188 



SOUTH INDIAN GRASSES 



Andropogon ptim ilus, Roxb. 



It is a tufted annual with numerous radiating branches, growing 

 on all directions, bent below and erect above ; they vary in length 

 from 6 inches to 18 inches, but sometimes when growing under 

 favourable conditions attain the length of 2% feet. The stem is 

 slender, green, or pale reddish in the exposed portions and pale 

 in parts covered by sheaths slightly flattened, smooth. 



The leaf-sheaths are smooth, compressed, distinctly keeled. The 

 Ugule is a short, truncate, white, glabrous membrane. The nodes 

 are glabrous. 



The leaf-blade is linear, finely acuminate, glabrous, but sometimes 

 somewhat scabrid along the nerves and with scattered long delicate 

 hairs above especially when young, varying in length from I to 

 7 inches and r/io to Y% inch in breadth. 



The inflorescence consists of paired spikes with very slender 

 peduncles arising from flattened, glabrous, acuminate spathes, 

 varying in length from V 2 to \V\ inches. The spikes are spreading 

 and one of them always slightly longer than the other, reddish or 

 pale green, % to I inch long ; the rachis consists of five to eight 

 fiat joints broadened at the top and ending in a cup, densely ciliate 

 on both the margins, but hairs on one margin are shorter than those 

 on the other. Each joint bears a sessile and a pedicelled spikelet. 



Fig. 151.- Andropogon pumilus. 



1. A portion of the spike to show the arrangement of the spikelets ; !I. the first 

 «lume of the sessile spikelet ; 2 second glume of the sessile spikelet ; 3 and 4. third and 

 fourth glumes of the sessile spikelet ; 5. anthers, lodicules and the ovary ; A, B and C. 

 the three glumes of the pedicelled spikelets. 



The sessile spikelet is about 3/ 16 inch with an awn 7/16 inch long. 

 There are four glumes in the spikelet. The first glume is narrow, 

 linear, membranous, grooved, finely bicuspidate at the apex, with 

 incurved margins and two nerves ending in tubercles below. The 

 second glume is a little longer than the first, narrow, lanceolate, 

 boat-shaped, thinly coriaceous with membranous margins, I- 

 nerved and shortly awned. The third glume is about % of the 



