ANDROPOGONE/E 



151 



Ischaemum aristatum, L. 



This is a perennial grass, with fairly stout, erect or somewhat 

 decumbent, simple or branched, glabrous, leafy stems, I to 4 feet 

 high. 



The leaf-sheath is loose, glabrous and auricled. The ligule is a 

 distinct membrane, broad or narrow. Nodes are glabrous. 



The leaf-blade is linear-lanceolate, fiat, acuminate, narrowed 

 towards the base which may be acute, subcordate or rarely even 

 petiolate, glabrous or sparsely hairy above and glaucous beneath, 

 4 to 10 inches long and %. to I inch broad. 



The inflorescence consists of one or two, erect, stout or slender, 

 fragile racemes, I to 5 inches long. 



The spikelets are V^^Vz inch long, the sessile and the pedicelled 

 closely pressed together, glabrous or hairy ; the callus of the sessile 

 spikelet broad and thick, with or without hairs. The sessile spikelel 

 is awned and consists of four glumes. The first glume is 1/5 inch 

 long or less, oblong or linear-oblong, cartilaginous below the 

 middle, with two to four (or rarely up to six) marginal nodules on 

 each edge, sometimes these are connected by shallow ridges, 

 thinner above the middle, with green anastomosing veins, tip 

 obtuse or 2-toothed, and margins narrowly incurved. The second 

 glume is chartaceous. lanceolate, acuminate, i-nerved and with a 



Vir„ 130. — Ischivmum aristatum. 



1. A portion of the- raceme showing the joints, sessile and pedicelled spikelets; 2» 

 3, 4 and 6. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively, of the sessile 

 spikelet ; 5 and 7. palea of the third and the fourth glumes, respectively ; 8. ovary, 

 stamens and lodicules ; 9. first glume of the pedicelled spikelet. 



smooth rounded keel. The third glume is ovate-lanceolate, membra- 

 nous, i-nerved, acuminate, male or bisexual with an oblong palea. 

 The fourth glume is cleft to or below the middle into lanceolate acute 

 lobes, with a brownish red awn % inch or more long at the sinus 

 twisted at the lower portion and straight above, paleate, usually 

 female ; palea is linear oblong. The pedicelled spikelet is as long as 

 the sessile, inarticulate on the very thick, short pedicel which is 



