276 



SOUTH INDIAN GRASSES 



Eleusine aegyptiaca, Desf. 



This grass is an annual with erect or creeping branches. Stems 

 are erect or prostrate, compressed, smooth, spreading and rooting 

 at the nodes, 6 to 18 inches long. Nodes are thickened and some- 

 times proliferous. 



The leaf-sheath is compressed and glabrous. The ligule is 

 short and membranous. 



The leaf-blade is linear, tapering to a fine point, fiat, glaucous, 

 glabrous or hairy, I to 6 inches long and 1/12 to % inch, wide. 



V 4 



Fig. 209. — Eleusine segyptiaca. 



I. Front and back views of a portion of spike ; 2. a spikelet ; 3 and 4. the first and the 

 second o-lumes ; 5 and 6. flowering glume and its palea ; 7. ovary and anthers. 



Spikes are digitate, 2 to 6, V 2 to l l / 2 inches long. Spikelets are 

 fiat, densely crowded on one side of the floral axis, spreading at 

 right angles, 3- to 5-fiowered, glumes five to seven. The first glume 

 is & ovate acute. The second glume is equal to the first or slightly 

 longer, broadly ovate, awned. The flowering glumes are ovate, 

 mucronate or awned, paleate ; palea is shorter than the glume, 

 ovate-oblong, obtuse or 2-fid. Anthers are small. Grain is reddish, 

 rugose and sub-globose. 



This is a very common grass occurring as a weed in cultivated 

 fields and in open places. It is a well-known fodder grass. 



Distribution. — Throughout the plains in India and Ceylon. 



