Aplllda. TRIANDRIA DIGYNIA. 325 



Culms creeping, or climbing, as thick as a crow's quill, 

 jointed, coloured, the lower part naked, inwardly spongy ; 

 from the joints spring erect, ramous, flower-bearing branches 

 of from one to seven feet high. Leaves very elegant, some- 

 what bifarious, sheathing, petioled, linear-lanceolate, back- 

 wardly hispid; from six to eighteen inches long; sheaths 

 smooth, mouths short-stipuled. Panicles terminal, and from 

 the exterior axills, or, the whole may be considered, as one 

 linear leafy panicle. Bractes three-flowered, boat-shaped, 

 with an awned point. Flowers, one of the three sessile, or ra- 

 ther sitting on a globular receptacle, consisting of a common, 

 two flowered calyx, one of which is sessile, awned, and her- 

 maphrodite ; the other sessile, male and awnless ; just without 

 the calyx on each side, there is a bent, compressed pedicel, 

 one of these supports a common calyx, with two male, two- 

 valved, awnless flowers, the other only the rudiments of one or 

 more florets. 



2. A. geniculata. R. 



Perennial, creeping, or scandent, intricately geniculate. 

 Leaves lanceolar. In each calyx one hermaphrodite, and one 

 male flower, all awnless. 



Found on the banks of the Ganges in flower during the 

 latter part of the rains and the cool season. 



Culms creeping, or climbing amongst bushes, reeds, &c. 

 to an extent of many feet, smooth, and slender, bent at angles 

 about a span distance at the swelled joints, emitting numerous 

 wiry roots, filled with spongy pith, the thickest about the 

 size of a crow's quill. Leaves linear lanceolate, and smooth, 

 but much smaller than in A. aristata. Sheaths shorter than 

 the joints. Ligula lacerate. Panicles terminal, composed of 

 numerous slender branchlcts of distinct fascicles of flowers, 

 each fascicle containing many short pedicelled, three-flower- 

 ed, boat-shaped, cuspidate, smooth, bractes or involucres. 

 Flowers one of the three sessile, containing one hermaphro- 

 dite, and one male floret ; the other two elevated or broad 



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