996 cxLTii. gpamixe.t:. 



tip ; upper invol. -glume as long, inuticous, hyaline, glabrous ; lower 

 floral glume small, sometimes wanting ; upper floral glume an awn 

 longer than the spikelet. 



As remarked by Hackel (Monog. Andropog. p. 679) the dispersion of 

 the spikelets of IseUema is by the wind carrying away all the spikelets 

 in a body, whereas in Themeda the bisexual glumes alone disarticulate 

 and are probably carried away by adhesion to the coats of animals. — 

 DiSTRiB. Tropical Asia and Australia ; species 5. 



Keel and submarginal nerves of the spathes granulate or tubercu- 



late 1. /. Wightii. 



Keel and submarginal nerves of the spathe smooth 2. /. laxum. 



1. Iseileina "Wightii, Anders, in Nov. Act. Soc. Sc. Upsal. ser. 3, 

 V. 2 (1858) p. 251. Perennial; stems often prostrate and rooting at 

 base, then ascending, 8-36 in. long, rarely as thick at the base as a 

 goose-quill ; nodes more or less bearded. Leaves 4-8 by y2~i ^"•' 

 linear, acute, glaucescent or sometimes as well as the whole plant 

 reddish, smooth or scaberulous, the floral leaves scabrid with tuberculate 

 margins ; sheaths lax, sometimes with bulbous-based hairs ; ligule short 

 truncate, membranous, ciliate. Panicle occupying g the stem or more, 

 linear-oblong, more or less compound, erect, spreading; rhachis beai'ded 

 at the nodes ; lower branches 2, the upper as many as 5 ; proper spathes 

 •g— ^ in. long, linear-lanceolate, with scarious margins. Involucral siAkelets 

 male or neuter, i in. long, shortly pedicellate, lanceolate-oblong, green 

 or tinged with violet ; lower invol.-glume subacute, with 5 elevated ribs 

 on the back, sulcate between the ribs ; upper invol.-glume glabrous with 

 broadly infolded margins, 1-nerved ; lower floral glume much shorter, 

 oblong, 2-3-toothed, nerveless, glabrous. Anthers jL in. long. Pedi- 

 cellate spikelets on very slender pedicels. Bisexual spikelets ^— J- in. 

 long; lower invol.-glume acute (not acuminate nor beaked), obscurely 

 4-nerved ; upper invol.-glume equalling the lower, elliptic-lanceolate, 

 acute or subobtuse, often mucronate, obtusely keeled on the back, 

 3-nerved, glabrous ; upper floral glume an awn |-| in. long, the column 

 exceeding the subulate part. PI. B. I. v. 7, p. 218 ; Woodr. in Journ. 

 Bomb. Nat. v. 13 (1901) p. 439 ; Watt, Diet. Econ. Prod. v. 4, p. 524. 

 — Plowers : Nov. 



Deccan : Poena, Woodrotv. S. M. CorNTRv : Belgaum, Woodrow. Gujarat : 

 Morvi (Kathiawar), Woodrow. — Distuib. Throughout; India. 



2. Iseilema laxum. Hade. Monog. Androjwrf. in DC. Monog. Phan. 

 V. 6 (1889; p. 682. Perennial ; stems 6-20 in. long, ascending from a 

 stout hard sometimes shortly creeping rootstock, very slender, simple or 

 sparingly branched ; root-fibres wiry. Leaves all cauline or the lower 

 radical with equitant sheaths, 3-6 by 17^(7-5 "^•' li'i<'''i''i obtuse or sub- 

 obtuse, glabrous but often ciliate near the base, scaberulous above, 

 smooth below, the margins scabrid ; sheaths lax, quite glabrous ; ligule 

 short, truncate, membranous, ciliate. Panicle occupying ^-| the stem, 

 racemiform, long, narrow, of distant axillary pedunculate fascicles 

 |-| in. long; outer spathes |-1 in. long, narrowly lanceolate, glabrous 

 or with a few hairs near the margin ; proper spathes ^-^ in. long, 

 elliptic-lanceolate. Involucral spikelets truly whorled, ^ in. long, pedi- 

 cell'\te, oblong-lanceolate, acute; pedicels short, flattened, bearded at 



