CXLTII. GKAMIJfE.E. 993 



spurious fetramerous whorl eavelopin» the upper 1-3 pairs, each of 

 which consists of a sessile hermaphrodite, and a pedicellate male spikelet, 

 the latter much resembling those of the involucre. Florets 2, the lower 

 reduced to an empty glume, the upper hermaphrodite in the sessile 

 upper spikelets, male in the involucral and pedicellate spikelets or ihese 

 more or less reduced or barren. Bisexual spikelets : invol.-glumes equal 

 or subequal ; lower usually coriaceous, at length hardened and otteu 

 dark brown to almost black ; upper obtusely keeled, coriaceous and 

 channelled along the keel, with membranous margins ; lower floral 

 glume hyaline; upper very narrow, passing from a hyaliue base into a 

 usually stout awn, very rarely linear and awnless, Palea obsolete or 0. 

 Lodicules 2, cuneate, glabrous. Stamens 3. Stigmas laterally or bub- 

 terminally exserted. Grrain linear-obovoid, biconvex, with 2 grooves on 

 the anterior side. Involucral and pedicellate sjnkeltts : invol.-glumes 

 equal or subequal ; lower herbaceous, dorsally flattened, 2-keeled, many- 

 nerved ; upper membranous, lanceolate, acute, 3-nerved, with ciiiate 

 margins ; lower floral glume hyaline, 1-nerved or like the upper 

 suppressed. — Distbib, Tropical and subtropical regions of the world ; 

 species about 3 0. 



Involucral spikelets truly verticillate. 



Perennial ]. T. imherhis. 



Annual 2. T. ciliata. 



Involucral spikelets in closely superposed pairs. 



Inflorescence a cleeoinpoiind tlivrsifurm panicle; lower inTol.- 



glume of bisexual spikelets nol channelled 3. T.cymharla. 



Inflorescence a raceoiiforui panicle; lower invol.-glume of 



bisexual spikelets deeply channelled 4. T. tremula. 



1. Themeda imberbiS) T. Cooke. Perennial, densely tufted ; stem 

 1-3 it. high, stout or slender, erect, or geniculate and ascending, sub- 

 simple or branched, glabrous, polished ; nodes glabrous. Leaves 3-8 by 

 Yq-^ iu., narrowly linear, finely acuminate, coriaceous, flat, rather rigid, 

 margins scabrid ; sheaths compressed, keeled, smooth ; ligule a narrow 

 ciliolate membrane. Panicle narrow, racemiform,3-8 in. long, sparingly- 

 branched ; branches solitary or the upper 2-3-nate, filiform, beanng 

 capituliform usually dense distant fascicles of racemes ; spathes lanceo- 

 late, obtusely acuminate, about 1 in. long, usually bearded at the base, 

 glabrous or sparsely hairy, greenish or tinged with red; racemes |-| in. 

 Jong. Involucral spikelets whorled, sessile, persistent, lanceolate, acute 

 or acuminate, i-|- in. long, glabrous or with short bulbous-based hairs, 

 male ; glumes 3. Pedicellate sjjikelets linefir-lanceolate, glabrous, on 

 short glabrous or subglabrous pedicels. Bisexual spikelet solitarv, ^ in. 

 long; callus reaching h, in. long, pungent, bearded with colored hairs. 

 Lower invol.-glume obtuse or notched, smooth except the tip, dark 

 brown, not dorsally channelled, obscurely 7-9-nerved ; upper invol.- 

 glume glabrous ; lower floral glume glabrous, rather shorter than the 

 invol.-glumes; upper floral glume awned ; awn lg-2| in. long with a 

 stout hispid column. Anthers yV in- long. Grain -^-^ in. long, oblong, 

 grooved A'eutrally. Themeda Forskahlii {Forskalii) var. vxdgaris. Hack. 

 Monog. Andropog. in 1)0. Monog. Phan. v. 6 (1889) p. 660. Anthistiria 

 imherhis, Retz. Obs. fasc. 3 (1783) p. 11 ; Hook. f. Fl. B. I. v. 7, p. 2] 1 ; 

 Trim. Fl. Ceyl. v. 5, p. 248; Woodr. in Jouru, Bomb. Nat. v. 13 (1901) 

 p. 439 ; Prain, Reng. PI. p. 1207. A. ciliata, Eetz. Obs. fasc. 3 (1783) 



VOL. II. 3 T 



