Anthistiria. triandria digynia. 247 



ANTHISTIRIA. Schreb. gen. N. 1567- 

 Polygamous. Involucre one-valved, seven-flowered. Her- 

 maphrodite flower solitary, with a two-valved, one-flowered 

 calyx, and corol of one valve and an awn. Accessary florets 

 male or neuter, six ; four sessile, resembling a calyx, and two 

 pedicelled, their structure various. 



1. A. ciliala. Linn. sp. pi. ed. Willd. iv. 899. 



Erect. Leaves taper from the ciliate base. Accessary 

 florets two or three- valved, neuter, exterior valve of the ses- 

 sile flower papillose, ciliate near the apex. 



A. ciliata. Gcert. Carp. ii. p. 465. t. 75. 



An erect annual species, a native of various parts of India, 

 appears about the close of the rains, in October and Novem- 

 ber, and continues during the cool season. 



Culms erect, about two feet high, in our rich soil of Ben- 

 gal, more slender than a crow-quill, smooth, and often colour- 

 ed. Leaves few, ensiform ; broadest at the base and there 

 more ciliate, particularly the small floral leaves. Sheaths 

 much shorter than the joints, smooth, and carinated on the 

 back. Liyula short and chaffy. Panicles sometimes droop- 

 ing", though in jreneral erect and composed of a few, rather 



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remote, axillary branches. Involucres longer than the flowers, 

 smooth, cuspidate. 



Hermaphrodite Flowers bearded at the base. Calyx 

 two-valved ; valves hard, obtuse, and somewhat hairy, by age 

 chano-ino- from straw colour to dark brown. Corol one small, 



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pellucid valve, and a very strong, long, thick, brown, hairy 

 awn on the opposite side. Stigma three. Styles two, with 

 ochraceous plumose stigmas, which become brown by age. 

 Nectarial scales large, with crenate, truncate apices. 



Accessary Florets six, all neuter. Calyces two-valved, 

 those of the sessile four, papillose, ciliate near the apex ; those 

 of the upper pedicelled two, smaller and smooth. Corals 

 none, or of one, small, hyaline valve. Stamina none, 



P4 



