358 triandria digynia. Hordenm, 



but hilariously excavated for the reception of the two-flow- 

 ered spikelets. 



A native of the Peninsula of India ; and in size and ap- 

 pearance very like R. Thonuea and setacea ; and were they 

 not two- flowered in the same calyx I should no doubt have 

 taken it for R. incuryala. Linn. 



Culms scarcely more than may be called the scapes of the 

 spikes, the whole plants being but two or three inches high. 

 Leaves many, filiform ; rachis rigid, and with the sheaths 

 somewhat pilose. Spikes terminal, solitary, subulate, about 

 two inches long. Rachis not jointed, but alternately exca- 

 vated on the opposite sides for the reception of the flowers. 

 Calyx two-valved, two flowered ; valves very unequal, the 

 exterior being many times larger than the inner one, which 

 is a minute scale in the bottom of the excavations of the ra- 

 chis, and not readily detected. Florets two in each calyx, 

 both hermaphrodite, one sessile and the other short pedicel- 

 led, each with a corol of two equal membranaceous, smooth 

 valves. 



HORDEUM. Schreb. gen. N. 129. 

 Calyx lateral, two-valved ; valves narrow, acuminate, dis- 

 tant, altogether forming a six-leaved involucre, one-flowered, 

 by threes at each toothlet of the rachis. 



1. H. hexastichon. Linn. sp. pi. ed. Willd. i. 473. 



All the flowers hermaphrodite and awned, placed regular- 

 ly in six rows. 



Sans. Ynva, SitMshooka. 



Beng. Jnba. 



Arab. She-eer. 



This species is much cultivated in most of the temperate 

 parts of Hindoostan during the cool season. 



