Anthistiria, TRIANDRIA DIGYNIA. 249 
ed with a boat-shaped spathe or bracte, and consists of four, 
sessile, neuter, two-valved florets in a verticil ; above these 
are two more, but much smaller, on short pedicels, with one 
sessile, awned, hermaphrodite one in the centre, on a short 
scaly receptacle. Calyx two-valved, the exterior valves of 
the lower four neuter florets bearded, of the hermaphrodite 
ones boat-shaped, and very obtuse. Corol of the hermaphro- 
dite flower two-valved, with a long, ferruginous, straight 
arista, ° 
Obs. It differs from A. ese: in being an extensively scan- 
dent, penne plant. a 
4. ‘Ai Seiseottiin, R. 
Culms leaning, geniculate. Leaves ciliate. | Involucres 
five-flowered, two awned hermaphrodite ones, and three ci- 
diate male ones, 
This is one of the smallest of the genus, a native of wily 
made pasture land in. the vicinity of Calcutta, where it ap- 
pears about the close of the rains, and during the cool season. 
_ Culms annual, erect, or leaning, geniculate, smooth, and 
coloured ; from twelve to twenty-four inches high. Leaves 
ensiform, soft and hairy. Sheaths much shorter than the 
joints, Panicles copious, hirsute, composed of numerous 
small umbells and these in general of five or more umbellets, 
the former with a common cymbiform, bristly involucre, and 
the latter with a small, proper characteristic involucre, equal- 
dy bristly ; all the bristles’ have a round bulbous base, Um- 
bellets five-flowered; the two hermaphrodite ones awned, 
and the three male ones pedicelled, and awnless; one of the — 
former is sessile below, with a pedicelled male one by it; the ig 
other elevated ona common peduncle, embraced by the other — 
tw i € ifasalaenbamsothe 
‘tO apotin may be jaxinodiately distinguished by its 
-umbellets being composed of two hermaphrodite awned 
