51. DiGiTARiA.] 139. GRAMINE^. 



d. cruciata, J.-D.j/y. Syn. Digitaria cruciata, Nees. 



Spikes several, 2-3", usually horizontal, rhachis slender narrowly or rather 

 broadly winged, spkts. acute or cuspidately acuminate rather loosely imbricate 

 glabrous, purple or green, gl. ii half iii, ovate-oblong, obtuse 3-nerved ; iv ovoid or 

 obovoid turgid cus]ndately acuminate. 



Parasnath, C.B.C. ! A mountain form. The species is kept distinct by Stapf. 



f. purpurea, forma nova (perhaps cruciata with much smaller gl. ii). 



Stems dark purple below, lighter purple above. Lower sheaths with tubercle- 

 based hairs. L. 2-3" hy '2", a few long hairs near base, ligule prominent oblique. 

 Spikes 0-12 suberect, shortly racemed, 2-2"5" long, winged rhachis '03" wide 

 (wings broader than keeled centre) scabrid. Spkts. glabrous, gl. i absent ; ii 

 minute ; iii "OS-'OO" long ; iv minutely cuspidate. All glabrous. 



Ranchi, at Neterhat, elev. 3000 ft. 



c,. ciliaris, J.D.H. Syn. Paspalum ciliare, Retz; Digitaria ciliaris, 

 var. qiiadristachya, Wight ; D. marginata, var. fimbriata {Stapf 

 in Kew Herb.). 

 Usually tall. Spikes 2-6, 3-6" long with slender rhachis winged and 'OS-Oi" 

 broad, Tisuallj' flexuous. Spkts. lanceolate "12". Gl. i scale-like ; ii nearly as long- 

 as iii but narrower, 2-4-nerved and villous, with long spreading villi in the pedi- 

 celled spkt.; iii with thin 3-nerved back and inflexed 2-nerved margins which 

 especially in the pedicelled spkt. have two rows of dense spreading villi longer 

 than breadth of glume and often hooked at their tips ; iv subacuminate. 



Very common. Monghyr, lfo/i-i»n ! Santal Parg. (Rajmahal), Jfa/?. ! Through- 

 out Chota Nagpur in all districts, common ! Puri. Walsh ! No doubt throughout 

 the province. 



2. D. longiflora, Pers. Syn. Paspalum longiflorum, Retz. 



Stems much tufted, procumbent beloAV and rooting with ascending 

 branches or prostrate. Leaves lanceolate short (in all specimens 

 from our area). Peduncles and rhachis very slender. Spikes 2-many 

 subtei-minal, 1-3" or sometimes 4" long, usually white. Spkts. 

 elliptic -lanceolate -05- -06" long, geminate or alternate subsessile and 

 shorth' pedicelled, the hairs if any slender crisped. Glume i obsolete, 

 ii as long as iii, with 3 j)rominent nerves and usually sparsely hairy 

 or shorter or obsolete, iii elliptic about 5-nerved. 



Monghyr Hills, Kurz I Western Bengal and Bihar, E^urz ! Santal Parg., Knsl-cr ! 

 Ranchi, Gamble, IVoodl Manbhum, Campbell, etc.! Hazaribagh, Clarke'. Fl., 

 Fr. July-Dec. Probablj" annual. 



L. sheaths glabrous or somewhat hairy, blade "5-2" or {.fide Hooker) sometimes 

 long and linear, erect or spreading. Pthachis of spikes up to "03" wide with 

 scabrid edges. Fruiting glume grej' (not shining black as in Royleanum). 



Hooker states that gl. iv is acuminate ; it seems to me only acute. 



3. D. Royleana, Prain. Syn. Paspalum Royleanum, Nees. 



Erect or shortly decumbent below, 1-3 ft, high with long linear 

 erect leaves 3-6" long. Peduncle and rhachis very slender. Spikes 

 2-10 erect or suberect, 1'5" on small specimens to 4-5". Spikelets 

 oblong-ellipsoid geminate and shortly pedicelled, •04--05", the hairs 

 short and capitate or clavate. Pruit black and shining. 



In the hills. Monghyr, Ham. {Wall. No. 8752 i) ! Patna {Wall. 8681) ! Santal 

 Parganas, Gamble. Mokim. etc ! Ranchi, Clarke ! also collected by me in Biiaspur 

 near our western borders in the hills. Fl., Fr. Sept. -Nov. 



Sometimes tinged purple. L. up to "2" wide, surface often scabrid. Rhachis of 

 spikes flexuous. scabrid. Gl. i absent ; ii sometimes reduced to a tuft of hairs, at 

 other times = Jths iii, shortly hairy; iii shortly hairy = iv; Pedicel setose or 

 setulose at tip. 



1008 



