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1. Leptochloa subdigitata, Trin. 
Botanical name—Leptochloa—Greek, leptos, slender, chloe grass ; 
subdigitata—Latin, sub having the sense of almost; digitata—Latin, 
that which has fingers,—hence a slender grass with the panicle almost 
digitate, or spread out like the fingers of a hand. 
Synonym.—EHleusine digitata, Spreng. 
Vernacular name.— Cane-grass.” 
Botanical description (B.Fl. vu, 617).—An erect, rigid, usually 
glaucous grass, attaining 4 or 5 ft. 
Leaves short, with rigid rather loose sheaths. 
Spikes or panicle branches 6 to 10, crowded at the end of the peduncle, with usually 
1 or 2 lower down, 2 to 4 inches long. 
Spikelets 14 or rarely 2 lines long, five- or six-flowered, the rhachis bearing a few 
short hairs under each glume. 
Glumes about 4 line long, obtuse, or almost acute, the outer empty ones usually 
rather smaller, especially the lowest. 
Palea folded. 
Grain oblong, perfectly smooth, the pericarp very thin and adnate. 
Value as a fodder.—A tall tussock-grass, with numerous erect 
branching leafy stems ; usually met with around dams and river banks, 
and affording a large supply of coarse herbage (Bailey). 
Habitat and range.—Found in all the colonies except Tasmania and 
Victoria. In New South Wales it is found in the interior (Lachlan 
River). 
2. Leptochloa chinensis, Nees. 
Botanical name—chinensis ; a Latinised adjective meaning Chinese, 
or belonging to China (the country whence this grass was first 
described). 
Synonym.—Hleusine chinensis, F.vy.M. 
Where figured.—Duthie. 
Botanical description (B.F1. vu, 617).— 
Stems from a creeping and rooting base ascending to 2 or 3 feet, glabrous and usually 
slender. 
Leaves narrow, flat, tapering to a point. 
Panicle 6 inches to above 1 foot long, the numerous simple branches scattered or 
clustered along the rhachis, very slender, 2 to 4 inches long, or in the smaller 
weaker specimens under 2 inches. 
Spikelets sessile or nearly so, distant or rather crowded, narrow, 1 to 2 lines long, 
usually four- to six-flowered. 
Outer empty glumes rather unequal, acute, flowering ones broader, obtuse. 
Value as a fodder—Used more or less for fodder in Northern 
India, though nothing definite appears to be known regarding its real 
value. (Duthie.) The same remarks may be applied to this grass as 
far as New South Wales is concerned. Stock eat it. 
Habitat-and range.-—Found in New South Wales and Queensland. 
In the former colony it is confined to localities between the northern 
rivers and the table-land, usually on the banks of streams. It is also 
found in Asia. 
