Note on Apluda varia, Hack. 



BY 



J. F. JOWITT. 



XN a footnote to his description of this grass in Triraen's 

 -^ Flora of Ceylon, Sir J. D. Hooker says : "' Hackel regards 

 the swollen base of the spike as the callus* of the lower spikelet, 

 in which view I, supported by Dr. Stapf, do not concur." 



Sir J. D. Hooker does not state what he and Dr. Stapf 

 consider this thin-walled utricle or hollow base to be. 



The result of examination made by me of a great number of 

 spikes in the fresh state leads me to the following conclusions. 

 The swollen hollow base appears to be common to the whole 

 spike, containing in the substance of its wall vascular bundles 

 running both to the sessile and upper spikelet and likewise 

 three bundles with free ends wliich unite at the base of the 

 sessile spikelet within the hollow of tliis utricle. On examina- 

 tion it will be found that the bundles of the rachilla divide at 

 the base of the utricle , sending six branches upwards : — 



3 branches situated below glume 1 of the sessile spikelet ; 

 2 branches situated below the arm of the pedicelled 



spikelet ; 

 1 branch situated below the arm of the sohtary glume. 



The central of the three branches below glume 1 of the ses- 

 sile spikelet has a free end, that is, its end is free from the 

 wall of the utricle and coalesces with the two other branches, 

 hereafter mentioned, at the base of the sessile spikelet. The 

 side bmidles run in the thickness of the wall. 



*" Callus " is a special tenn in agrostology vised to (lom)te an 

 extension of the flowering ghune below its point of insertion nnd 

 grown to the axis or rachilla of the spikelet. 



Aniiiilsof the K(iynn!iitaiii<' a.wlpns.rerrtdeniya. Vol. IV., Part 11., Oc^fobor, 1907.J 



