3^4 TRIANDRIA DIGTfNlA. IschOBTnum. 



united at the base, at all times continuing close as if one. Ra- 

 chis very hairy, and jointed. — Flowers from four to eight pairs on 

 each spike, one sessile, the other sub-sessile. — Calyces nearly alike, 

 two-valved, two-flowered; the exterior valves even, acute, and un- 

 commonly woolly on the backs ; the inner boat-shaped, acute, and 

 smooth. In each^ one of the florets is hermaphrodite, the other 

 male. — Carols all two-valved, hyaline; the inner valve of the herma- 

 phrodite tloret in the sessile flower bifid and awned.— .S^am/;/rt three. 

 — Stj/les two. 



5. I. geniciilatum. R. ' 



Stems geniculate, creeping, smooth. Leaves ensiform ; sjnkes con« 

 jugate, apparently only one. Calyces two- flowered, smooth, and 

 crested ; with the hermaphrodite flowers awned. 



A small species, a native of Bengal. Flow ering time the cool 

 season. 



Culms polished, from one to two feet long, very ramous, diff'use, 

 geniculate ; j'oiw^s large, emitthig smooth, very brown roots, — 

 Leaves small, ensiform, smooth ; shealh smooth, and shorter than 

 the polished joints of the culm. — Spikes termiuiil, conjugate, gene- 

 rally so close as to seem only one, smooth, about an inch long. Rachis 

 jointed, flexuose ; angles sharp, and sometimes hairy. — Flowers pair- 

 ed, one sessile, one peduncled. — Cali/ces, both two-flowered; one 

 hermaphrodite and awned, the other male and awnless. Exterior 

 valve of the sessile flower enlarged with two, hard, serrulate crests, 

 one on each side of the apex ; inner mucronate, with a similar 

 crest on the back, under the apex ; of the pedicelled flower both 

 are boat-shaped, mucronate, or sub-aristate, and the exterior one 

 crested on the back under the apex ; all are smooth and marked 

 with green, longitudinal veins. — Carols two-valved ; the exterior valve 

 of the hermaphrodite flowers bifid and awned. 



6. I. tenelunn' R. 



Creeping near the base. Leaves linear; spikes paired; exterior 



