227 



at the bent nasal node of which is a large, erect, acute, leafy, striate orangd-rsd, 

 shining bract, scarious at the ed^es, which encloses the pairs of spikes before 

 expansion ; the pairs of spikes very numerous placed on the somewhat zigzag, 

 elongated, smooth, slender, erect, flattened branches of elongated panicles which 

 come oflf in clusters from the axils of the upper leaves, the whole forming a very 

 large, tufted, elongated, somewhat drooping inflorescence often 2 feet or more in 

 length ; glumes nearly equal, acuminate, membranous, smooth, purplish, boat- 

 shaped, the lower one of the sessile spikelet flattened on the back against the rachis 

 and without a midrib, those of the stalked spikeleta with several paiallel veins; 

 pales of the lower spikelet two, or with a tlmrd rei^resenting a barren flower, very 

 unequal, the lower very small, deeply bifid with two long cusps, fr .m between 

 which comes off a long, slender, slightly kneed, purple awn, about twice ths length 

 of the glumes and projecting considerably beyond the spikelet, the upper much 

 larger, acute, but without an a^n, very delicate and membranous, without veins ; 

 in the flower of the upper spikelet there is but a single membranous non-a^vued 

 pale. Lodicules two, oblong, truncate, longer than the ovary ; stamena three, 

 anthers purple; stigmas two, spreading, protruded from the &owev, plumose, 

 bright red-purple. Fruit not united with the pales. Plants have been grown at 

 Kew for many years. The best characters for distinguishing A. Nardus from allied 

 species are to be found in its rufous colour, short spikes, and narrow leaves. 



The forms of A. Nardus met with in the Straits Settlements and 

 Java require verification from fresh material, which the writer will 

 in all probability obtain from reliable sources. The present 

 edition of the "Index Kewensis" gives A. Nardus, Linn. (" Sp. PI.," 

 Ed. I, 1046), as Maafia (Ceylon), "Citronella-grass, lemon-grass. 

 Syn. A. flexuosus, Nees ; A. coloratus, Ness ; A. martini, Thwaites 

 (not of others), A. Iwarancusa, Roxb. (in part) ? Not previously 

 figured. 



Some of the citronella oil produced in the Straits Settlements is 

 of exceedingly fine quality ; a specimen from the Selangor Planta- 

 tions Syndicate (Limited) having been found to contain about 90 

 per cent, of alcoholic constituents, and being readily soluble in l| 

 volume or n^ore of 80 per cent, alcohol. The area under citronella 

 cultivation at Singapore and in the Straits Settlements in 1898 

 was 954 acres ("Singapore and Straits Directory"), but this is quite 

 insignificant, as regards extent, in comparison with the Ceylon 

 plantations, which, according to the statements of competent 

 dealers in the oil, amounted in 1899 to about 40,000 to 50,000 acres, 

 or 15,000 acres more than in 1896. These plantations are 

 exclusively in the Southern Province, namely between the rivers 

 Gin Ganga in the north-west and Wallawi Ganga in the east ; but 

 owing to a decline in the price of the oil in 1899 many large 

 plantations in the Akuressa and Baddagama districts were discon- 

 tinged. The following are some of the large estates under this 

 cultivation in Ceylon : 



Citronella Estate, near Akuressa 

 Wilpita Estate, near Akuressa 

 Karyaldeniya " " " 



Kananka " " " 



Wallahandora " " Galle 

 Rose Wood " " " 



Karayalemyawatte Estate, near Kataluwa 

 Katherine Valley Estate, near Kataluwa 

 Ratmahere Estate, near Dodanduwa 

 Galduwewadda Estate, near Weragoda 



Charley Mount Estate, near Weligama 

 Rose Neath Estate, near Weligama 

 Nidenwella Estate, near Weligama 

 Danapatiya Estate, near Weligama 

 Mellagalpathe Estate, near Weligama 

 Fred's llnhe, near Hikkaduwa 

 Miriswatta Estate, near Taugalla 

 Panapyittygalla Estate, near Balapitiya 

 Udabatalahena Estate, near Parawahera 

 Borakanda Estate, near Ambalagoda 



