248 SOUTH INDIAN GRASSES 



35. Cynodon, Pers. 



These are perennial grasses with stems creeping and rooting at 

 the nodes, and producing tufts of barren branches and flowering 

 stems at the nodes. The inflorescence consists of two to six spikes 

 in terminal umbels. The spikelets are small, i-flowered, laterally 

 compressed, sessile, alternately 2-seriate and imbricate on one side 

 of the rachis. The spikelet has three glumes. The first two 

 glumes are empty, thin, keeled, and acute or mucronate. The third 

 glume is the largest, boat-shaped, 3-nerved, with ciliate keels, palea 

 is 2-keeled, somewhat shorter than the glume. Lodicules are two. 

 The anthers are somewhat large. Grain is oblong, free. 



Key to the species. 



Glumes I and II shorter than III. 

 Underground stems present. 



Hairs on the margins and keels of\ r , , 

 glume III pointed and not clavate. J lm u> aact y lon - 



Underground stems absent. 



Hairs on the margins and keels oH 



glume III clavellate and pointed at V 2. C. intermedius. 

 the apex. J 



Glume I shorter than II but II equal to or longer than Ill- 

 Hairs on the margins and keels oH 



glume III clavellate and rounded at \ ^ Barb ' 

 the apex. Underground stems ( *' ' 

 absent. J 



