1 82 SOUTH INDIAN GRASSES 



28. Andropogon, L. 



The grasses of this genus are either perennial or annual and 

 vary very much in habit. The inflorescence consists of solitary, 

 binate, digitate, or panicled racemes. The rachis is usually jointed 

 and fragile. Spikelets are binate, a sessile female or bisexual and 

 a pedicelled male or neuter. The sessile spikelet is l-fiowered 

 and has usually four glumes. The first glume is coriaceous or 

 chartaceous, dorsally compressed, with incurved margins, usually 

 2-keeled. The second glume is as long as the first, thinner, with 

 a median keel, laterally compressed, awned or not. The third 

 glume is hyaline, empty, nerveless and without a palea. The 

 fourth glume is hyaline, narrow or broad, 2-fid and awned, 

 or reduced to an awn more or less dilated at the base, paleate 

 or not. There are two lodicules and three stamens. Stigmas 

 are feathery. Grain is free. The pedicelled spikelets are usually 

 smaller than the sessile and have three or four glumes and are 

 awnless. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



A. Sessile spikelets all similar. 

 B. Racemes of many spikelets. 



C. Peduncle of racemes enclosed in spathiform leaf-sheaths. 

 D. Joints of rachis and pedicels of upper spikelets slender 

 and tips obliquely truncate. 



Racemes solitary, pedicelled spike- 1 



lets similar to the sessile, glume > I. A. foveolatus. 

 I of sessile spikelets pitted. ) 



DD. Joints of rachis and pedicels of upper spikelets clavate 

 or trumpet-shaped and tips cupular with toothed margins. 



Racemes binate, pedicelled spikelets ^j 



differing from the sessile, glume I I 2. A. pumilus. 

 of the sessile spikelets deeply j 

 channelled. ) 



CC Peduncle of racemes not enclosed in spathiform leaf- 

 sheath. 



Racemes many, fascicled or pani-1 

 cled, glume I of sessile spikelets ; 3. A- pertusus. 

 glabrous and pitted. ; 



Racemes many and whorled in the] 



panicle ; glume I of sessile spikelets . 4. A. sqarrosus. 

 muricate on the margins. J 



BB- Racemes of 3 spikelets on the capillary whorled branches 

 of an erect panicle. 

 Pedicels of upper spikelets half as long as the sessile 

 spikelets or longer. 

 Leaves broad. 



