139. GRAMINEM. [40. Setaria. 



they are merely scabrid.* Spikelets always solitary in the involucel 

 and glabrous and (in specimens seen by me) always sessile (but these 

 two Characters are not usually given as specific). Gl. i minute or 0, 

 glabrous ; ii with truncate conspicuously 3-toothed tip, also glabrous. 



Sautal Parg., Eurz, etc. [one specimeu is from near SHhil)oaiij, where the other 

 .species, werfit-eZZa/jtw, has also been collected) ! Maubhum, Clarke. Hazaribag-h, 

 Gamble, etc.! Orissa, Wahh ! Fl., Fr. Oct.-Dec. (The Palamau specimen men- 

 tione'l in Fl. Chota Nagpur I have now transferred to pedicellatnm.) 



40. SETARIA, Beauv. 

 Grasses of various habit. Ligule of hairs. Spikelets clustered, 

 rarely solitary on the short branches of spiciform or narrowly pyra- 

 midal panicles articulate on very short pedicels, most of which bear 

 or the branchlet below them bears, 1-many scabrid or barbed bristles 

 which also often end the rhachis (supposed to be barren branchlets). 

 Glumes 4, awnless, membranous, i small, 3-(5-)nerved ; ii usually 

 o-(7-) nerved ; iii 5-7-nerved, as long as or longer than ii ; iv convex 

 coriaceous about as long as iii, 2 -sexual, 3-androus. Grain free within 

 the hardened glume and 'palea. 

 I. Bristles below the spkts. solitary. L. more or less plicate : — 



I'erennial. L. very plicate. Panicle over 6", rhachis scabrid \. pUcata. 

 Annual. L. slightly plicate. Panicle under 6", rhachis hairy 2. rhachifricha. 

 II. Bristles below the spkts. clustered. L. not plicate :— 



A. Bristles not retrorsely barbellate :— 



1. Gl. iv smooth. Bristles 2-3 below each spkt. Culti- 



vated 3. ifalica. 



2. Gl. iv rugose : — 



Pan. spiciform continuous. Bristles 6 or moi'e . . ^. [jlauca. 

 Pan. interrupted or su1)pyramidal. Bristles 1 on pedicel 



and usually 3-4 below pedicel 5. infenned'm. 



B. Bristles retrorsely barbellate 6, certicillata. 



1. S. plicata, T. Cooke. 83^1. Panicum plioatum, Lamk. 



A striking grass 2-5 ft. high erect from a short woody stock. Leaves 

 plicate, the lower elUptic-oblong finely acuminate, 15" bj' 2-5" or 

 larger, upper gradually more linear ; sheaths very striate, ligule 

 of stiff hairs. Panicle large very compound narrowly pyramidal 

 erect 6-12" with long lower strict branches with wavy scabrid rhachides, 

 ultimate branchlets ending in a rigid awn-like continuation of the 

 rhachis beneath the spikelet. Spikelets alternate subsessile or shortly 

 pedicelled •12-- 15" long glabrous or nearly so, often open at the tip. 

 Gl. i •05--06" broadly oblong-ovate obtuse, 3- or faintly 5-nerved ; 

 ii elliptic acute or mucronulate 5-nerved -1" ; iii longest ovate acute 

 and mucronate 5-nerved with a short oblong palea ; iv subequal 

 narrow-elhptic very acute, minutely trabeculate (at least when um"ipe) 

 finally polished dark grey or brown. 



Moist valleys m the hill forests, not common. Singbhuui ! Hazaribagh (on 

 Parasiiath) ! Ranchi and Palamau (at Neterbat, 3000 ft.)! Mayurbhanj, above 

 3miOft. ! Fi., Fr. Sept.-Dec. Perennial, 



There are many forms. I have only described the Chota Nagpur one. Leaf- 

 sheaths appressed-hairj' at the nodes and ciliate above. The leaves resemble 

 those of a Curciiligo or young Palm and wave in appai'ently still air. 



* Indeed they are so variable in respect of the hairs that the character appeai-s 

 to me useless for separating the species. 



987 



