96 



SOUTH INDIAN GRASSES 



Panicum trypheron, Schult. 



The plant is a tufted annual leafy at the base, with branches 

 spreading a little at the base and then erect, varying in length 

 from Vz to 3 feet. Stems are stout or slender, cylindric or slightly 

 compressed towards the base. 



The leaf-sheath is striated, green or purple tinged, shorter than 

 the internodes, the upper portion hairy (sometimes tubercle-based) 

 and the lower glabrous, with sometimes ciliate margin. The ligule 

 is a short membrane with a fringe of slender hair-like processes. 

 Nodes are glabrous. 



The leaf-blade is flat, convolute when young, linear-lanceolate, 

 acute or narrow linear-lanceolate, acuminate, hairy on both sides 

 (hairs indistinctly bulbous-based) ; margin is very minutely serrate 

 and often ciliate with tubercle-based hairs; base is narrowed, 

 slightly rounded or cordate ; midrib is conspicuous though narrow 

 and keeled; length I to 7 inches and breadth % to Ys inch. 



The inflorescence is a diffuse panicle 4 to 14 inches long with 

 filiform, divaricate, scaberulous, angled branches ; the main rachis 

 is angular, smooth below and scaberulous above ; peduncle is 

 cylindric, striate, 2 to 12 inches long. Branches are irregularly 

 distantly alternate, solitary or rarely two, swollen at base, dividing 

 into slender filiform spreading branchlets ; the lower branches 

 from 3 to 7 inches in length and getting shorter upwards. 

 Branchlets are l / 2 to 3 inches, capillary, angular and further 

 dividing. 



Fig, ioi.--Panicnm trypheron. 

 1 and 2. Front and back view of thespikelet ; 3, 4 and 5. the first, second and the 

 third glume, respectively; 6. palea of the third glume ; 7 and 8. the fourth glume and 

 its palea; 9. stamens, ovary and lodicules. 



The spikelets are ovate, acuminate, binate (sometimes solitary or 

 three) on a common finely filiform stalk, one long and the other 

 short pedicelled, pale or yellowish green, or purple ; pedicels are 

 angular, scabrid or scaberulous slightly swollen at the top and 

 sometimes with setose hairs also. 



There are four glumes. The firsl glume is green or purple, 

 broadly ovate, acuminate, clasping at the base, about two-thirds of 

 the third glume, membranous, nerves five, the lateral two stout and 



