174 



SOUTH INDIAN GRASSES 



Rottboellia Myuras, Benth. 



This is a tufted perennial with creeping stems which branch 

 freely into ascending compressed branches, 10 inches to 2 feet 

 high. 



The leaf-sheath is quite glabrous and compressed. The ligule 

 is a short ciliate membrane. Nodes are glabrous. 



The leaf-blade is flat, linear, acute, glabrous, 2 to 6 inches long. 



The inflorescence consists of a solitary terminal or axillary 

 raceme I to 2 inches long ; joints are shorter than the spikelets, 

 excavate on one side and with a pore which is hidden by the 

 sessile spikelet. The sessile spikelet consists of four glumes. The 

 first glume is somewhat fiddle-shaped, dilated above the middle 

 into an orbicular wing, and towards the base into two auricles 

 joined by a transverse ridge, scaberulous, 5-nerved. The second 

 glume is somewhat membranous, ovate, acute and 3-nerved. The 

 third glume is hyaline, thin, oblong, obtuse and nerveless. The 

 fourth glume is lanceolate, nerveless and without a palea, bisexual. 

 There are two cuneate lodicules. The pedicelled spikelets also 

 have four glumes and the pedicels usually free, but also sometimes 

 adnate. The first glume is oblong, obtuse, winged on one side 





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Kit;. 144. Kottlioellia Myurus. 



1. A portion of the raceme showing front view ; 2. a portion of the raceme showing 

 'he back view ; 3. a sessile and a pedicelled spikelet showing the front side; 4. the same 

 showing the back side : 5, 6, 7 and 8. the first, second, third and the fourth glume of the 

 sessile spikelet. respectively ; 9 ovary and lodicules , 10, n, 12 and 14. the tirst, second, 

 third and the fourth glume, respectively, of the pedicelled spikelet: 13 and 15. palea of 

 :he third and fourth glumes of the sessile spikelet. 



only, 5-nerved. The second glume is boat-shaped, chartaceons, 3- 

 nerved crested with a semi-circular wing at the apex. The 

 third glume is hyaline, broadly oblong, obtuse, 3-nerved with a 

 lanceolate hyaline palea. The fourth glume is oblong, obtuse, male. 



This is very common in dry somewhat sandy places in the East 

 Coast districts. 



Distribution. Common in Deccan peninsula. 



