88. Coix.] 139. GRAMINL\^. 



broad often cordate base, margins cartilaginous scabrid and cutting. 

 Peduncles 1-2-5" long, flattened or 3-gonous, usually a large number 

 from the axil of one leaf together with oblong bracts. Male inflores- 

 cence •5-1-5" long, glabrous (mealy, Eoxb.), erect or nodding. Spike- 

 lets sessile and one pedicelled. GL i •3--35" long, lanceolate or with 

 the narrow or broad wing becoming obovate. Pseudocarp mostly 

 broadly ovoid -3" long, white or bluish polished. 



Common along water courses, ditches, etc. In all districts of Chota Na^ur ! 

 Santal Parg. ! Puri, Walsh I Probably throughout the province. Fl., Fr. Sept.- 

 Feb. 



Horses are fond of the leaves but soon tire of it. A poor fodder for cattle. 



2. C. gigantea, Kdn. Same vernacular names, also Danga gurgur, 



Beng. {fide Roxb.). 



A tall erect grass up to 15 ft. high by -7" diam. at base, terete and 

 polished. Leaves, lower 2-4 ft. long by about 1" broad, base obtuse 

 or subcordate, margins scabrid and cutting, upper leaves erect narrow- 

 lanceolate 8" by •7--8" or longer and narrower, sometimes scabrid 

 above. Peduncles 2-6". Male spikes often very short when young 

 but elongating with ternate spikelets, the large outer glumes of which 

 form 6 imbricate rows on the spike which is ultimately drooping and 

 with a long internode between the female and the lowest male spikelet. 



Frequent on rocky northern slopes in Chota Nagpur and Orissa ! Also Purneah, 

 Cal. Herb. 



It is doubtful whether any of the characters of the inflorescence given here are 

 peculiar to this species or even universal in it, as very few specimens have been 

 examined and fewer still preserved. 



Sessile spkt. gl. i elliptic or obovate with the broad wing of pedicelled spkt. 

 somewhat cymbiform Ijut with rounded keel, many-nerved, "o" long ; ii smaller 

 lanceolate, pale; iii included in i, pale hyaline with a raised plicate longitudinal 

 ridge inside bearing 2 large pulviuate lodicules between which arise the 3 stamens, 

 palea as large ; iv smaller hyaline with 2 large erect quadrate lodicules and large 

 palea, bearing a rudimentary ovaiy. Bi-act of fem. with a distinct ligule, often 

 conical in fruit, including also 2 rudimentary pedicelled spkts. 



3. C. aquatica, Roxb. 



The following account is taken from Roxburgh (in slightly different 

 words) : — Stems perennial jointed, round, smooth, filled Avith pith, 

 about as thick as a man's forefinger, floating on lakes or creeping along 

 their margins for 50-100 ft., shoots arising in an oblique direction to 

 4-5 ft. above the surface. Leaves, lower linear lanceolate, upper 

 linear or ensiform 1-3 ft. long 1-1-5" Avide long-acuminate, margins 

 hispid. Spikes terminal and from the exterior axils, peduncled, 

 solitary or in pairs, drooping, many-fld., 3-nate, two sessile and one 

 central pedicelled. Female generally solitary at the base. Involucre 

 turbinate, perforated, valves (glumes) 6-7 Avith tAvo abortive corollets 

 and their common A^alve, as in gigantea (this perhaps refers to the 

 rudimentary spikelets noted by me in that species). Ovary oblong 

 Avith 3 short abortive staminodes. 



There are two specimens labelled aquatica from our area. The first from Mon- 

 ghyr resembles gigantea in the herbarium and possibly is gigantea. The second 

 from Balasore, a more likely locality, is a very interesting specimen as the 



1064 



