584 GRAMINEM.' 



inches long, spreading and drooping, i to ^ inch wide, linear, 

 gradually tapering to the acute apex, dark green. Spikelets 

 large, ^ to 1 inch long, 5 to 11 flowered, sessile, laterally com- 

 pressed, blunt, arranged singly edgewise alternately on opposite 

 sides of the elongated rachisj forming a narrow distichous 

 spike, 6 to 12 inohes long ; rachis somewhat flexuose, hollowed 

 on alternate sides to receive the spikelets, faintly rough ; 

 glumes 2 in the terminal spikelet, nearly equal, only one in 

 the remainder, placed on the outer side of the spikelet, closely 

 appressed, and equalling or exceeding it in length, rather leaf- 

 like, 5-ribbed, convex, smooth, green, subacute, not awned ; 

 pales 2, nearly equal in length, the lower rounded on the back, 

 the edges somewhat involute, 5-ribbed, the two outside ribs 

 very strong, obtuse, and membranous at the apex, a little 

 below which arises usually a straight white awn of variable 

 length, the upper pale flat, appressed to the dorsal one, with 

 its margins folded over on the inside, scarious, with two green 

 veins, faintly ciliate on the edges. Lodicules 2, connected at 

 the base, entire. Stamens 3, ovary rounded. Stigmas 2, as- 

 pergilliform. Fruit enclosed in the pales (the lower one 

 turgid and thickened), oblong-ovoid, nearly \ inch long, blunt, 

 concave on inner surface, pale brown. 



Chemical compost f ion. —Filhol and Baillet found the seeds to 

 contain 50 per cent, of starch, albuminoids, and the other 

 constituents found in cereal grains ; also a thick, almost con- 

 crete green oil, one portion of which was saponifiable, and the 

 other not. It was insoluble in water, but freely soluble in 

 alcohol and ether. The seeds besides contained an extractive 

 substance soluble in water and alcohol. The non- saponifiable 

 portion of the oil they describe as producing tremulousness 

 when swallowed, but without any narcotism ; and the extractive 



Ludwig 



Both substances proved fatal to animals. 



&c., found two 



acrid oils soluble in alcohol, but insoluble in water ; and an 

 acrid bitter glucoside, soluble in water ; they attribute the 

 activity of the seeds to the combined influence of these different 

 principles. 



