324 TRIANDRIA DIGYNIA. | dchemum. 
united at the base, at all times continumg close as if one. Ra- 
chis very hairy, and jointed.— Flowers from four to eight pairs on 
- each spike, one sessile, the other sub-sessile.— Calyces nearly alike, 
two-valved, two-flowered ; the exterior valves even, acute, and un- 
commonly woolly on the backs ; the inner boat-shaped, acute, and 
smooth. In each, one of the florets is hermaphrodite, the other 
male.—Corols all two-valved, hyaline ; the inner valve of the herma- 
phrodite tloret in the sessile flower bifid and awned.— Stamina three. 
—Styles two. . 
5. I. geniculatum. R. 
Stems geniculate, creeping, smooth, Leaves ensiform ; spikes con. 
jugate, apparently only one. — Calyces two-flowered, smooth, and 
crested ; with the hermaphrodite flowers awned. m 
A small species, a native of Bengal. Flowering time the. codl 
season, - 
- Culms polished, from one to two feet long, very ramous, diffuse, 
geniculate; joints large, emitting smooth, very brown roots.— 
Leaves small, ensiform, smooth ; sheath smooth, and shorter than 
the polished joints of the culm.— Spikes terminal, conjugate, gene- 
rally so close as to seem only one, smooth, about au inch long. Rachis 
jointed, flexuose ; angles sharp, and sometimes hairy.— Flowers pair- 
ed, one sessile, one peduncled.— Calyces, both two-flowered ; one 
hermaphrodite and awned, the other male and awnless,: Exterior 
valve of the sessile foke enlarged with two, hard, serrulate crésts, 
one on each side of the apex; inner- mucronate, with a similar 
crest on the back, under the apex; of the pedicelled flower both 
are boat-shaped, mucronate, or sub-aristate, and the exterior one 
crested on the back under the apex; all are smooth and marked 
with green, longitudinal veins. —Corols two-valved ; the exterior valve 
of the hermaphrodite flowers bifid and awned. 
6. I. tenellum. R. j 
` Çreeping near the base. Leaves rpi iini: exterior 
j 
