139. GRAMINE.E. 'o-i. Saccharum. 



with very lono- hairs up to "S". Callus hairs not dense, as long as spkt. (shorter 

 than or subequal, Hole). Tlie g-lumes are very like those of S. utiDija, hut i and ii 

 usually shorter and sut)equal, iii is very little shorter than i or ii, glabrous in my 

 specimens, iv together with its minute avrnlet equals iii in length, sometimes 

 ciliolate. 



The culms are used hn- makiug the walls of native houses in the Tarai and 

 Duars. 



4. S. munja, Roxb. Syn. S. aruudinaceum (part), F.B.I. ; •**•. arun- 



dinaceum, var. ciliare, Fl. Ch. Nag. ; S. ciliare, Anders. : S. sara, 

 Roxb.t Mimj, ^. ; Sar (arrow), S.; Sara, Beng.; Karai, Kandi- 

 khai', Th. ; Ekra (when cut). 

 A very large tufted grass attaining a height of 18 ft. and diam. -5" 

 in favourable situations. Leaves lower 5-7 ft. long by -75-1" in 

 the middle or sometimes narrow^ and only -15" Avide especially 

 near base, upper cauline tapering to a setiform tip, densely white - 

 villous near the ligule. Panicle 1-3 ft. long, thyrsoid, more or less 

 lanceolate, purple to cream coloured or grey silvery or white in fruit 

 with a glabrous rather angular or sulcate rhachis and sub-verticillate 

 compound branches. Rhachis of spikes, pedicels of spikelets and back 

 of gl. i with long dense silvery hairs 1-2 times as long as the spkt. 

 ♦Spkts. mostly exceeding the internodes of rhachis, •16--2" long, the 

 pedicelled subequal (usually a little shorter). Sessile, gl. i lanceolate, 

 a,lmost cuspidately acuminate, 2 -keeled with faint mid-nerve, dorsally 

 villous for from one-third to three-fourths wa}' up ; gl. ii more cymbi- 

 torm glabrous or obscurely hispid on keel. Pedicelled spkt., gl. ii 

 dorsally villous, with villi usually overtopping glume to twice its 

 length. 



Usually in the open or along river beds in the forest. Often gregarious. 

 Common in the Northern area, especially oa the west in Champai*an ! Spreading 

 south to Palamau, in Valley of Sone ! and Hazaribagh (Koderma Forest) ! Also 

 M.?ii\h\mm, Campbell \ Fl.' Fr. Oct.-Dec 



Foliage glaucous. Pedicel shorter than the spikelet. Callus hairs much shorter 

 than si^ikelet. Sessile spkt. gl. i with keels scabrid above ; ii sometimes sab- 

 aristulate, usually a little shorter than i; iii chartaceous (hyaline when boiled), 

 about IS-'IJ^", lanceolate, acuminate, sometimes minutely aristulate, obscurely 

 ciliate ; iv broader, ciliolate, usuallj^ aristulate. but awn rarely "Ot-'O-j" long, glume 

 and awnlet together about = iii in length, ciliolate; palea slioi't broad, wrapping- 

 round the linear oblong •05-07" long grain. 



The fibre of the upper leaf -sheaths is used for making mats, ropes, etc., and it 

 has been very favourably reported on as a paper material. The plant is, however, 

 very much more abundant in Upper India than in Behar and Orissa. 



5. S. narenga, Wall. 



A very large grass 9-12 ft., rarely 15 ft. in our area with a stout 

 horizontal rootstock, stems pubescent above and nodes with a ring 

 of erect long erecto -patent silky hairs, whole plant often reddish. 

 Leaves, lower up to 6 ft. long by 1" wide, dark-green with Avhite 

 midrib, long-acuminate, narrowed also at base, margins cutting 

 {scabrid), upper surface more or less pubescent and sheaths hirsute 

 or hairy with bulbous-based hairs. Panicle purple, strict, 1-2 ft. 

 long lanceolate or oblong with numerous close short erecto-patent 

 or spreading 1-4-nate branches -75-3" long with bearded nodes, lower 

 often compound. Spikelets -OS-- 12" long, both similar, usually 

 longer than or nearly equal to the internode of rhachis or sometimes 



1013 



