13U. GRAMINEJE. [64-. Apocopis. 



63. SEHIMA, ForsJc. 



Perennial or annual with leaf-blades narrow, ligule of stiff hairs. 

 8pikelets 2-nate, heterogamous and sometimes heteromorphous, on 

 a solitary terminal articulate spiciform raceme, dorsiventral and later- 

 ally compressed, usually slightly curved, joints and pedicels sub- 

 linear, parallel. GJ. i deeply grooved, rarely flat, 2-dentate, acutely 

 2 -keeled upwards and winged, margins inflexed ; ii cymbiform, 

 keeled upwards, awned : iii hyaline, entire with palea nearly as large ; 

 iv 2-ficl, awned, palea as long. Pedicelled spkt. flat, gl. i and ii much 

 as in sessile spkt. but not grooved ; iii and iv more or less reduced or 

 barren ; iv awnless. 



1. S. nervosum, Stajjf. Syn. Ischsemum laxum, Br. ; Andropogon 

 nervosus, Rottl. ; Raboga, K. ; Sedwa, H. 

 A perennial grass 3-4 ft. high tufted on a short stout rhizome and 

 with a superficial resemblance to Spear-grass. Stems leafy, straw- 

 coloured when mature, rather slender and constricted at the nodes 

 with the single terminal spikes falhng off entirely leaving a truncate 

 end with a short peg-like projection (entirely diffei-ent from old 

 spear-grass). Leaves flat 6-12" by •2--3" below the middle, sheaths 

 densely hirsute to glabrous. Spike 3-5" long Avith fragile rhachis and 

 4-ranked compressed spkts. •2--25" long appressed to it. Sessile 

 spkt. with secund awns 1-5-2" long, pedicelled spkt. awnless. Gl. i 

 narrowly oblong glabrous with margins strongly incurved, 3-ribbed 

 margins, and deeph^ depressed 1 -nerved centre, obtuse or keels 

 produced into 2 short cusps ; ii membranous with a delicate awn 

 •5" long. 



Frequent in hilly forests, Singbhum ! Ranchi ! Hazaribagh, Clarke I Rani- 

 gaiij (near Maublmm) ! Aug-ul ! "f1. Sept. -Oct. Fr. Nov. 



L. Avith scabrid etlges, tapering into a very long- filiform tip, not much narrowed 

 towards the base, ligule of hairs. Peduncle pubescent above. Gl. iii hyaline, 

 lanceolate, acute or truncate ciliate, palea as long very acute ; iv oblong, about 1 

 iii, deeply 2-fid, a\vn Ijlack below, palea as long. Fed. spkt. Gl. i 2-cuspidate. 

 green or purplish, 5-7-uerved, nerves scabrid ; ii 3-nerved, acuminate. 



This is one of the ])est fodder grasses and is eaten by cattle even after the fall of 

 the spikes. 



64. APOCOPIS, Xees. 



Annual or perennial often small grasses with short leaves. Spikelets 

 binate with the upper reduced to its pedicel, or solitar}-, distichousl}' 

 imbricate on solitary, 2-nate or fascicled articulate spikes, dorsally 

 compressed. Glumes 4. Gl. i very broad, flat ancl membranous 

 above with truncate ciliate tip, its sides incurved below and coriaceous, 

 many-nerved ; ii much narrower sometimes with central keel, 

 alwaj's laterally 2 -keeled with broadly inflexed margins, tip truncate ; 

 iii oblong hyaline, male or neuter with palea as large ; iv hyaline, 

 entire 2-lobed or 2-fid awned or aristulate or sometimes reduced to 

 an awn with dilated base ; palea much shorter, convolute, truncate, 

 tip ciliolate. Lodicules 0. Stamens 2-3. Styles very short, 

 stigmas long narrow apically exserted. Grain free terete. 



Perennial. Gl. iv oblong 2-fid, awn short or 1. lioi/leaiiHt>. 



Aimual. Gl. iv linear entire or 2-dentate, awn long . , . .2. vaginatus. 



1023 



