79. Themeda.] 139. GRA3I1NE.E. 



braiichlet which may be again similarly branched. Spatheoles and 

 their spikes not hidclen among the bracts (as in imberbis and ciliato). 

 .Spatheoles strongly-nerved or -ribbed, •4--5" long eiliate or not at the 

 keel, subaristate, geniculate and bearded on the peduncle. Tnvolucral 

 spkts. about -17" long sometimes two higher than the other pair; 

 gl. i oblong-lanceolate closelj^ covered with tubercled setae, many- 

 nerved ; ii as long subaristate ; iii narrow colourless. Bisexual 

 spkts. usually 2, pale, eiliate on the callus with pale hairs, -IS-- 15" 

 long ; gl. i hispidulous above ; ii wrapped round the slender -S-'o" 

 long awn ; ped. spkts. usually one to the lower and 2 to the upper 

 2-sexual spkt. on glabrous •05"-long pedicels, gls. i and ii -17", i with 

 tubercled bristles, lanceolate, aristately-acuminate ; st. 3. 



Purneath, frequent! Monghjr, Mokim I FJ., Ft-. Oct.-Dec. Aniuial. 



A very distinct species. The invol. spkts. are usually described as inserted t)n a 

 level which mine are not. 



5. T. caudata, Dur. d- Jack. 8yn. Anthistiria gigantea, Cav. ; sub- 



sp. caudata. Hack; Anthistiria caudata, Xees. 

 A very large caespitose grass froni a stout rootstock with flattened 

 stems 10-20 ft. high and leaves markedly equitant below 3-5 ft. long 

 by •3--75" broad Avitli scabrid margins. .Spikes with their spatheoles 

 on slender peduncles in verj^ large spatheate and leafy drooping 

 panicles, the whole top of the plant being converted into a compound 

 panicle, with jiendulous spikes. Peduncle of spike about half as long 

 as the spatheole, slender. Long-pilose upwards. Central spike with 

 2-3 sessile spkts., the terminal Avith 2 ped. spkts. Sessile spkts. -4" 

 long, densely hirsute with appressed dark brown hairs ; awn 1-7" long, 

 dark-brown, scaberulous, but often absent (caducous ?). 



Not uncommon in ravines and on the hio^her ghats, in the forest on the higher 

 plateaux and mountains. N. Champaran, common at low elevation. Singhhum ! 

 Rauchi! Palamau, Neterhat (."^OOO ft.)! Hazaribngh, on Parasnath (4000 ft.) 

 Clarke, etc. ! Manbbum, on the Tuudi Hills, Caiup. ! Fl., Fr. .Sei)t.-Dec. 



Culms greenish-jellow, or pinkish. Petioles compressed, deeply grooved above 

 with very scabrid edges, blade glaucous beneath. Spatheoles l'5-2"narrow and finely 

 acuminate, many-nerved, glabrous, on slender peduncles enclosed with others and a 

 branch in a spathe, these with other peduncles and branches in spathes of a lower 

 order and so on. Invol. spkts. ••i.-'6" long in somewhat unequal paii's, one pair with 

 longer calli than the others, one of each pair apparently often empty, the other si)kt. 

 staminate, gl. i long subulate sub-aristulate, one margin much inflexed and its keel 

 scantily eiliate and scabrid, back flat scabrellous, about 9-nerved ; ii about f ths i, 

 3-nerved and an additional nerve in margins, scaberulous ; iii and iv sub-similar, 

 eiliate, hyaline. Anthers nearly as long as glume {"S"). Central spike obliquely 

 articulate on very short internode with brt)wn hairy sides; sessile spkt. with 

 oblicpie, densely brown-bearded, ultimately pungent callus, falling with its joint 

 ('12" longj and pedicelled spkt., gl. i very coriaceous nearly covering ii, 11-nerved 

 (best seen from inside) ; ii with hirsute keel and involute coriaceous margins ; iii 

 and iv fths as long thinly brown-hairy, lodicules very large oblong-lanceolate, 

 •QG", 2-cuspidate. Grain free oblong brown, -ll" long. 



The grass becomes a pest from its ripe ])ungent glumes. 



6. T. arundinacea, Ridl. Syn. Anthistiria gigantea, Cav.; A. aruji- 



dinacea, Jio.vb. 

 A very handsome grass 10-20 ft. high with polished yellowish culms 

 up to -5" diam. below, more or less elliptic in section with very com- 

 pressed keeled leaf-sheaths of the same colour when old. Leaves on 



1052 



