' Materials for a Flora of the Malayan Peninsula. 119 



long, linear or lanceolate narrow parrellcl nerved, base sheathing 

 sheath split to the base, with a transverse erect entire or bifid ligule, 

 on the top of the sheath below the base of the blade. Inflorescence 

 terminal or from the upper sheaths as well, composed of spikelets 

 arranged in spikes, racemes or heads. Spikelets composed of three or 

 more distichous bracts (glumes). The two lowest normally empty, 

 the others arranged on a flexuous rachilla, and one or more containing 

 flowers. In each flowering glume is normally, a palea, a thinner 

 two nerved or keeled convolute or flattened glume enclosing the flower. 

 Plowers unisexual or bisexual consisting of 2 to 6 scale like bodies 

 (lodicules) often very minute or absent, 3, more rarely 1, 2 or 6 or 

 occasionally many hypogynous stamens and a pistil. Filaments of 

 stamens linear usually long and free occasionally connate into a tube. 

 Anthers linear or oblong fugacious, 2 celled with small or no apparent 

 connective. Pistil of a one-celled, one ovuled, ovary. Styles 3, 

 rarely 2 or 1 elongate, and covered with stigmatic hairs. Fruit a 

 one seeded utricle usually free within the palea and glume, more 

 rarely adherent to both. Seed erect. Albumen copious, mealy, em- 

 bryo minute at the base of the albumen and outside it. Cotyledon 

 shield shaped with an erect conic plumule and descending conic 

 radicle. 



Species about 3000, in all parts of the world. The Malay Penin- 

 sula being covered originally entirely by forests contains comparatively 

 few indigenous species. The forest region contains practically no 

 grasses, except Ceniotheca, Lepiaspis and Lophatherum and occasion- 

 ally bamboo. The majority of the grasses described herein either occur 

 on sandy spots by the sea, or are weeds of cultivation. 



Some of the common cosmopolitan grasses having an enormous 

 synonymy, I have not given this in full. It has been well collected 

 in the Flora of British India. 



- Panic ACE AE. 



Spikelets articulate on the pedicels, or deciduous with them; 

 one to 2-flowered, upper flower only fruiting. 1 Rachis of inflores- 

 cence not breaking up into joints. 



Tribe I. Paniceae. Monoecious (except 

 Spinif ex ) . 



Spikelets 2-flowered, upper flower bisexual, 

 lower male or neuter (occasionally both 

 bisexual). 



Spikes articulate on the pedicels, (except 

 Isachne) awnless, not involucelled by 

 bristles. 



Glumes 3. 



