CXLYII. ORAMIl>^E.i:. 1021 



10. Sporobolus coromandellianus, Linl^:, ITort. Beg. Berol. v. 1 

 (1827) p. 89 {in note) ; Kunth, Hevis. Oram. v. 1 (1829) p. 68. Annual, 

 densely tufted ; stems 4-12 in. long, erect, ascending or often spreading 

 from the I'oot, copiously leafy at the base. Leaves 1-3 by ^--^ in., 

 linear-lanceolate, narrowed from the subcordate base to the acuminate 

 tip, spinulosely toothed especially towards the base ; lower sheaths 

 short, terete or compressed, the upper long, hairy at the mouth ; ligule 

 a narrow membrane fringed with long fine hairs. Panicle 2-4 by 1- 

 2i in., ovate or pyramidal ; branches capillary in rather distant whorls 

 of 3-6, horizontally spreading, naked b low, sparingly shortly divided 

 upwards, bearing short minute red spikelets about ^V in- long on short 

 pedicels. Grkiraes 3, hyaline; lower invol. -glume very minute, sub- 

 orbicular, nerveless ; upper invol. -glume -^^ in. long, ovate-oblong, 

 subacute, 1-nerved ; floral glume as long, oblong, obtuse, 1 -nerved ; 

 palea as long as the glume. IStamens 3 ; anthers small. Grain broadly 

 ellipsoid, compressed, smooth, enclosed in the loose somewliat fleshy 

 reticulate pericarp, pale reddish-brown. Fl. B. I. v. 7, p. 252 ; Dalz. & 

 Gibs. p. 296; Trim. Fl. Ceyl. v. 5, p. 264; Woodr. in Journ. Bomb. 

 Nat. V. 13 (1901) p. 440; Prain, Beng. PI. p. 1213. Agrostis coromnn- 

 rfeZZmiJrt, Eetz.Obs.fasc.4(1786) p. 19; Grah. Cat. p. 235. — Flowers: Jan. 



KoNKAN : Bombay. Laivl Sini> : Jemadar ka Landti near Karachi, Siocksl — 

 DiSTRiB. India (Panjab, Orissi, Birma, W. Peninsula) ; Ceylon, Africa, Afghanistan. 



51. ERAGROSTIS, Beauv. 



. Annual usually slender glabrous grasses of various habit ; stems 

 erect or ascending. Leaves narrow; ligule usually reduced to a line of 

 hairs. Spikelets 2-m any-flowered, in open or contracted panicles 

 (rarely spicate), strongly laterally compressed, ovate-oblong or linear, 

 not (or rarely) articulate on their pedicels on a simple terminal rhachis ; 

 rhachilla disarticulating above the invol. -glumes and between the floral 

 ones, or tough and persistent, not jn'oduced beyond the upper floret. 

 Glumes many, broad, obtuse, acute or mucronate, never awned, thin, 

 dorsally rounded and keeled; invol.-glnnies much shorter than the 

 spikelet, equal or unequal, empty, persistent or separately deciduous, 

 1 (rarely 3)-nerved, usually membranous ; floral glumes imbricating, at 

 length deciduous from the rhachilla, 3-nerved,all 2-sexual or the upper- 

 most and rarely the lowest imperfect, ovate to lanceolate, membranous 

 to chartaceous, usually glabrous, the lateral nerves short, not reachuig 

 the midnerve ; palese equal to their glumes or slightly shorter, mem- 

 branous, 2-keeled, deciduous or persistent on the rhachilla. Lodicules 2, 

 small, cuneate, more or less fleshy. Stamens 3 (rarely 2). Styles 

 distinct ; stigmas plumose, laterally exserted. Grain minute, globose, 

 oblong, ovoid or obovoid, free in the glume and palea. — Uistrib. Li 

 warm countries ; species about 100. 



Sjiikelets panicled. 



Rliachilla of spikelets moi'e or less jointed and breaking up 

 from above downwards. 



Panicle spiciform, compact, 2-3 by J in. ; rhacliis bearded 



at the nodes ; margins of flowering: glumes ciliate 1. E.ciliata. 



Panicle open or more or less contracted ; mai-gins of 

 flowering glumes not ciliate. 



Spikelets 5 in. long; panicle large, lax, tliyrsiform, 

 8-20 by 4-6 in 2. E. aspcra. 



