CHLORIDES 



267 



Chloris Bournei, Rang. & Tad. 



This grass appears to be perennial. The stems are somewhat 

 stout, tufted, erect or ascending geniculately from a creeping and 

 rooting base, varying in length from I to 3 feet and with internodes 

 to 6 inches becoming longer upwards. 



The leaf-sheaths are equal to or longer than the internodes at the 

 base, but shorter above, glabrous, compressed, distichous, bearded 

 towards the mouth and with membranous margins. The ligule is 

 a narrow membranous ridge. Nodes are thickened, deeply purple 

 ringed, glabrous and the lower nodes always with a fan-like tuft 

 of flattened leaf-sheaths and leaves. 



The leaf-blades are linear, finely acuminate, slightly broadened 

 and rounded at the base, keeled, the upper surface scaberulous 

 and with a few scattered long hairs especially towards the base, 

 smooth or slightly scaberulous below, I to 9 inches by 1/12 to 54 

 inch. 



The inflorescence consists of digitately arranged spikes 1% to 

 4 inches long on a peduncle which is sometimes 1 5 inches long. 

 Spikes are stout, purple-tinged, three to seven and even nine in 



Fig. 203. — Chloris Boumei. 



1 to 5. The glumes in order ; 3a and 3b. the third glume and its palea ; 3c. flower ; 4a 

 and 4b. the fourth glume and its palea ; 5a. fifth glume ; 6. a spikelet with four awned 

 glumes ; 7. grain. 



some specimens, shortly stalked, the base of the stalk being slightiy 

 swollen and villous at the base, the rachis is slender, somewhat 

 villous towards the base. 



The spikelets are about x /% inch excluding the awn, very shortly 

 pedicelled, biseriate, unilateral, disarticulating above the first two 

 glumes which are persistent, purplish or pale, I- to 3-flowered, 

 usually 3- to 4-awned and sometimes 5-awned ; awns are purplish 

 3/16 to 5/16 inch long, finely scabrid. There are five or seven glumes 

 in a spikelet. The first glume is hyaline, purplish or pale, about 1/10 

 inch long, lanceolate, subacuminate, i-nerved with a scaberulous 



