52. Alloteropsis.] 139. GRAMINEJ^. 



elliptic strongly o-nerved and ciliate, cuspidate; iii lanceolate, 3-nerved, some- 

 what crustaceous with hyaline unequally 5-toothed palea, 2 lodicules and 3 

 stamens; iv lanceolate glabrous coriaceous 5-nerved with slender awn •04", 2- 

 sexual with hyaline 2-nerved palea and broadly cuneate lodicules. 

 The toothed palea may not be constant. It is not noticed by Hooker. 



53. SPINIFEX, L. 



Stout rigid bushy polygamo -dioecious xerophytic grasses with long 

 rigid involute leaves. Inflorescence in large subglobose umbels or 

 heads. Male spkts. large 2-fld. subsessile articulate on rigid peduncled 

 spikes, which are collected into umbels surrounded by spathaceous 

 leafy bracts ; glumes 4, i and ii emptj^ ; iii and iv paleate triandrous. 

 Fem. spikelets collected into large globose heads of stellately spreading 

 long rigid subulate bracts and barren prolongations of the rhachides 

 together with shorter flattened-subulate bracts ; each spikelet solitary 

 and articulate at the very base of the rhachis, lanceolar, 2-fld. Glumes 

 i, ii, iii as in the male but mostly larger, iii paleate, empty or 3-androus ; 

 iv female or 2-sexual. Lodicules 2, large, nerved. Styles long free 

 or connate at base, stigmas long shortly teather3\ Grain free within 

 the hardened glumes. 



Natives of sandy shores and deserts. 



1. S. squarrosus, L. Burkonko, Rabana, Or. 



A large glaucous fruticose grass forming bushes 2-4 ft. high and 

 broad and with long underground or superficial stolons. Leaves 

 4-6" long squarrose, recurved, pungent, margins spinulose-serrulate ; 

 sheaths often imbricate inflated dry striate hirsute at the mouth ; 

 ligule hirsute. 



Sandj' places on the coast. Balasore ! Cuttack ! Puri ! Fl., Fr. r.s. 



Male umbels sessile at the angles of a zigzag rhachis with pungent lanceolate 

 bracts •7-l'2" long; spikes 2-3" with the scabrous rhachis produced at the tips 

 into pungent spines resembling those of the female but short. Spikelets "i" long, 

 glabrous scaberulous. Gl. i shortest about ■2--2o" long 7-9-nerved ; ii similar but a 

 little longer ; iii lanceolate 5-nerved rigidly acuminate or subaristate ; iv usually 

 a little longer (in our specimens, Ilooker saj's shorter) subaristate or cuspidately 

 acuminate. Fem. spkt. 'i-'-^b" long partly sunk in the base of the needle-like 

 rhachis which is supported hj distichous bracts, some of which are similar to 

 itself 3-6" long, others short Hatter and 1" long. Glumes and palea all lanceolate- 

 acuminate membranous and subequal, outer puberulous, i 11-nerved ; ii 7-9-nerved ; 

 iii 5-nerved; iv 5-7-nerved, 2-sexual; palea 2-nerved, lodicules quadrate-oblong 

 2-nerved. Style with stigmas "lb" long. 



The long stolons (which are not mentioned in the F.B I. or Benq. Plaiiis) run for 

 a considerable distance and then give rise to a further clump ; they serve, with the 

 grass itself, to fix the sands along which the large globose iufrutescence may often 

 be seen bounding along before the wind on its long elastic spines. 



54. SACCHARUM, L. 



Robust very large perennial grasses with flat or convolute leaves, 

 those from the base usually very long. Spikelets 1-fld. small or very 

 small similar or nearly so, 2-nate, sessile and pedicelled on the 

 articulate fragile rhachis of racemes, racemes simply whorled on an 

 elongate common rhachis or panicles large silky much and densely' 

 branched, the branches often spreading in flower, erect in bud and 

 fruit. Glumes 4, membranous or outer chartaceous towards the base. 

 Ol. i with inflexed margins and usually 2-keeled or with an even 



1010 



