19. Tripogon.] 139. GRAMmEM. 



1. T. capillatus, Jaub. <fc Spach. 



A densely tufted wiry grass 8-10" rarely 20" high with filiform 

 leaves 4-10" long. Spike 4-12" long filiform, flexuous. Spikelets 

 alternate distichous greater than their length apart with 2-4 flowering 

 glumes. Gl. i -1" long acuminate ; ii -2" long, subaristate ; rha- 

 chilla •04--05" long between the fl. glumes which are bearded at their 

 base, lanceolate, 3-nerved, 2-fid, -2" long with keel produced into a 

 slender awn -S-'Q" long ; palea lanceolate, 2-nerved, -1" long. Grain 

 narrowly terete, brown, -OS-'O?" long. Rhachilla ending in 2 small 

 imperfect glumes. 



On stems of trees or rocks. Parasnath, Clarke, Kurz ! Fl., Fr. Sept.-Oct. 



Stem at base clothed with leaf-sheaths. L. usually only 4-6" by about •12", 

 involute when dry. Spkts. "2" long. Gl. i •lo-'l?". Awns of flg. gls. -S-'o" or 

 more. 



2. T. Jacquemontii, Stapf. 



This may be found in our area as it occurs in Central India, Deccan, Madras, 

 and there is one specimen of Griffith's from Bengal, district unknown. On rocks. 

 Fl. Oct. 



A tufted grass with slender stems 1-2 ft. high and longer leaves than the last. 

 Spkts. large up to '8" long, but a■\\^^s shorter than their glumes which are 

 about "l". 



20. CYNODON, Pers. 



Perennial, creeping or ascending, Avith narrow flat leaves. Spikelets 

 minute, unilateral and 1-2-seriate on slender digitate spikes, not 

 jointed at the base ; rhachilla jointed at the base, sometimes 

 produced bej-ond gl. iii.* Glumes 3, i and ii empty, thin, keeled, 

 persistent or separately deciduous ; iii broader (and larger in our 

 species), membranous, awnless ; palea as long, 2-nerved. Lod. short. 

 Anthers large. Styles distinct. Grain oblong, free within the glumes. 



1. C. dactylon, Pers. Syn. Chloris Cynodon, Trinf; Panicum dactylon, 

 L. ; Dub, H. ; Dubi, Dhobi-ghas, K., S. 

 A rather variable creeping or ascending grass with stems widely 

 spreading and frequently matted, at other times very slender and 

 ascending among other grasses. Leaves on the prostrate stems 

 usually very short, spreading, subulate, glaucous, -5-1 -5", on the 

 ascending stems up to 3" by •08--2", linear or lanceolate-acuminate ; 

 ligule hardly any or of haiis. Spikes 2-8, -S-S-S" long (see var.), 

 rhachis flattened, sometimes slightly winged. Spikelets very close, 

 •08" rarely -09" long ; gl. i -06" long, narrow, conduplicate acute ; 

 ii -03- -04", similar ; iii largest very broadly cymbiform with softly 

 ciliate keel sometimes making the glume mucronulate, palea much 

 narrower, strongly 2-nerved. Rhachilla sometimes produced to half 



* The Flora Brifi^h India says that the rhachilla is not produced, or, if pro- 

 duced, then at the back of gl. iii only. I have, however, several times found it 

 not only produced but bearing a minute rudimentary glume, so that I had named 

 a specimen I sent to Cal. Herb, in 1889 Chloris sp. There it was correctly matched 

 with Cynodon dactylon. The rhachilla is not at the back of gl. iii but in the normal 

 position. 



+ In view of the frequent presence of a rhachilla produced beyond gl. iii, the 

 absence of an awn is the only character separating this and Chloris, but the upper 

 glumes of Chloris are usually better developed. 



966 



