266 TRIANDRIA DIGYNIA. = Andropogon. — 
Tam, Woetiwear. 
-Virana. Asiat. Res. vol. iv. p. 306. 
It is very common in every part of the coast and Benigeli ' 
where it meets with a low, moist, rich soil, especially on the 
banks of water courses, &c. ; 
Root of many perennial, long, spongy, brown fibres. Culms 
many, smooth, simple, rigidly erect; a little compressed at the 
base, jointed, smooth, inwardly spongy; from four to six feet 
high and as thick as a goose-quill. Leaves near the base bi- 
farious, narrow, erect, from two to three feet long, pretty 
smooth, rigid. Panicle from six to twelve inches long, coni- 
cal, composed of numerous spreading, short-peduncled, sim- 
ple, linear, verticelled spiked-racemes, Rachis of the spiked- 
racemes jointed, winding, naked, Flowers paired, awnless; 
one hermaphrodite, sessile ; the other male, and — 
insertions nearly naked. | 
Hermapnropite Firower. Calyx Hessel nearly 
equal, muricated. Corol three-valved, membranaceous, Nee- 
tary, two obcordate scales embracing the germ and insertions 
-of the filaments, Stamens three, Stigmas feathery. 
‘Maze Frower. Calyx as in the hermaphrodite, -— 
two-valved. Nectary as above. Stamens three, 
Obs. The roots, ‘when dry, and then gently snoieeasil; : 
emit ‘a pleasant kind of fragrance; they are employed to make 
large fans, commonly ‘called Vissaries; and ‘also screen’ 
which are placed before windows and doors, which being 
kept moist during the hot winds render the air that’ ‘passes 
through them, both cool and fragrant, See Observation ¢ po 
Aristida setacea, The grass is often employed for thatch. 
Dr. Kénig was tooaccurate a Botanist to describe this very 
‘conspicuous plant under two names,’ viz. A, squarrosus. 
Linn. sp; pl. Willd. iv. 908, and A. muricatus ; the former is 
evidently a very different species, and found by him in Cey- 
lon, ets on pools of water ; whereas A. murieatus (whieh | 
1 fo , - 
