ANDROPOGONE/E 



147 



Imperata arundinacea, Cyril. 



This is an erect perennial grass with creeping, stoloniferous 

 root-stocks, with aerial stems varying from 6 inches to 3 feet. 



The leaf-sheath is loose and glabrous. The ligule consists of 

 long soft hairs. The nodes are naked or bearded. 



The leaf-blade is linear, fiat, tapering from about the middle 

 towards the top, finely acuminate, and also narrowing towards the 

 Itase into the stout midrib, margins with fine long hairs at the base, 

 6 to 18 inches by 1/10 to 1 /} inch, scabrous above and smooth 

 beneath. 



The panicle is narrow, spike-like, silvery, 3 to 8 inches ; branches 

 arc short and appressed and the internodes of spikes are short 

 with the tips dilated. 



The spikelels are % to % inch concealed by long silvery hairs 

 of the callus and the glumes, articulate at the base; callus hairs are 

 about twice as long as the spikelet or longer. 



There are four glumes in the spikelet. The first glume is ovate- 

 lanceolate, obtuse, with ciliate tips and long hairs at the back 

 below the middle, rather thickened towards the base, dorsally hairy, 

 3- to 7-nerved, nerves not reaching the tip. The second glume is 



'"ig. 138.— Imperata arundinacea. 



I. A spikelet ; 2, 3, 4, and 5. the first, second, third and the fourth 



glume, respectively ; 6. palea of the fourth glume ; 7. two stamens and the ovary. 



as long as the first, with membranous margins and with long hairs 

 at the back, 3- to 7-nerved. The third glume is hyaline, less than 

 half as long as the first and second glumes, oblong, obtuse or 

 irregularly toothed, nerveless or i-nerved. The fourth glume is 

 slightly shorter and narrower than the third, ovate, acute, obtuse 

 or toothed, ciliate, nerveless or faintly I-nerved, paleate ; palea is 

 about half as long as the glume, quadrate, toothed or retuse, 

 nerveless, glabrous. There are only two stamens with orange 

 anthers. Styles are slender, long, with purple stigmas. Lodicules 

 are absent. Grain is small and oblong. 



This is fairly abundant in moist stiff soils. On account of the 

 underground stolons this grass cannot be eradicated easily 



Distribution.— Throughout India. 



