Ischcemum. tri anuria digynia. 319 



Whole plant about a foot high, erect. The culms with 

 bearded joints. Leaves rather large, hirsutcly papillose, as 

 are also their sheaths. Panicles linear, shaggy with the nu- 

 merous hairs of the calyces. Calyx two-valved, two (lower- 

 ed ; valves nearly equal, considerably longer than the flower, 

 backs covered with little warts, from each of which arises a 

 very conspicuous hair ; apices cuspidate, and recurvate. Co- 

 ral two-valved in both. Exterior floret rather larger, male or 

 male hermaphrodite, and awnless ; inner hermaphrodite and 

 awned. Stamina three. Styles two in the hermaphrodite, in 

 the male hermaphrodite the rudiments of two, but no germ. 



ISCHMMUM. Schreb. gen. N. 1569. 



Polygamous. Calyx two-valved, two-flowered. Corolstwo- 

 valved. 



1. I. arislatum. Linn, sp.pl. ed. Willd. iv. 939. 



Annual. Leaves sword-shaped, ciliate and hairy, with 

 coloured margins. Spikes paired, secund. All the calyces 

 two-flowered; valves striated; exterior of the sessile flower 

 with a bifid membranaceous border round the anterior mar- 

 gin ; an awned hermaphrodite floret in each flower. 



A native of newly formed pasture land, in various parts of 

 India, appearing about the close of the rains. It is a scarce 

 grass, and does not appear to be fit for cattle. 



Culms at the base resting- on the ground and there rooting, 

 ramous ; erect portions from one to two feet long*, slender, 

 with woolly joints. Leaves length of the spikes, ensiform, 

 broadest at the base and there cordate, hairy, ciliate, with his- 

 pid, coloured margins. Spikes two, terminal, secund, from 

 one to two inches long. Rachis flexuose, jointed, three-sided, 

 with the angles very hairy. Flowers in pairs, one sessile, the 

 other pedicelled. Pedicel three-sided, and ciliate. Calyx of 

 the sessile flowers two-valved, two-flowered ; one floret her- 

 maphrodite, the other male. Exterior valves striated, with 



