AGROSTIDE^E 



231 



Sporobolus diauder, Beauv. 



This is a tufted annual or perennial grass. Stems are slender 

 with leaves tufted at the base, I to 3 feet high. 



The leaf-sheath is glabrous and smooth, ribbed, the lower short 

 and the upper very long. Nodes are glabrous. The ligule consists 

 of a fringe of minute hairs. 



The leaf-blades are usually flat, glabrous, strongly nerved, with 

 filiform tips, 3 to 10 inches by 1/25 to 1/16 inch. 



The inflorescence is an erect narrow pyramidal panicle, varying 

 in length from 4 to 10 inches and about 2 inches in breadth. The 

 branches are very fine, spreading and in scattered fascicles, y 2 to 

 2 inches long, with many very small spikelets arranged racemosely 

 along the axis. Spikelets are small 1/18 to 1/20 inch long, with very 

 short pedicels. The first glume is very short less than 1/5 inch, 

 broadly oblong, nerveless, hyaline, broadly truncate and erose at 

 the apex. The second glume is a little longer than the first, but 



Fig. 178.— Sporobolus diander. 



I. A portion of a branch ; 2. a spikelet ; 3, 4 and 5. the first, second and the third 

 glume, respectively ; 6. palea of the third glume ; 7. anthers and the ovary. 



shorter than the third, hyaline, broadly elliptic-oblong, nerveless 

 or obscurely I-nerved. The third glume is broadly ovate-oblong, 

 sub-acute, I-nerved, paleate ; the palea is plicate in the median 

 line. Stamens are usually two. The grain is obovoid, truncate at 

 the apex, and with a small white swelling in the centre at the 

 apex, rugulose, red-brown. 



This grass grows usually gregariously in somewhat sheltered 

 situations all over the Presidency on the plains and low hills. 

 This is an excellent fodder grass. It forms fairly large tufts with 

 plenty of green leaves on rich moist soils. When the leaves are 

 young cattle eat this grass very eagerly, but do not seem to care 

 for it when the leaves become old. However by frequent grazing 

 it can be made to produce young leaves in succession. This grass 

 is also an excellent soil binder, as its roots form a perfect matting 

 in any kind of moist soil soon after planting. This is very difficult 

 to eradicate when once established. 



Distribution.— Throughout India and Burma. 



