97. GRAMINEM. [14. Sacchabum. 



14. Saccharum, L. 



Tall perennial grasses with very long basal leaves and 

 leafy 8tems and minute spikelets in very large dense decom- 

 pound silky panicles, the branches., erect . in bud and fruit, 

 spreading in flower, articulate. Spikelets awnless or Gl. IV 

 shortly awned, geminate, sessile 2-sexual and pedicelled 

 female, rarely both pedicelled and 2-pexual. Glumes 4, III 

 empty; IV shortest flowering with a hyaline pale, or pale 

 o. St. 3. Lodicnles cuneate. Stigmas laterally exsert. 



(The awned glume IV in Borne varieties of S. arundinaoeum breaks 

 down the only distinguishing character between this genus and Erian- 

 thus.) 



o. L. mostly \" broad or more, margins not convolute. 

 L. very broad. Gl. I glabrous Cultivated only . 1. ojficinarum. 

 I,. |— -2'' broad. Panicle branches 3-9 " long, white 

 ' * or grey with Glume I finely pointed, its hairs about 



twice the spikelet ... . . 2. arundinacewn. 



L. \'' broad. Panicle branches 1-3" purple with GL 



I obtuse 3. Narenga. 



b. L. under V broad, margins convolute. Hairs of 



spikelet many times as long as the spikelet . . 4. spontaneum. 

 1. S. oflicinarum, L. Ak. H., 8. The Sugarcane is sparsely 

 cultivated on irrigated lands. 



2. S. arundinacetim, fctz. Sar (arrow), S. 



A very large stout grass attaining 20-30 ft. in favourable 

 situations, with solid stems V' diam. or more, glabrous 

 below the panicle and with glabrous nodes. Panicle 1-2 ft. 

 (2-4 ft. in the Duars) grey silvery with a glabrous rather 

 angular rachis ; rachis of spikes, pedicels of spikelets, and 

 back of Gl. I with long dense silvery hairs 1-2 times as long 

 as the spikelet which is f-£" long, narrow-lanceolate with 

 acuminate or sub-aristate glumes. 



In low ground in some of the larger river valleys, e.g., the Sone in 

 Palamau, the Ganges in Santal Parganahs, and the Fatlai E. in 

 Koderma. Fls. Fr. Sept.- J any. 



L. sometimes 5ft. long with very stout mid-rib and serrulate cutting 

 margins, ligule very short truncate, month of sheath with dense villous 



570 



