139. GEAMINEjE. [8. Avena. 



Stem terete smooth shinino- 5-6 ft. very leafy. L. attainino- 2 ft. by -S-'S" ligulea 

 fimbriate. Panicles l-2o ft. effuse, with innumerable small spkts. much more 

 jjrraceful than in Phragmites, branches 7-8 nate. Spikelets only •2"-"3" long. 

 Glumes 6-7, iii male, awnless, iv and other fl. gls. 3-nervecl with long hairs on the 

 submarginal nerves and with a terminal straight or finally recurved awn and 

 2 minute awnlets on either side. Rhachilla produced between the glumes but only 

 shortly bearded beneath them, and bearing a terminal flowerless glume. Fl. 

 Oct.-Dec. 



7. ARUNDO, L. 



Tall stout perennial grasses with broad flat leaves. Spikelets in 

 large decompound panicles, not jointed on pedicel, laterally com- 

 pressed ; rhacilla glabrous or shortly hairy sometimes bearded between 

 ii and iii, jointed at the base and between the flowering glumes. 

 Glumes 4 or more ; i and ii empty, subequal, acute acuminate or 

 aristate, narrow, glabrous, persistent 3 -nerved ; flg. gls. similar or 

 2-fid or 2-aristulate at apex either side of the short awn, dorsally 

 hairj' all over below the middle ; palea hyaline, 2-nerved. Lod. 

 obovate. St. 3. Ovary glabrous, styles distinct, stigmas plumose. 

 Grain oblong. 



1. A. donax, L. 



A tall stout reed-like grass with fistular stems 6-10 ft. high, creeping 

 below. Leaves 1-2 ft. long, by 1-2" broad, ensiform wdth amplexi- 

 caul base, ligule of long hairs. Panicle 1-2 ft. erect, thyrsiform with 

 scaberulous branches. Spikelets -S-'S" long. Gl. i and ii lanceolate 

 as long as spkt. aristo-acuminate (or obtuse and apiculate, j^c?e F.B.I. ; 

 I have not seen this form from our area where gl. i and ii are almost 

 as much awned as the flg.) ; flg. gl. 2-4, lateral nerves produced into 

 two slender awn-like teeth each side of the central awn, whole length 

 about that of spkt. or less, palea -2" oblong, contracted at base, nerves 

 closely shortly ciliate, rhachilla very shortly produced between the 

 glumes. 



Chiefly in the northern area along ditches and streams. Monghyr, Molcim ! 

 Gya, Mokim ! Fl. Oct. It no doubt also occurs but has not been collected along 

 our northern boundary. 



The rhachilla between gl. i and ii is elongate and minutely pubescent, it is 

 bearded above ii. 



8. AVENA, L. Oat. 



Annual or perennial grasses with usually flat leaves. Spikelets 

 2-more-flowered, in effuse contracted or spiciform jjanicles, not 

 articulate on their pedicels ; rhachilla jointed at the base (or rather 

 tenacious in cultivated specimens) and sometimes between the flg. 

 gls. Gls. dorsally rounded ; i and ii empty, subequal or unequal, 

 thin persistent, few- or many-nerved ; flg. gls. ovate to lanceolate, 

 entire 2-toothed or -cleft, 3-7-nerved, lateral nerves sometimes 

 obsolete, lobes awned or not but usually a long and geniculate or re- 

 flexed awn with a twisted base dorsal from below the cleft. Palea 

 narrow, keels scabrid or ciliate. Lodicules usually 2-fid. Style 

 short free. Grain various, usually free or in some species (with a 

 villous tip) adherent to the palea. 



953 



