CHLORIDES 



247 



Enteropogon melicoides, Nees. 



This is a tall perennial grass with stout roots. Stems are 

 densely tufted on a short woody root-stock, erect, leafy, I to 3 

 feet long. 



Leaf-sheaths are compressed and distichous below, glabrous or 

 sometimes with a few hairs close to the margin. Ligule is a ridge 

 with long hairs. 



The leaf-blade is very long % to Y\ inch broad, auricled at the 

 base, narrowed into very finely acuminate or capillary tips midrib 

 prominent; scaberulous on both the surfaces and with long hairs 

 on the auricles. 



The spikes usually solitary, but occasionally binate, 6 to 10 

 inches long ; rachis is quite smooth and dorsally rounded. 



The spikelets are about % inch long, erecto-patent. There are 

 four glumes. The first glume is lanceolate, I-nerved, and persistent. 

 The second glume is twice as long as the first, linear-lanceolate, 

 with a very short awn and 2-toothed at the tip, I-nerved, per- 

 sistent. The third glume is rigid, lanceolate-linear, 3-nerved, 



Fit;. 189. — Enteropogon meliroides. 



I. A portion of the spike ; 2 and 3. the first and the second glumes ; 4. the spikelet 

 with its callus, flowering glumes and the rachilla ; 5 and S. the third and the fourth 

 glume ; 7. the fourth glume and the rachilla: 6 and 9. palea of the third and the fourth 

 glume; 10. ovary, stamens and ludicules ; II. grain front and back view. 



scaberulous all over ; paleate and awned ; awn is nearly as long as 

 the glume, rigid. The fourth glume is similar to the third glume in 

 all respects but shorter. The rachilla is produced beyond the 

 fourth glume and it terminates in an awned rudimentary glume. 

 The third glume as well as the fourth glume contains a perfect 

 flower and the grain is developed always in the third and mostly 

 in the fourth also. The grain is oblong, brownish, dorsally concave 

 and ventrally raised and convex. The grain in the fourth glume 

 is usually much smaller than that found in the third glume. 



This usually grows amidst thickets and occurs all over this 

 Presidency. 



Distribution. — Mysore, Burma, Ceylon and Seychelle Islands. 



