216 



SOUTH INDIAN GRASSES 



Iseilema laxum, Hack, 



It is a tufted perennial grass with a stout, short, creeping root- 

 stock. Stems are slender, branched, ascending, 6 to 24 inches 

 long. 



The leaf-sheaths are somewhat loose, glabrous. The ligule is 

 a shortly ciliate membrane. 



The leaf-blade is linear, obtuse, glabrous and ciliate near the 

 base, 2 to 6 inches long. The leaf-blades in the upper portions of 

 the branches are smaller. 



The inflorescence is a narrow long panicle bearing clusters of 

 spikelets with spathes on slender peduncles, the outer spathes are 





1 

 J 



mm I 



■%> U 



' "!« W ^HP 111 



Fig. 1(17. — Iseilema laxum. 



1. A cluster uf spikelets with spathes, 2. a cluster coniistin^ of the itivolucial 

 spikelets and three inner spikelets ; 3. the inner spikelets consisting of one sessile 

 female or bisexual and 2-pedicclled male spikelets ; 4. 5 and 6. the first, sscond and 

 the thinl glume, respectively, of the involucral spikelet. 



narrow-lanceolate, glabrous or with a few hairs near the margin, 

 K to I inch long ; inner spathes are lanceolate, smaller with mem- 

 branous margins. Each cluster consists of an involucel of 4 

 pedicelled spikelets forming a true whorl around 2 pedicelled and 

 I sessile spikelets or 3 pedicelled and 2 sessile spikelets. The 

 involucral spikelets are male, oblong-lanceolate, acute, with short 

 flattened pedicels, bearded at the base, and have three glumes. 

 The first glume is oblong-lanceolate, acute, 5- to 7-nerved and 

 ciliate. The second glume is oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, equal or 

 slightly shorter than the first, glabrous, 3-nerved and with infolded 

 margins. The third glume is hyaline, linear, short, irregularly 

 toothed at the apex. The inner pedicelled spikelets are similar to 

 the involucral spikelets, but the third glume is very narrow, linear. 

 The sessile spikelets are female, rarely bisexual, narrowly lanceo- 

 late, 1/5 inch long, glabrous and have four glumes. The first 

 glume is lanceolate, chartaceous, truncate or 2-ficl at the apex, 



