208 SOUTH INDIAN GRASSES 



and awnless, % inch long. The callus is long, acute, bearded with 

 reddish-brown hairs. There are four glumes in the spikelet. The 

 first glume is narrow, linear-oblong, truncate or rounded, somewhat 

 .brown, many-nerved, hispid, with incurved margins and membran- 

 ous tip. The second glume is linear, obtuse, coriaceous, dark-brown, 

 hispidulous, 3-nerved with incurved margins. The third glume is 

 oblong, hyaline, thin, nerveless, short and truncate. The fourth 

 glume is reduced to an awn, 3 inches or more in length. The ovary 

 is linear with two long stigmas. 



The pedicelled spikelets are somewhat longer than the sessile 

 y?. to % inch, with very short pedicels. The first glume is lanceo- 

 late, obliquely twisted, hispid at the back with long bulbous-based 

 hairs, margins more or less unequally winged. The second glume 

 is oblong lanceolate, acuminate, 5-nerved, thinly ciliate with 

 hyaline margins. The third glume is oblong, hyaline, i-nerved and 

 ciliate. The fourth glume is obovate-oblong or oblong, hyaline, 

 ciliate, nerveless. There are three stamens. 



This grass though coarse forms very good hay if cut before it 

 flowers. The only objection against this grass is the presence of 

 the troublesome awns which get twisted together like the strands 

 of a rope. This is the spear grass of the Anglo-Indians. It grows 

 all over the Presidency and is a troublesome weed when in flower. 



Distribution. — All over the Presidency and India. Common in 

 all tropical countries. 



