208 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 1891. 



Ver. Diedia, Bajla, Bal-Garut, Kadbrieb&r, Bhas (name also of 

 Apluda avistata) Barcthi Canther 



Very common afc Lanowlee, Khandala, and over the ghats down to 

 the foot. 



In my notes taken three years ago I had named it /. nutans, on 

 account of its numerous noddiiig spikes, believing it to be a new 

 undescribed species. At that time Prof. Hackel's monograph had 

 not been published, and I received a copy of it only last year. The 

 plants seen in our ghats differ in a few particulars from the 

 description given by Haekel. 



Heteropogon, Pers. 



H. eontortus, Roem and Schult II. 386, H. hirtus, Pers. Syn. II. 

 533. Andropogon eontortus, Linn. Roxb. Fl. lad. I. 258; Dalz and 

 Gibs., Bomb. Fl. 300. 



Ver. Suckali Koossal, Pandri-Suckali, Bed, Sukery, Bate, 

 Mussaneh, Suckal, Itall- Suckal, Dakli Suckal (small suckal — 

 to distinguish it from the next large species). Spear grass of the 

 Europeans. 



Very common all over India, ascending up to 1,000 ft. on the 

 Himalaya and Afghanistan ; all over Africa (Central Africa, Serpa 

 Pinto), Timor, China, Macao and in Brazil. 



This grass is very troublesome, the dry spikelets with their long 

 twisted awns which fall easily, acting like barbed arrows. All the 

 awns are twisted together like the strands of a rope. 



From the reports received from all parts of the Bombay Presi- 

 dency, it appears to be considered a good fodder grass, especially when 

 it is young and green. In East Khandeish it is used as a thatching 

 material. Mr. Duthie says : " In Rajputana and Bundelkand, 

 where this grass abounds, it is cut and stacked after the rains are 

 over. It is also cut for hay in the Hissarbir, and Mr. Coldstream 

 states that it will keep good in stack for 12 years. On Mount Abu 

 the people consider it the best fodder grass they have. In other 

 districts it is said to be eaten only by buffaloes, or by cattle when they 

 are hungry and cannot obtain other kinds of grass. It is much used 

 for thatching. The spears when the spikes are ripe, adhere in 

 masses, are called salt at Ajmere. In Australia it is looked upon as 



