942 cxLTTT. giiamine.t;. 



short. Spikelets ^-j^ in. long, appressed to the rhachis, elliptic, obtuse, 

 acLite or subacute, pale or purplish, glabrous, or subsilky with wriukled 

 hairs. Lower invol.-glume or rudiuientary ; upper invol.-glume 3-7- 

 nerved ; lower floral glume similar and subequal to the upper invol.- 

 glume, 3-5-ner\ed ; upper floral glume subchartaceous, ovate-obloug, 

 slightly shorter than the lower, pale brown, smooth ; palea with 

 inflexed (not auricled) flaps. Praiu, Beug. PL p. 1181. Digitaria 

 temiiflora, Beauv. Agrost. (1812) p. 51. Paspalv.m longijiorum, Eetz. 

 Obs. fasc. 4 (1786) p. 15 ; Hook. f. El. B. I. v. 7, p. 17 ; Trim. Fl. Ceyl. 

 V. 5, p. 124 ; Woodr. in Jouru. Bomb. Nat. v. 18 (1901) p. 433. 



Throughout the Presidenc}', but not common. — Disteib. Throughout India ; 

 Ceylon, tropical and subtropical regions of the Old World. 



6. Digitaria Royleana, Pmin, Beng. PL (1903) p. 1181. Peren- 

 nial ; stems 1-2 ft. long, tufted, slender, erect, leafy. Leaves 4-9 by 

 i_i in., erect, linear, acuminate, flat, glabrous or sparsely cihate towards 

 the base ; sheaths glabrous or with a few scattered hairs ; ligule short, 

 rounded, membranous. Spikes 3-15, erect, subdigitate or alternate, 

 3-6 in. long, on the top of a slender peduncle, very slender ; rhachis 

 filiform, very narrowly winged, glabrous ; pedicels often much longer 

 than the spikelets, usually setulose with long hairs. Spikelets secund, 

 1 .. 1 in. long, broadly elliptic, tomentose with minute clavellate hairs. 

 Lower invol.-glume or reduced to a tuft of hairs ; upper invol.-glume 

 usually much smaller than the floral glumes or reduced to hairs; lower 

 floral glume thinly membranous, broadly elliptic, strongly 5-nerved, as 

 long as and broader than the upper floral glume; upper floral glume 

 thinly coriaceous, ovate, acute, striolate, polished aud shining, dark 

 brown or nearly black ; palea with inflexed Haps. PaspciJam Boyhanum, 

 Nees, ex Thw. Enum. (1864) p. 358; Hook. f. PI. B. I. v. 7, p. IS; 

 Trim. Fl. Ceyl. v. 5, p. 125; Woodr. in Jouru. Bomb. JSTat. v. 13 (1901) 

 p. 433. — Flowers : Dec. 



Western Ghdts (Suvasni Q-hdt), Woodrow \—J)istrib. Ilillj districts throughout 

 India ; Ceylon, Trop. Africa. 



12. PASPALUM, Linn. 

 Annual or perennial grasses. Leaves lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate. 

 Spikelets orbicular to oblong, obtuse, l-flow(^red, awnless, falling off 

 entire from the very short or obscure pedicels, secund and generally 

 2-rauked on the flattened or triquetrous rhachis of spikes, plano-convex ; 

 lower floret barren, reduced to the floral glume ; upper floret herma- 

 phrodite. Glumes 3; lower invol.-glume 0; upper invol.-glume mem- 

 branous, as long as the floral glume (rarely shorter or obsolete). Floral 

 glumes equal or subequal ; the lower resembling the ujjper invol.-glume; 

 the upper chartaceous to subcoriaceous. Palea subequal to and of tlie 

 same texture us the upper floral glume. Lodicules 2, connate. Stamens 3. 

 Styles distinct, slender ; stigmas plumose, exserted from near the top 

 of' the spikelet. Grain tightly enclosed in the hardened floral glume 

 aud palea, dorsally subcouipressed. — Disriiiu. Species about 150, chiefly 

 natives of the New World. 



Annual. 



Leaves G-18 by ^\-^ in. ; a tall plant 2-3 ft. high 1. P. scrohicnlatum. 



Leaves 1-3 by J-^ in. ; plant 6-12 in. high 2. /'. com pactum. 



rcrennial; leaAW2-4by .^-J in 3. 1'. dUtUhum. 



