47. Paspalum.] 139. GRAMINE^. 



root at the nodes. It is veiy closely allied to flavidiim and none of the distiuo-uish- 

 ing characters are absolute. I would have called them varieties only of the same 

 species. 



3. P. geminatum, Stapf. 8yn. Panicum fluitans, Retz ; Panicum 

 paspaloides, Pers. 

 Habit and appearance of P. j)unctatum ; usually floating beloAv and 

 rooting at the nodes with long branched spongy stolons. It is said 

 to differ in the rhachis of the spikes not produced at the tip with a 

 few imperfect terminal spikelets but it is produced into a short point. 

 It differs more markedly in the gl. ii nearly equalling iv and the 

 smooth (or scarcely punctulate) glume iv. 



Chilka Lake, in salt water, Alcock ! 



Leaves spreading, linear, obtuse, acute or acuminate, lower sheaths dilated. 

 Spikes erect, '5-1" longfer than the internodes and appressed to the narrow com- 

 pressed setulose rhachis. Spkts. under 07" long, subglobose, glabi-ous, subsessile. 

 Gl. i very short white, suborbicular retuse ; ii 5-nerved ; iii paleate, broadly ovate 

 acute, 5-nerved ; iv broadly ovate subacute or obtuse, slightly shorter than iii, 

 shiniug pale brown when ripe. 



48. UROCHLOA, Beauv. 



Annual or perennial grasses Avith linear to lanceolate leaves, ligule 

 reduced to a ciliate rim. Spikelets more or less dorso-ventrally 

 compressed, convex dorsally with the convex side towards the axis, 

 closely secund on the 3-quetrous, rarely flat, rhachis of spiciforra 

 racemes, which are again racemose on the rhachis of a simple panicle. 

 Spkts. articulate on their pedicels Avhich are solitary or paired or 

 3-4-together and very short. Racemes spreading and usually several 

 times longer than the internodes of the panicle. Glumes as iu 

 Brachiaria and Paspalidium but glume iv rounded or verj^ obtuse at 

 apex and with an abrupt mucro or aristula. 



The separation of this genus from Brachiaria appears to me somewhat unsatis- 

 factory as the different orientation of the spikelets, probably due to A-ariable 

 torsion of the pedicels, does not ajipear constant and of little taxonomic value. 

 In ZT. reptans they are sometimes as much abaxial as adaxial, and in this species 

 also the mucro is not more than an apiculus. Indeed I had placed reptam in 

 Brachiaria before consulting the Ken- Herbarium. There is sometimes similar 

 doubt as to the dominant orientation of the spikelet in some Brachiaria. 



A. Spikelets -lo-'l?" long, Gl. iv aristulate :— 



Annual. Spkts. ova^e to ovate-ol)long acute turgid; gl. ii 7-11- 



(mostly 9-) nerved. L. mostly 3-G" . . . . . .1. helopus. 



Perenuial. Spkts. lanceolate acuminate. Gl. ii 7-nerved. L. 



mostly 2-.3" 2. sefigera, 



B. Spikelets "OT-'OO". Gl. iv apiculate or nearlj' muticous . . .3. reptans. 



1. U. helopus, Staj)/. Syn. Panicum javanicum, Poir. 



An annual erect grass 1-2 ft. high or decumbent and rooting at the 

 base, nodes hair^^ Leaves large narrowlj^ or linear lanceolate, 

 attaining 8" by -7" or sometimes {fide F.B.I.) only 1-5" by -3—7", 

 with scattered tubercle-based hairs or glabrescent, sheaths hairy. 

 Spkts. -16" long elliptic acuminate pubescent 2-seriate alternate on 

 the flattened 3-quetrous 1-2-3" long rhachides of the 4-10 spreading 

 branches (spikes or contracted racemes) near the top of a simple 

 long-peduncled panicle. Gl. i ovate acute •04--05" long {^ ii, F.B.I.) 



1002 



