140 tlLLERlNO IN INDIAN SUGARCANES 



Sunnahile Group. 



The Sunnabile group, although ^videly distributed over India, from the 

 Punjab to Assam and Madras, and inchiding canes of all degrees of thickness, 

 is far more homogeneous than the Saretha, as has been fully discussed in Mem. 

 III. But here, too, the geographical distribution appears to have left its mark 

 on the branching system. Bansa from Western Bengal appears to be a more 

 vigorous variety than the rest, and Dhauhi from the Punjab and Mojorah in 

 Assam are also hea\aer tillerers than the other three examined. These latter are, 

 as pointed out on page 111, Peninsula forms, DJior from the Central Provinces, 

 Sunnahile from Bombay and Naanal from Madras. Nevertheless, the group, 

 as a whole, is marked by rather sparse branching and a restricted formula, 

 resembling Nargori and approaching the Thick cane group in this respect. 

 The clumps are close and upright and the leaf tips are usually erect. Runners 

 are absent and there are usually many large, white, clawed buds in the dissec- 

 tions. Curving is moderate and merely such as is necessary to bring the canes 

 quickly into parallelism. The canes are soft and often white in colour. The 

 plants are much affected by mealy bug on the farm, possibly due to the slowness 

 of growi.h and softness of the rind. The general appearance of the dissected 

 clump is one of smoothness and regularity, as can be seen in the photographs, 

 the canes being straight and regular and without any prominent nodes, in 

 these respects resembling varieties of the Mungo group. There is less difference 

 than usual in the canes of different orders in all respects and it wculd be difficult 

 to separate the early and late canes at harvest. ^ (Pis. XXVI and XXVII.) 



^ For fuller details regarding the cliaracters of this group, see Mem. Ill, where the con- 

 necting (characters are tabulated and contrasted with those of the Saretha series. 



