41. Sacciolepis.] 139. GRAMINEJE. 



41. SACCIOLEPIS, Nash. 



Perennial, more rarely annual with linear or convolute and filiform 

 leaves. Spikelets often deep purple on short filiform pedicels in con- 

 tracted spiciform panicles with a stout fluted rhachis formed of the 

 main rhachis and its adnate branches (very rarely in lax panicles and 

 not in our area), more or less gibbous (very gibbous when panicle is 

 loose), oblong ovate-oblong elliptic or lanceolate, subterete or slightly 

 compressed, usually somewhat turgid, articulate on the pedicels. Gl. 

 i shortest, sometimes scale-like ; ii very concave with a curved or 

 basally gibbous back, mostly 7-9-nerved, rarely 5- or up to 13-nerved ; 

 iii similar and subequal but less convex, palea narrow, hyaline or 

 rudimentary ; iv oblong, very convex ultimately coriaceous or crusta- 

 oeous with firm narrowly involute margins, palea almost as long, 

 embraced by the glume all round, similar in texture, 2-nerved. Grain 

 tightly enclosed, elliptic with almost flat back and convex face. 



A. Gl. i 3-nerved. Spikelets mostly "l" or less :— 



Spikes '1-2" long. Spkts. lanceolate-ovoid, hispid, -OS--!" . 1. indica. 

 Spikes 2-9". Spkts. ovoid, glabrous, 'Oo-'OS" . . . .2. mi/oiui-oide^. 



B. Gl. i o-nerved : — 



Spikes 6-10" rigid. Spkts. lanceolate, •12-'1S" . . . .3. inter rupfa. 



1. S. indica, comb. nov. Syn. Panicum indicum, L. 



A slender grass 6"-2 ft. high with linear acuminate leaves 2-5" long 

 up to -17" wide, glabi'ous. Panicle spike-like, green or slightly purplish 

 -5-1 -5" by •15--2" diam. with crowded ovoid acute or acuminate 

 often curved shortly or hispidly hairy spkts. -OS-- 12" long. Gl. i 

 ovate, one-third to one-half of iii, lanceolate from a broad base, 3- 

 nerved acute ; ii usually subcymbiform curved obtuse 7-11 -nerved, 

 •l-'ll" ; iii broadly ovate obtuse, 9-nerved as long as iii ; iv narrowly 

 t'llipsoid very acute •06--07" long, white, smooth, polished, sides over- 

 lapping margins of the similar palea, base obtuse mucronulate with 

 remains of the rhachilla. 



Wet places, Saiital I'arg., frequent, Moklm, etc.! Ranchi, common! Hazari- 

 bagh, common (often very small) ! Sambalpur, Cal. Herb. I Fl., Fr. Sept.-Nov. 



I think it is better to confine this species to those specimens with hairy spikelets. 

 The va^viety ffracile so far as applied to those specimens from our area have longer 

 more slender s])ikes and glabrous smaller spikelets, and appear to be better 

 referred to mi/osuroides. Possibly it belongs to Sacciolepis auguttta, Stapf. Typical 

 S. indicum with small weak stems, leaves narrow "T-lo" long and small spikes 

 ■1-7" has been collected in Ranchi, Hazaribagh and Sambalpur. 



2. S. myosuroides, comb. nov. Syn. Panicum mj^osuroides, Br. 



A very slender glabrous plant with erect stems 1-4 ft. high from a 

 creeping rhizome. Leaves 2-9" by •07--2" acuminate. Spikes 

 (panicles) 2-9" long, the longer ones often nodding, only -1" broad in 

 flower, -15" in fruit, often deep purple. Spikelets oblong-ovoid 

 crowded suberect in flower, more spreading in fruit, •05--09" long, 

 mostly 2-nate. Gl. i half or slightly under half as long as iii, ovate. 

 3- (-5-) nerved Avith semi-amplexicaul base, sometimes apiculate ; 

 ii as long as spkt. very convex 7-9-nerved, nerves prominent ; iii 

 similar, both sometimes minutely apiculate on the obtuse tip ; iv 



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