94 A FLORA OF MANILA 
In thickets, Pasay, Masambong, etc., fl. Aug—Nov.; not uncommon in 
the Philippines, and by some botanists considered only as a variety of 
' Panicum patens L., a species of wide Indo-Malayan distribution. 
17. P. pilipés Nees & Arn. 
A slender, branched, widely spreading grass, the stems prostrate and 
rooting at the nodes, often 1 m or more in length, the flowering branches 
erect or ascending, 30 to 50 em long. Leaves lanceolate, acuminate, 4 to 10 
cm long, glabrous or slightly hairy. Panicles exserted, 4 to 10 cm long, the 
branches few, distant, ascending, densely many-flowered, the branchlets 
many, short, fastigiate. Spikelets crowded, brown or greenish, laterally 
compressed, about 1.6 mm long, glabrous or slightly pubescent, shortly pedi- 
celled. 
In thickets along trails, Masambong, fil. Nov.-Apr.; widely distributed 
in the Philippines. Tropical Asia to Madagascar, through Malaya to 
Australia and Polynesia. 
24. OPLISMENUS Beauvois 
Slender, ascending or decumbent, mostly annual grasses, the leaves thin, 
flat, ovate to lanceolate. Spikelets 1-flowered, sessile or subsessile, densely 
arranged along one side of the racemosely arranged spikes. Glumes 4, 
the first short, 3-nerved, tipped with a long straight awn, the second 
short, awn short or none, the third longest, 5-nerved, the fourth or flower- 
ing glume lanceolate, hardened. Palea similar to the flowering glume ir 
texture. (Greek ‘awned.”’) 
Species 25 to 30, most tropical countries, many not well-defined, three 
in the Philippines. 
Spikelets about 2 mm long, densely crowded, the awns very slender. 
1. O. burmanniit 
Spikelets at least 3 mm long, scattered, awns stout............ 2. O. compositus 
1. O. burmannii (Retz.) Beauv. 
A rather slender, somewhat pubescent, annual grass, the stems branched, 
prostrate and rooting below, the flowering stems 20 to 40 cm high. Leaves 
thin, lanceolate, acuminate, 3 to 5 cm long, 6 to 10 mm wide. Panicles 
pale-green, erect or nodding, 3 to 5 cm long, the spikes 5 to 10, 2 cm long 
or less. Spikelets about 2 mm long, the glumes awned, awns very slender, 
that of the first glume about 1 mm long. 
In dry bamboo thickets near Fort McKinley, fl. Aug.—Dec.; widely dis- 
tributed in the Philippines. Tropical Africa, Asia through Malaya, north- 
ward to Japan. 
2. O. compositus (L.) Beauv. : 
A variable, spreading or ascending, more or less hairy grass, the stems 
prostrate and rooting below, branched, the flowering branches ascending, 
40 to 60 cm high. Leaves flat, lanceolate, acuminate, 4 to 10 cm long, 1 to 
2 cm wide. Panicles exserted, of 5 to 8 spreading or ascending, green or 
purplish, 2 to 10 cm long spikes. Spikelets somewhat scattered, 3 mm 
long, the awn about 1 cm long. 
In thickets near Guadalupe, fi. Dec._Feb.; widely distributed in the 
Philippines. Tropics generally. 
