170 ADDITIONS TO THE FLORA OF CEYLON. 



spikelets, where it varies in length, but does not exceed that of the 

 glume itself. It is thus not unlikely that var. collina is the wild 

 original of this Hill Paddy of Ceylon, and that the differences noted 

 may result from long cultivation ; on the other hand, there is a 

 likelihood that it may be merely a degenerated state of the culti- 

 vated plant propagated by accidentally- scattered seed. The question 

 is one scarcely possible to decide absolutely. 



Gamotia Fergusonii, n. sp. A wiry grass, with elongated 

 very slender smooth cylindrical culms attaining 3 ft. in length, 

 much branched above, the very numerous branches erect, parallel, 

 with terminal inflorescence, below clothed with the dry persistent 

 striate leaf-sheaths, at the base quite bare; leaf-blade short 

 (1^-2 in.), spreading, linear, very acute, strongly nerved, articulate 

 with the sheath, sparingly hairy on both surfaces with long weak 

 scattered hairs ; ligule a thick tuft of similar hairs ; sheaths 

 strongly striate, glabrous or nearly so, the uppermost longer than the 

 blade ; panicle small, 2-4 in. long, pedunculate, stiff, erect ; 

 branches smooth ; spikelets shortly stalked or sessile, with a tuft 

 of very short white hairs round the base ; lowest glume boat- 

 shaped, acuminate, S-veined, purple, 2nd rather shorter and more 

 membranous, 3rd lanceolate, 1-veined, with a terminal awn about 

 its own length. — Found by the late W. Ferguson at the summit of 

 the Knuckles Mountains, Central Prov., at about 6000 ft. elevation, 

 on the last excursion he made, March, 1887 ; to whose memory I 

 dedicate the species. Of the Ceylon species of this difficult genus, 

 this appears to be nearest to G. courtallensis Thw., a very common 

 plant in wet places in the hills; but it differs conspicuously in 

 habit and in the character of the inflorescence. G. fuscata Thw. 

 seems to be also near, but clearly differs in the long setaceous 

 points to the lower glumes, the much longer awn, and the con- 

 spicuous tuft of hairs beneath the spikelet. I have, however, very 

 indifferent material for that species. 



Garnotia panicoides Trim. MS. Erect, with stems some- 

 what decumbent at base, 2-3 ft. high, glabrous throughout ; blades 

 of lower leaves linear-lanceolate, 6 in. long by ^ in. wide, gradually 

 tapering to long acute apex, narrowed at base, flat ; sheaths short, 

 quite smooth ; ligule none; panicle large, 9-12 in. long; branches 

 numerous, slender, erect-patent; spikelets numerous, rather distant, 

 erect, narrow, shortly stalked or sessile ; glumes all of nearly equal 

 length, thin, transparent, acute, 3-veined, the 3rd broader, apiculate, 

 quite awnless. — I found the specimens above described m a bundle 

 of grasses collected by the late W. Ferguson on Culloden Estate, 

 Kalutara, probably in 1886. They are not very complete, but seem 

 to represent a very distinct species, with much the appearance of a 

 Panicum of the P. montauum set. Of our Ceylon Garnotias this is 

 nearest to G. micrantha Thw., which is not unfroquently found 

 without awns. 



Arundinella stncta Nees. Near Fort Ostenburg, Trincomalie, 

 abundantly, Dec. 1885, collected by the late W. Ferguson. This 

 is a tall grass, with a long lax narrow panicle, somewhat reminding 

 one of the Enghsh Arrhenathenim avenaceum. It is clearly the 



