8 mb. c. b. clabke on indian species os ctpebus. 



(3) The Leates. 



The uppermost leaf is generally narrow-linear, with a midrib, 

 often scabrous on the margins towards the tip with forward- 

 pointing serrulations ; with many longitudinal nerves, certain 

 of which are in some species especially prominent ; flat, green, in 

 the moist-country species ; straw-coloured, rigid, inrolled in the 

 dry-country species ; the lower leaves are by degrees shorter, 

 becoming lanceolate or even triangular, the sheath often short- 

 ened also, until the lowest leaf may be a nearly free ovate- 

 lanceolate scale, hardly different from the scales on the stolons. 



The length of the leaves is an obvious character, dear to syste- 

 matists, and employed by Boeckeler even as a subsectional cha- 

 racter ; but in my opinion it is hardly characteristic in any one 

 species, and it should be employed cautiously as a subsidiary 

 character only. 



Beginning with C. Haspan, in typical forms the leaves are 

 very short, often reduced to mere short-lanceolate appendages of 

 the sheaths ; but there are other forms with the leaves more 

 developed, and in very numerous examples they are longer 

 than the culm. (This is true even after every example possible 

 has been separated off into C.Jlavidus, Betz.) 



In C. latispicatus, Boeck., the uppermost leaf is often as long 

 as the culm, but generally most of the lower leaves are reduced 

 to sheaths ; C. aphyllus, Boeck., is the same thing, all the leaves 

 being reduced. 



Boeckeler places G. enodis, Boeck., G. diphyllus, Betz., and G. 

 corymbosus, Bottb., in a sect. Subaphylli, from which the Foliati 

 beginning with G. Schirnperianus, Steud., are separate. The 

 fact is that in G. corymbosus, Kottb., the leaves vary from to the 

 length of the culm ; and that the greater portion of the Indian 

 material sorted under G. corymbosus, Bottb. (on the character of 

 length of leaves), by Boeckeler is C. tegeturn, Boxb., a species from 

 which G. Schirnperianus, Steud., cannot be separated. (I state 

 tbis broadly, as G. tegeturn is separable from C. corymbosus defi- 

 nitely by the structure of the spikelets.) In C. tegeturn also 

 the leaves may be as long as the culm or subobsolete, and in the 

 nearly allied G. scariosus, B. Br., the variation is nearly as great. 

 After collecting G. tegeturn and G. corymbosus with my own hands 

 for years, I am of opinion that the leaves are nearly or quite 

 valueless in sorting these and their allies. G. diphyllus, Ketz. 



