PANTCE/E 



121 



Cenchrus bifloms, Roxb. 



This is an annual with erect simple stems, 6 to 24 inches long. 



The lea/sheath is glabrous or nearly so, with hairs at the mouth. 



The leaf-blade is linear-lanceolate, finely acuminate, glabrous or 

 hairy, 3 to 10 inches long and % to % inch broad. 



The inflorescence is a solitary cylindric raceme of involucels, 2 

 to 4 inches long, enclosed in the uppermost leaf-sheath ; the rachis 

 is flexuous, angular and smooth. Involucels usually with two, rarely 

 three spikelets, loosely imbricate, rounded at the base ; the inner 

 bristles are erect, dorsally flat, subulate-lanceolate, puberulous and 

 with thickened margins, about % inch long. The outer are shorter 

 than the inner, glabrous, erect or subsquarrose and as long as the 

 sessile spikelets. 



The spikelets are about Yd inch long, sub-globose, with four 

 glumes. The first glume is about 1/10 inch long, ovate-acuminate, 

 very thin, hyaline, nerveless or rarely i-nerved. The second glume 



llrafe § I 



Fig. 117. — Cenchrus biflorus. 



1. A portion of the raceme ; 2. an involucel ; 3, 4, 5 aid 7. the first, second, third 

 and the fourth glume respectively ; 6 and 8. palea of the third and the fourth glumes ; 9. 

 the ovary and stamens ; 10 grain. 



is broadly ovate, Ye inch long, hyaline, acute, I-nerved. The 

 third glume is slightly longer than the second, oblong-ovate, 

 apiculate, 5-nerved and paleate ; palea % inch obtuse. The fourth 

 glume is as long as the third, ovate, obtuse, paleate. Anthers are 

 three. Styles free almost to the base. The grain is 1/12 by 1/16 

 inch orbicular oblong, compressed, smooth and pale brown. 



This grass is not so widely distributed as Cenchrus catharticus. 

 It is confined to some East Coast districts. 



Distribution.— The Punjab, Gangetic plain, Concan, Sind and 

 Coromandel. Also said to occur in Africa and Arabia. 



16 



