Plate 1773. 



ISCH^IMUM ANGITSTIFOLIUM, Rachel. 



Gramine^:. Tribe Andropogone.e. 



I. angustifolium, EaclcelinA. de Cand. Monogr. Phan. vol. vi. (ined.) ■ 

 culmis foliisque dense caespitosis basi saepius lana intertexta copiosa 

 indutis, tolns superne anguste linearibus striatis marginibus saepius 

 arete mvolntis facie interfere parce pilosulis glabratisve extus glaoer- 

 rimis, spicis saepius 2-4-nis exsertis imdique (pilis rigidiusculis ad 

 basin spicularum dense fasciculatis) fulvo-hirsutis, spiculis saepius 

 biflons, flore sup. £ , flore inf. <j glumis exterioribus subaequilongis 

 /- v. gl. inf. 5-nervosis dorso pilis fasciculatis instructis ; fl. <* gl. inf 

 1-nervosa longiuscule aristata, arista terminali gl. sup. late ovata 



denticula^ 1CGm V6rSUS ^"^ 5 fl ' * ^^ hyalinis ciliatis, lodiculis 



Ha b Widely spread in the drier regions of India from the Hima- 

 laya and Afghanistan to the Godavery, and eastward to China. 

 Variable m height from under 1 foot to 2 or 3 feet; growing in dense 

 tntts, usually remarkably invested by a rather loose tawny, cottony 

 indumentum at the base of each tuft. It is used for rope-making by 

 the natives, and has a probable future as a substitute for Esparto and 

 Alta in paper-making. A full account of its introduction as an 

 economic product, with native names and various botanical identifica- 

 tions, isgiven by Mr. Thiselton Dyer in the ' Journal of the Linnean 

 bociety, xx. p. 409. It is also referred to in the Kew Reports, 1878, 

 p. 45, under the name of Eriophorum comosum ; and 1879, p. 36, under 

 bpodwpogon angitstifolius. Mr. Gamble informs me that it is culti- 

 vated in small patches by the Sonthals in the Rajmehal Hills. 



I prefer to adopt the name under which this Grass will appear in 

 Herr E. Hackel's monograph. As he kindly points out to me, it does 

 not fall well into any established genus, and to refer it to Ischcemum 

 does least violence to accepted formulas. Herr Hackel has favoured 

 noe with the following synonymy : • Andropogon binatus, Retz. 

 (specimen mncrum, spictdis unijioris) ; Spodiopogon angustifolius, 

 Trin. ; Andropogon Notopogon, Nees ; Spodiopogon laniger, Nees ; 

 Andropogon involutus, Steud. ; A. obvallatus, Steud. ; Pollinia eriopoda, 



Hance.' — D. Oliver. 



Our figure represents a specimen in which the leaves are nearly flat. 

 It usually occurs with the margins closely involute. 



Fig. I. Portion of spike. 2. Spikeltt. 3. Palea of £ flower. 4. Staminate floret. 

 5. Lodicules. 6. Pistil. Enlarged. 



