well-known fodder grass.
Distribution.—Throughout the plains in India and Ceylon.
These are leafy annual grasses. The inflorescence is a narrow pyramidal raceme of slender, spreading or deflexed spikes. Spikelets are small, biseriate and crowded on one side of the spike and not jointed at the base; rachilla is slender, jointed and produced beyond the flowering glumes and bearing an imperfect glume. There are four to five glumes. The first two glumes are the longest, lanceolate, 1-nerved, keeled and awned. The second glume is slightly longer than the first. The third and the fourth glumes are very small, hyaline, broadly ovate, 1-nerved. Lodicules are present. Stamens are three and anthers didymous and small. Grain is narrowly ovoid and trigonous.
Fig. 210.—Dinebra arabica.1. Full plant; 2. leaf showing the ligule.
This grass is an annual with stems erect or with a geniculate base, tufted, slender or stout; some of the lower nodes of the geniculate part of the stems bear roots; the internodes are green or purple tinged and glabrous.
Theleaf-sheathis thin, somewhat loose, usually glabrous, rarely sparsely hairy. Theliguleis a short membrane irregularly cut at the top. Thenodesare glabrous.
Theleaf-bladeis linear, very finely acuminate, rough on both the surfaces, thinly and very sparsely hairy; the base of the blade is contracted and purple tinged towards the margin, midrib is prominent with three or four main veins on each side; the margins are very finely, closely serrate.
Fig. 211.—Dinebra arabica.1 and 2. The front and back view of a portion of a spike; 3. spikelet; 4, 5 and 6. the first, second and third glumes; 7. palea of the third glume; 8. lodicules, ovary and stamens.
Theinflorescenceis a long erect narrow pyramidal panicle varying in length from 2 to 16 inches; the lower branches sometimes bear several spikes and attain 6 inches in length; thepedunclesare short or long, purple tinged and the mainrachisis smooth except at the top, angular and grooved. Thespikesare numerous, greenish or purple tinged, slender, erect or spreading or sometimes deflexed, opposite, alternate or in fascicles of two to four varying in length from 1/4 to 2-1/2 inches; therachisof the spike is trigonous, flattened out ventrally and with a ridge on the ventral side and the margins are scabrid.
Thespikeletsare few to many in a spike, alternate, closely imbricating, sessile, about 1/6 inch long including the awns, usually three flowered, rarely less or four flowered; therachillais very slender, jointed at the base, produced and jointed between the flowering glumes.
There are usually fiveglumesin a spikelet and in some four or six. Thefirstand thesecond glumesare lanceolate narrowed intoshort stiff awns, equal or the second a little longer, hyaline glabrous, strongly keeled about 1/6 inch long or a little less. Thesucceeding glumesthird, fourth and fifth are very much shorter than the first two glumes, about 1/10 inch or less, ovate-oblong, subacute, white, membranous with a strong greenish nerve along the keel and two short ones close to the margin, paleate;paleais shorter than the glume, membranous, oblong-obtuse, minutely 2-toothed, 2-nerved and 2-keeled.Stamensare three with small anthers.Stigmasare white when young and purple when mature.Lodiculesare very minute. The grain is pale, brownish yellow, ellipsoidal-oblong, subacute, trigonous, rough and never smooth, with a shallow groove on the dorsal side; the embryo is about one-third the length of the grain.
This grass grows abundantly in cultivated dry fields all over the Presidency. The spikes when mature become very rough and give an acid taste. Cattle greedily eat this grass when young, but when old and in full flower some cattle do not like it so much.
Distribution.—Throughout the Presidency in the plains. Also occurs in Afghanistan and westward to Senegal.
These are tall slender annual grasses. Spikelets are very small, compressed, 1- to 6-flowered, sessile or shortly pedicelled, alternate and unilateral on the branches of a panicle; the rachilla is produced between the flowering glumes, jointed at the base. There are 3 to 8 glumes. The first two glumes are unequal, oblong or lanceolate, 1-nerved. The third and the succeeding ones are broadly ovate, 3-nerved, paleate. Lodicules are two. Stamens are three. Grain is sub-globose, oblong or trigonous, closely invested by the glume and its palea.
This is a tall annual grass. Stems are erect or geniculately ascending from a creeping root-stock, varying in length from 2 to 4 feet.
Theleaf-sheathis smooth, loose, the lower often broad and open. Theliguleis a short hyaline lacerated membrane.
Theleaf-bladeis narrowly linear, finely acuminate, somewhat coriaceous, glabrous, 6 to 18 inches long and 1/6 to 1/4 inch broad.
Theinflorescenceis a contracted panicle, 6 to 18 inches long with spreading or suberect, alternate or opposite spikes which are capillary and vary from 2 to 4 inches in length.